Apartment shopping can be absolutely grueling; from the potential creepy landlords to the fear of discovering an insect-infested nightmare, finding the right place can take a ridiculous amount of time and effort. However, there are things you can look for that will save you time and reassure you that you’ve found the right (or very, very wrong) place to live. Here are three such things to keep an eye out for.
- A functional elevator: Residential elevators are vital to begin with, so if you’re looking at a building that only has stairs, you can walk right back out the way you came in. If that very simple requirement has been met, you can be a little choosier — are there any signs that elevator needs repair? What’s the functionality — poor, fair, or fantastic? Residential elevators should look and feel as safe as their commercial counterparts and require routine maintenance every 12 months; make sure yours is up to code. Does your apartment building have a elevator company that they source out their elevator repair to? While these questions seem like they’re just splitting hairs, you’ll be sorry if you don’t pay attention and end up needing to haul two very heavy armfuls of groceries up several flights of stairs because it broke down.
- A decent security system: One of the most violating experiences is the robbery of your personal space. Your building doesn’t need to have three beefy security guards whose arms are busting out of their black, nondescript t-shirts, but good, hefty locks and a basic camera system can go a long way in keeping you safe. Make sure you ask your landlord about it during your walk-through.
- Positive tenant testimonials: Chat a little bit with your potential neighbors; ask them what they like, what they hate, what they wish was different. Especially ask them about the landlord — are they intelligent or do they frequently lose rent payments, are they lenient on the rules or do they enforce them with a strict sense of discipline? Conversely, scope out who you’re going to be living next to and determine if they’re certifiably insane before you share a wall and hallway.
A little attention to detail can go a long way in finding the right place to live. Give that attention to these three things and you can rest assured you found the perfect apartment.