Apartment Renting 101
It’s May! and with May comes moving. College graduates all over the country will be leaving dorm rooms and off campus apartments to either move back in with their families or find a place of their own. So for those graduates who are planning to try and find an apartment, here are a few tips which could help make the process a bit easier.
By ANNA PRIOR
It’s time to move into the real world—literally.
For most college graduates, home, until now, likely has meant Mom and Dad’s house, a dormitory or other campus-provided housing.
So the hunt for that first apartment can be overwhelming and full of unknowns—from leases to rules to roommates. Here then are a few things to consider:
Your credentials. A potential landlord will ask for documentation to determine if you’re qualified to rent. “Larger landlords will usually ask for a photo ID upfront before they even show you the apartment,” says Cindy Clare, president of Kettler Management, a property-management firm based in McLean, Va. They also will likely ask for pay stubs to verify your income and a Social Security number in order to run a credit check.
But recent graduates often lack a credit and rental history, so providing a landlord with references from your dorm’s resident adviser and a counselor as well as a copy of your transcript could help make you look good.
First-time renters can ask whether the landlord will accept a guarantor—typically a parent or guardian—who would cover your monetary obligations if you fail to do so, says Janet Portman, an attorney and co-author of “Every Tenant’s Legal Guide.”
The lease. Before signing on the line, be sure you read and fully understand a rental agreement or lease.
A standard lease should include the rent amount and what utilities are covered, the length of the lease, how much notice is required when moving out or not renewing a lease (typically, 30 or 60 days depending on the state), security-deposit information, and what damages you’ll be responsible for paying, says Michael Semko, senior counsel and vice president of the nonprofit National Apartment Association.
A lease also can cite specific rules about pets, long-term guests and subletting.
Knowing your state’s tenant-landlord laws is helpful since renters’ rights vary by state. Check with your state’s department of consumer affairs or attorney general’s office.
One red flag to look out for: “A clause that says you agree to take the place as it is, regardless of its physical condition,” says Ms. Portman. In all states except Arkansas, a residence is required to be “fit and inhabitable.”
Other potentially troublesome clauses include ones saying you agree to not hold the landlord responsible for his negligent acts or that the landlord may enter a unit at any time. “In many states, landlords can enter your rental only under certain conditions after giving a specified amount of notice,” says Ms. Portman.
The house rules. Most first-time renters likely will have at least one roommate, which brings up “joint and several liability,” meaning a landlord only has to pursue one of the tenants for the full rent. This will apply regardless of whether it’s spelled out in the lease or any rent-splitting deals made between roommates. So if a roommate were to up and leave, you’d be on the hook for the entire rent amount.
Still, your best protection is to draw up a roommate agreement. It should include who is responsible for what portion of the rent, how bills will be paid and split, how much notice is required when moving out, and how much one is expected to help with finding a replacement.
To avoid future disagreements, also put in basic house rules like cleaning common areas and sharing of food.
Sign and date the agreement so it’s a legal, enforceable document, Ms. Portman says.
Moving into your first apartment is a shock on many levels. The joys and challenges of living alone, sharing space with a roommate or moving in with your “significant other” are the adjustments you expect. What you won’t believe is how many “things” you need to buy to run your own home. From a laundry basket to silverware, toaster to vacuum cleaner, the list just goes on. It is worth your time to work out a budget and select the basics you will need to buy. To keep it simple, divide your list into life’s basics: sleeping, eating, cleaning and recreation, and add the items you will need as your budget allows.
Sleeping
If you are on a budget, buying second-hand just makes sense. One exception, though, is your bed. You spend a third of your life, sometimes more, in your bed, so buy the best bed you can afford. Buy at least two pillows, pillowcases, blankets and sheets so you will have something to offer visitors and to use while the first set is in the wash. Don’t forget blinds, wardrobe (if there are no closets), clothing hangers, night table and alarm clock. Maximize your bedroom space and avoid clutter with a large under-the-bed box.
Eating
The “biggies” in this section are expensive: a fridge, a stove, a kitchen table or surface space, a dinner table and chairs. The good news is these items often come with the apartment. The list of smaller appliances you need will depend on your tastes, vices and eating habits: coffee maker, teakettle, blender, toaster, food processor, hand mixer and microwave are the obvious ones. Buy silverware for eight (at least), dishes for four (more if you can afford it), a multipiece drink set, spatulas, large spoons, mixing bowls, 8-inch chef knife, paring knife and cutting board. You will also need food containers, a minimum of two pans and three pots (small, medium and large), colander, potato peeler and fire extinguisher. And you will hate yourself if you forget to buy a decent corkscrew.
