Inspecting the Apartment

1. Make sure you see the apartment. Even if the description in the ad sounds fantastic, don’t ever say you’ll rent it over the phone, sight unseen. You must see it. Some people exaggerate when they post apartment information in newspapers and online.

2. Take the apartment hunting checklist with you. (See next section.) Make notes about each item using this list. It will help you remember details about each apartment, then accurately compare one with the other much later.

3. Bring your checkbook with you. In some cities like Boston, Chicago, and New York, there are “apartment hunting seasons.” This is usually before the start of the school semester when apartments can go in a matter of minutes. If you like what you see, and happy with all the conditions, you can give the agent a check right there so that the apartment can be reserved for you. Make sure that you get their business card so you know who to look for in case the check gets cashed and the deal not pull through.

4. Try to visit the apartment at different times of the day. Ask a friend to accompany you to check what the neighborhood is like during the day and at night.

Wise Words: My roommates and I had a really huge apartment but it was in a bad area. We were new. We had seen the place during the day so in other words, it was lying to us. In the evenings, it turned out to be a very dangerous area.—Artie Manalac, Sydney University, Sydney

Wise Words: There are "seasons" for looking for places in many college towns. People usually hunt in May (when leases are sometimes up) or in January (but I wouldn’t advise it because of the terrible weather). If you’re female, it’s helpful to bring a male companion (kahit na hindi S.O.) to look out for you. As a rule of thumb, always bring a friend along when you look for housing because they usually point out things and details you fail to see, as you’re more intent on just settling in as quickly as possible. In the midwest, it is an especially good idea to find a place with a laundry within the premises (this become pretty convenient when you have 23-inches of snowfall). A good building manager or
engineer is also essential. –Vanessa Go, New York University, Northwestern
University

5. Ask the person showing you the apartment about the following: security deposit, rent, when rent is due, water pressure, exterminator services if needed, when common areas (hallways, lobby) is cleaned.




6. Ask if the amount of the rent is per week or per month. In the US, Japan, and Germany, the rate is on a monthly basis. In Australia and the UK, it is per week.


7. Inquire from the person showing you the apartment about the proximity of the following locations, facilities and amenities: public transportation, supermarket, bank, police station, and hospital.

Wise Words: Take the time to check out the actual distance between the apartment and the public transportation station. My real-estate agent told me that one apartment’s bus stop was 5 minutes away when it was actually 15 minutes. I know because I walked from the Metro to the apartment. – Hector
Tiongson, Georgetown University, Washington DC

8. Check closets and turn faucets. You’ll want to see how huge the closets are. Will all your stuff from home fit? Turn the faucets to check if the water pressure is strong. Also look for a smoke alarm. If there is none, request that the landlord to install one.9. Make an inventory of what needs to be repaired and send it to the landlord. 10. Bring a tape measure. If you have furniture from your previous apartment, you might want to measure them and make sure that it fits through the door of the apartment.