When living in an apartment, whether it is a studio (if you can be so lucky in this area!), a 1 bedroom, or even a 2 or 3 bedroom that you share with two or more other people, you would be wise to learn a few tricks and tips along the way to ensure you're not only getting the best for your money, but you're also kicking butt at this whole "adulting" nonsense.
Finding a place:
- Start your apartment (or house) search right: Know your budget- and I don't mean your "Well, I could swing it if I only ate ramen noodle budget" - I mean your "I would still have $300-$400 left over if the car broke down, or got sick, budget." Knowing this number will not only leave you enough dough to pay your utilities, parking fees, and pet fees (more on this later), but also give you money to spend on groceries because a girl's gotta eat.
- Learn about the areas you want to live in. Some neighborhoods are MUCH more expensive than others - two or three times more! Living in North Arlington is nothing like living in Alexandria, Vienna, or Fairfax. While your budget may not be worthy of one, for twenty extra minutes in the morning, you could be close (enough).
- With that being said, know your commute times. Will you be walking or driving to school or work? Do you need to factor in money to ride the metro or what you will do in bad weather if you're deciding to bike? Is being further away from your job or work more feasible than paying $200-$300 more in rent? These are things that we (as "adults") have to consider.
- Read YELP. I cannot tell you how important this point is. Apartment showrooms are often different than their real apartments and they're staged to feel homey, bigger, better, etc. If the property gets 1 star on YELP because the water never works and the maintenance team doesn't help, chances are you don't want to live there.
- Don't be fooled by pretty fixtures. Updated apartments are nice, but if the reviews suck, they're not worth it. Don't get roped in and think your experience will be different.
- Want a pet? Have a pet? Know that apartments can charge pet rent: usually $30-$100 per month!! Not to mention a $300-$600 deposit for them alone, a mandatory cleaning fee when you move out ($100-$500), and most properties have restrictions on the breeds they allow, your animal's weight, and how many you're allowed to have. I'm not saying to re-home your pet (please don't!), but be an informed consumer before selecting a new home for the both of you. Make sure you can afford your pet in your budget before purchasing and know that you may need to include more money in your budget for rent.
- Do not be fooled into thinking your rent is all that you will owe at signing. Move in fees ($100-$500), deposit (can be as much as your first month's rent), first month's rent, an application fee ($20-$100 per person on the lease!), your background check fee ($10-$30), and your pet fees may all apply. Talk to your leasing office and know what fees apply to you.
- Ask what their maintenance policies are. How long do you have to wait to get some help in an emergency? Are they on-call 24/7 (even holidays)? Will things be replaced if broken? Who will pay for those repairs? What about in a non-emergency- how long do they have to respond? What will they do if you are unhappy with the repairs? Will they compensate your rent for lasting problems? These are all important things to know.
- When you ask for a tour, ask to see the space YOU would move into - not the showroom. (See point 4). Knowing what your apartment looks like is not only important because you want to know the condition it's in, but also because you don't want to be swindled into thinking you're getting a better place than you are.
- Ask if you're "locked in" to your rent or if they can adjust it for ANY reason. If they struggle with this, run! Do not fall for this ploy.
- Find out the costs if you need to end your lease. Renters can charge anywhere from 1 month to 6 months of your rent - just to cancel your lease! Be aware that while you probably won't have to do this, it's always better to know what you're looking at. Also find out what type of exceptions there are.
- Pay attention to the floor that you are on. Hate climbing stairs? Probably not a good idea to move to a community that doesn't have elevators. Hate first floor apartments? Let your leasing agent know. They're there to help find the right place for you (usually).
- Save money. Renting apartments is great for college students, but one day, you're going to be a college graduate and you're going to need some leftover income for student loans, a house, a baby, etc. Try to be frugal.
Once you've found a place:
- Get renter's insurance. It's usually required, but it basically protects you and your stuff from damages.
- Get the apartment emergency numbers for maintenance and learn where the hospitals are. You might not use them, but they're lifesavers.
- Go through your apartment before moving all of your stuff in. Take pictures and lots of them. Keep them on your computer so that when you move out, you can show that you haven't done any prior damage or are responsible for the stains on the floors or walls.
- Report any immediate concerns to the leasing office. For instance, if your window doesn't open, water isn't working, or AC has decided to shut down, you need to call them.
- Learn where you can find the 5 G's: Groceries, gas, grub, gym, and garbage. You need to be able to find a place to buy groceries, find gas to fill up your car, eat a quick meal, work off said meal, and deposit your move in garbage within the first week. So, ask around.
- Find out how long it will take you to get to work (or school) in rush hour traffic - before it matters. Nothing is worse than being late and trust me, commuting in this area sucks. Do your homework to find out what you're looking at and if you need to, do a test run.
So, as a college student who is living with her best friend and her fiancé, these are my tips. Trust me, I'm still learning myself and I've definitely fallen for a few of these, myself. Just try to keep your head up and prioritize what is most important to you.
Xoxo,
Katie Blair