Cleaning
Let your budget decide whether you buy a washer-dryer or use a laundromat. Don’t forget laundry detergent, iron, ironing board, laundry basket, broom, dustpan, garbage can, garbage bags (large and medium), dusters, kitchen towels, rags, vacuum (if you have carpets), mop and bucket.
Recreation
Your budget is probably on its last legs by now, so do what you can. Just remember it is your first apartment, so you will have time for the 52-inch TV and pool table in the future. Consider buying a bookcase (it will make you look smart), futon (better than a sofa because it doubles as a bed), lamp, TV and DVD player.
Taco Bell has used QR codes on fountain drink cups to direct consumers to MTV video content. Procter and Gamble and Kraft Foods have used them for online discounts. TV’s HSN (Home Shopping Network) recently offered a four-day QR-a-thon, displaying the codes at the bottom of the TV screen for more web information about products.
Scanning a QR code is easy: just download a free QR code reader app for your smartphone, and take a picture of the code. The QR code can be read horizontally or vertically, allowing marketers to pack in more information.
MORE: Talking Your Tech
Yet according to researcher comScore, only 6% of mobile phone consumers actually use them — leaving 94% to wonder what the fuss is all about.
Marketing professionals who wrote us either love or hate QR codes.
“I’ve spent lots of time building my companies and our branding,” writes Jeffrey Greene, founder of Miami-based 84 West Studios. ” So how does it make sense to place a graphic, an ugly one at that, onto your graphically pleasing advertisement only to have it point to your website? The QR code is generic and indistinguishable to your customers from one your competitor has.”
Tom Force, owner of ICEkeytags in Southlake, Texas, says QR codes help small businesses compete with larger firms. At little cost, a small business “can provide fresh and real value content to target consumers ,” he writes.
His company markets plastic keyring tags that have personalized “I.C.E.” information inscribed on them (for “In Case of Emergency”). Thanks to the ease of QR code technology, ads on the tags can constantly be updated. “Since our tag holders keep the keytag on their keyring, the latest coupon is only a scan away.”
The trick will be educating consumers about QR codes. Most people we spoke to had no idea what we were talking about, even when we pulled a QR code out of our pocket to demonstrate. That suggests the industry has a lot of work ahead of it teaching people not only how to use the codes, but telling them why they’re there in the first place.
To find out more, we talked to readers and stopped by a taping of CBS’s Let’s Make a Deal to chat with folks waiting on line. A good 70% of the people we spoke to had no idea what we were talking about, but the other 30% love QR codes. Here’s why.
Free stuff
“Whenever I go to the movie theater, I scan them for free popcorn,” said Christine Mendoza of Covina, Calif. “I also use them for discounts on bars of soap. I scan them and get a dollar off.”
Emmanuel Garcia used a QR code with a “Madden” game for his Xbox videogame system. He scanned the code to enter a sweepstakes for a free prize.
Data
“If I need information on something, like at Home Depot, I’ll do a quick scan,” says Matthew Thorne, of Seattle.
When reading magazines, “I’ll take out my iPhone and scan, and it pulls up the information about the product,” says Tammi Curtis, of Houston.
While at a museum in London, Kevin Edwards scanned the QR code “to take the information with me,” he says.
Housing
“I used it once for (information about) a house that was on Westwide Rentals. (The code) was there on the sign,” says Hannah Hawkins of Los Angeles
by Jefferson Graham, USA TODAY
Welcome to the Town of Groton, Connecticut. 
Located midway between New York and Boston, Groton is the largest municipality between New Haven, Connecticut, and the cities surrounding Providence, Rhode Island. Framed by the Thames River and the Mystic River, Groton is notable for its shores on Long Island Sound, just east of the end of Long Island. Both State and Municipal parks provide abundant access and views of the water.
Groton is the home of the great US Naval Submarine Base, the Global Research and Development campus of Pfizer, Inc., and the submarine construction facilities of the Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics, Inc. Other industries in our town range from a traditional fishing boat fleet to advanced medical supply manufacturing. The recent completion of the University of Connecticut Marine Sciences center at Avery Point, with its related enterprises, gives Groton a unique place among centers of science and learning.
