Questions about getting an apartment...

[PeppyGPhiB]

- Check to see if the apartment complex has been reviewed on Apartmentratings.com. It's pretty easy to tell on there when some people are full of crap, but do look for a pattern of the same complaints.

- When you're checking out the apartment, note the amount of storage and closets.

- I don't know about you, but I MUST have a washer and dryer in the apartment. I will NEVER go back to using communal laundry facilities...it was bad enough in college, and I KNEW those people. Plus you have to pay and sit around waiting for laundry with a shared or coin-op place.

- Give a call to the local police to find out whether they've had a lot of issues reported at the complex. I usually ask about car break-ins, since apartment complexes attract them.

- Ask the management how they figure utilities, particularly water/sewer. Different places do it differently, and you want to make sure you're only paying for what YOU use, not an average of the whole complex.

[texas*princess]

Originally Posted by PeppyGPhiB

- Give a call to the local police to find out whether they've had a lot of issues reported at the complex. I usually ask about car break-ins, since apartment complexes attract them.

YES ^^^ DO listen to Peppy!

[tnxbutterfly]

-Ask about parking (i.e. If you get covered parking or is it first come first serve) Is covered parking included or do you have to pay extra for it? Are your guest allowed to park their cars in the complex after hours or will they have to park outside the complex? Drive through the complex at certain times (early morning, Friday night, after 7pm) check the parking.

My last complex the pariking was horrible. If you didn;t get home by a certain time, you never got a spot in front of the building. It use to suck when I got off work at night and had to walk 2 million miles to get to my apartment.

-definately look at getting renter's insurance. If you decide you want a satellite dish(Direct tv), a lot of complexes require that you have it. But asks the complex what their policy is about having a satellite dish. My apartment complex requires that I make a 250 deposit and have renter's insurance with at least 10,000 in libility before I can grt a dish

- How far it is to the nearest Wal-mart/post office/target.? What will your commute work be like?

-Is your apartment near public transportation? My apartment complex is on a bus line. that good because I was carless on Friday and almost had to take the bus to work

[cuteASAbug]

This may seem like an obvious one, but if you're living on an upper floor, make sure it has an elevator. My friends were really excited about living in a 6 story walk up because it meant that they would lose weight faster, until move in day came and they had to haul every last thing that they owned up 6 flights of stairs.