With four exits from Interstate 95, an in-town airport with scheduled hub flights, and two Amtrak stations just minutes away, Groton’s transportation facilities are largely unaffected by the traffic congestion that afflicts many New England towns. As the home of one of Connecticut’s outstanding public libraries, an award-winning Senior Center, and ever-improving recreational facilities, Groton is clearly the leading town of its region
Renter’s insurance assures you that you’re protected against the damage or loss of personal property
when you rent an apartment or house. Your landlord may have insurance that protects the physical
building in which you reside, but this insurance will not cover your personal property. In fact, it’s not at all
uncommon for landlords to require the purchase of renters insurance prior to renting or leasing. This is
prudent for both the renter and the landlord, protecting both from the possibility of lawsuit by alleviating
each other’s respective liability.
In determining whether or not you need renters insurance, the questions you need to ask yourself are:
How much would it cost to replace my belongings if they were damaged or stolen? And can I afford to
replace them? Depending on your answer, renters insurance may be an easy choice, providing you with
the protection you need. Either way, it’s reassuring to have the peace of mind that comes from being
protected.
Things to consider before purchasing rental insurance:
How Much Coverage? – The amount of renters insurance you choose will have the biggest impact
on price of coverage. It is important to insure against all of your property. Remember, you’re not just
insuring against theft. In the case of a fire, for example, you could lose everything.
Deductible – The amount of the deductible premium that you’re willing to pay will have a major
impact on the premium costs. The higher the deductible, the lower the cost of home renters
insurance.
Actual Cash Value (ACV) – Type of coverage that will pay for what the item was actually worth at
the time of loss. This basic coverage payout is determined by the cost to replace, minus
depreciation.
Replacement Cost – Type of coverage that will provide for the actual
replacement value of the item with no deduction for depreciation. Although
replacement cost coverage comes at an additional premium, it’s usually
worth the relatively small increase in cost.
Here are a few ways to save on renters insurance. Many insurers will offer
discounts, if you have some of the following:
Monitored fire or burglar alarms
Fire extinguishers
Sprinkler systems
Dead bolts on all exterior doors
Auto insurance with that provider
If you own a dog, however, it may add to your premium. Due to liability issues,
some insurers won’t even offer insurance if certain dog breeds are owned. This
discrimination is exclusive to certain larger working dog breeds. It’s unfortunate
because many of these breeds are good-natured and provide a great deterrent
to theft. Yet, in the eye of the insurer, they’re a risk. The insurance companies
that do offer coverage for these breeds, will often do so at a premium.
Flood and Earthquake protection is not commonly included on rental insurance
policies. If you live in an area where these natural disasters are more common,
you may want to purchase an additional rider.
Liability coverage is most often a standard feature with renters insurance. This
can prove invaluable in case of an accident, such as a slip or fall by a guest. It
provides protection against legal claims that you may be obligated to pay, such
as injury, sickness and death. It is, however, limited to the amount of liability
coverage provided by your policy.
In order to avoid any disputes with your insurance company, it’s recommended that you take an inventory
of your personal items before purchasing rental insurance. This can be done by video taping or
photographing each room of your house. It is important to keep all receipts for any major purchases, as
well. The above should be kept offsite, in a fireproof safe or safety deposit box.
Fortunately, renters insurance is relatively inexpensive. If you’re looking for cheap renters insurance, it is
not uncommon to see policies with premiums that are less than $20 a month.
www.themoneyalert.com/rentersinsurance.html
Many people cannot afford to buy an apartment or they just want to avoid the hassles of owning one. For them to rent an apartment is a good choice. However trying to find a suitable apartment for rent that is also situated in a good locality can be quite daunting. Below we will discuss the ten things that you should do before you rent an apartment.
Before you set out to look for a suitable apartment for rent you must set a proper budget. You must determine what amount you will be able to afford every month. As a general rule the monthly payments should not exceed 30% of your salary or monthly income. Setting the budget initially will make your search for an apartment quite focused.
Now before you actually set out to search for the apartment you must determine what you should look for while selecting a locality for your rented apartment. Some of the things like type of neighborhood, free parking, permission to keep pets, school, playground, hospitals, laundry facilities, golf course, proximity to airport or place of work, etc. may be important considerations for you while selecting the location. Make a list of the things that are important for you in their order of importance. Visit the locations you have short listed both during day and night.
Before you embark on apartment hunting you should have some information and documents ready. The landlord may want to know about your credit and financial position, so keep your latest credit report and details of your income handy. Having references, address and phone number of last landlord will help in convincing the new landlord that you are trustworthy. Note that other people may also be trying to lease the apartment for rent you have chosen.
You can either use the services of a broker or you can start searching yourself. Use a broker having good references. For searching yourself you can take the help of newspaper classifieds, publications aimed at apartment hunters, bulletin boards in college campus and the Internet. A thorough search will give you a good idea of the local rental market in your city. Friends can also help you in your apartment search.
When you have found an apartment that you are ready to consider you must find out certain things. Find out whether the monthly rent includes water, electricity, heating, cable, Internet and maintenance charges. If you are going to pay for utility bills separately then find out the average monthly utility bills for those apartment buildings. Inspect the selected apartment thoroughly to find out whether there are any damages that need repair.
Check if the gas or water pipes are leaking, if the shower heads as well as the sink faucets are working fine, the toilet flushes properly and if the there is enough water pressure. All electrical appliances and fittings should work properly as also the heating and air conditioning. Check all doors and windows for proper functioning and locking. Check if there is too much noise filtering in as it is important for students.
Try to get at least some information about the owner. After you are fully satisfied that everything is in order you will have to think about signing the contract. Make sure that the terms are suitable. Read the contract before signing. Not doing so can be a big mistake. Find out about starting and expiry dates. For what reasons can the lease be terminated by the landlord? What are the penalties for leaving earlier? What are the policy concerning visitors and whether the landlord can enter the apartment without prior notice? If something is not clear then ask.
If you have followed all the above steps in for finding the right apartment for rent then you can now peacefully move into your new apartment and enjoy undisturbed occupancy.
Elena Newell, Yahoo! Contributor Network
Oct 23, 2008
When the Summer heat is near unbearable and you have to do laundry sometimes the last thing that you want to do is turn on the washer and dryer. There are some things that you can do to keep your house cool while you do
laundry and save on the amount of money that you spend on laundry while you do it.
If you have laundry that can be washed in cool water and you have laundry soap that dissolves in cool water consider washing your clothes in cool water. You will save on electricity because you won’t have to use the water heater and your home will not get as warm because the cool water will not put off steam and the water heater doesn’t have to heat up new hot water. Even if you don’t have laundry soap that is made to dissolve in cool water you can add the amount that you need to some warm water, let it dissolve, then change the washer to cool water and add your laundry.
Dryers really heat things up, and most of the time you have to run your dryer for anywhere from 30 minutes to nearly 2 hours depending on your dryer and what you are drying. That uses a lot of electricity. Hang drying your laundry is the easiest solution to not using the dryer. If you don’t have the option to hang dry your laundry outside hang it inside and place a fan or fans from behind it and they’ll blow cool air throughout the room as well as dry your clothes. Now you wouldn’t be saving as much money if you were not already using the fans in your home, but a fan is going to use a lot less electricity than a dryer, that is for sure.
If you do your laundry at a Laundromat, then you know that the quarters that you need will just add up. Although the washer and dryer won’t be heating up your home you can cool off your home if you take your washed
clothes back to hang dry and will save on the amount of quarters you would have used on the cost of using the dryer.
You might find that you don’t need to worry too much about the amount of heat that your washer and dryer are putting off in your laundry area is away from your main living area, such as in your basement, but remember by doing these things that keep your home cooler you will be saving money.
by Chey Conner, Yahoo! Contributor Network
As this is our website’s first blog, I thought I would take this opportunity to introduce The Rental Guide.
The Rental Guide has been around for 21 years. The original owner, Jon, started the business with an idea and one customer. Since then the magazine has grown and become a familiar site in businesses and establishments throughout southern and eastern Connecticut. Jon sold the business to me in October and I am thrilled to be part of this new adventure!
The print world is still an important and needed part of advertising. Believe it or not there is still a large number of people in Connecticut that do not use Google to find everything! In fact, as of June 2010, about 20% of the population in Connecticut are not internet users! (and yes I looked that up) And who are those people? Know one really knows for sure, but every month we print about 11,000 magazines and every month they disappear! So maybe……
Of course with 80% of the population on the World Wide Web, the internet is the place to be. We, here at The Rental Guide, want to be sure we are reaching 100% of the rental population. Therefore we are In Print and Online to get Seen Everywhere!
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