Boston Condos for Sale and Apartments for Rent
Important information for those thinking of renting a Beacon Hill condo or apartment
12 Vital Considerations Before Renting An Apartment
With many advantages to renting out a Boston Beacon Hill apartment, like having fewer responsibilities and more flexibility over owning a Boston condo, it is an obvious choice for many people. But even with fewer things to worry about, there are some considerations before renting out an apartment that you need to be aware of.
Research and due diligence are essential after jumping on the best website for rentals. Understanding how to find a Boston Beacon Hill apartment to rent is critical, but you don’t want to make mistakes.
While you might like not paying property taxes and letting a landlord worry about repairs, there are still some responsibilities you need to think about before you rent a home.
Things to Think About Before Renting
1. Check Out The Streets In The Neighborhood
Even though you might not intend to live in the apartment rental for very long, you should ensure the neighborhood is somewhere you want to live. You don’t want to sign a Boston apartment rental agreement that commits you to live in a property where you feel uncomfortable, or in certain sections of Beacon Hill it way too far up the hill to walk up everyday.
2. Get a Comparative Market Analysis
If you are working with a Boston real estate agent, ask them to analyze the local rental market by doing a comparative market analysis of similar properties rented. You will want to know that the rental asking price is fair.
Sometimes in hot Boston apartment rental markets, you may not have a choice if there are limited rental properties available.
3. Understand The Boston Apartment Lease Terms
While nobody likes reading the small print, it’s something you need to do before you sign a Boston Beacon Hill apartment lease. The lease will set out terms and rules about what is expected from you. There could be rules about the upkeep and pets that you need to follow, as well as important details about paying rent and how to break the lease.
If you are unsure about any of the details within the lease, you can always have it checked with an attorney or even a real estate agent.
4. Can You Sublet a Room in the Apartment?
One of the more essential things when renting a home or apartment is finding out whether you can rent a room. It is not uncommon to take on a roommate, especially when times get financially difficult. Understanding whether having a roommate is possible should be discussed upfront.
5. Protecting Your Apartment Deposit
The Apartment landlord will require a security deposit to cover the costs of any damage they need to repair when you move out. To ensure you get most of this back, carefully document any existing damage before moving in.
You can take photographs of damage already in the home, so there won’t be disagreements later.
6. Deep Cleaning The Apartment Rental
Before you move your possessions into the Beacon Hill apartment, it’s not a bad idea to carry out a deep clean. Since you aren’t going to know who lived in the home previously or when it was last seriously cleaned, it is better to do this straight away.
You might consider bringing in professional carpet cleaners or just going around the home with a vacuum yourself depending on how clean the home looks. Make sure you clean away all the dust and dirt so your house rental begins the right way.
7. Discuss Any Changes You Want to Make With Your Landlord
If you don’t like the color of the walls in your Beacon Hill apartment rental, you shouldn’t just buy some paint and change it. While your landlord might not have any problems, it is important to know where they stand before you begin to make alterations. It is best to get written approval from your landlord for the changes you want to make.
Even if your landlord doesn’t have any problem with customizations, they may require you to change the home back to how it was when your lease is up. Though if the changes you want to make will improve the property, they might be willing to meet you halfway on the cost.
8. Using Apartment Renters Insurance
Even though the landlord should have some insurance for the building, it isn’t going to protect you should you suffer some sort of loss. Though the home might be in a good part of town, you could still fall victim to crime.
There are also risks from natural disasters, water leaks, and other problems. Home insurance could also help you should someone be injured inside your property.
9. Don’t Forget to Pay The Rent
To avoid paying late or missing a rent payment, it is better to set up automatic monthly payments. However, this will only be possible if your landlord allows you to pay online.
If your landlord requires you to send a check each month, you can create a reminder on your online calendar to avoid forgetting. Not paying your rent could eventually lead to your credit score being downgraded.
A bad credit score could make it far more difficult to rent in the future. You could have to look for landlords that will consider bad credit applicants. That’s not a good thing!
10. Being on Good Terms With Your Landlord
If you can be somewhat friendly with your landlord, it should make your time in the home better. Making sure you don’t get on the wrong side of your landlord should, for example, make dealing with maintenance problems easier. They might allow you to do things, like break your lease contract earlier, if you are on good terms with them.
A positive relationship could also benefit future rentals and improve your time in the current rental home.
11. Don’t Delay Repairs
If there is a maintenance issue that needs attention, you should notify your apartment landlord as soon as possible. It will normally be the responsibility of your landlord to cover the cost of any repairs, though you may need to schedule the repair work. When the problem has been repaired, you should also update your landlord.
12. Ask For Your Security Deposit
While your landlord should give your security deposit back in a certain time frame, it doesn’t always work out like that. It can be forgotten or delayed intentionally, which will mean a few months’ worth of rental payments aren’t available to you for your next home.
You can ask your landlord to do a walkthrough with you before you have moved out. If they agree, you can discuss and deal with any damage to the property right away, which should mean you get the remainder of your deposit back sooner.
Boston Beacon Hill Apartment Rentals and the Bottom Line
While renting an apartment might seem like a great option to avoid many of the costs and limitations that can happen when you buy a home, it isn’t completely without responsibilities. But if you pay attention to these considerations before renting a home, your time in the property will be much easier.
Important information for those thinking of renting a Beacon Hill condo or apartment
In today’s, Boston real estate blog post I’ll discuss the importance of understanding Boston Beacon Hill apartment leases. What is included in a standard Beacon Hill lease along with some omitted items, and why they are important.
How often are locks changed?
As a Beacon Hill tenant you might not consider this until it’s too late. A good landlord should always ensure to change the keys to the Beacon Hill apartment or Beacon Hill condo they’re renting to you. When a tenant moves out you should ask if they changed the lock. Keys should especially be changed if anyone ever loses a set of keys which can mean danger for everyone else living in the building.
What will be done to the apartment before you move-in?
Will old appliances be replaced? Will there be a fresh new coat of paint on the walls? Will the bathroom be cleaned? Will the current damages in the apartment be fixed before you move in? Asking these questions will ensure that you know what to expect when you actually move into the Beacon Hill condo for rent.
What exact fixtures and appliances are included?
You might assume that your Beacon Hill landlord is legally required to provide you with basic fixtures or appliances however they are not. This is why it is important to ask your landlord or your Beacon Hill real estate broker before moving in. Ask what is included and provided. Knowing what’s being supplied by the landlord will also help establish who is in charge of fixing normal wear and tear issues that may arise.
Any major upcoming renovations or construction planned?
This one is quite self-explanatory, but you as a Beacon Hill tenant, you’re aware and ensured your right to quiet enjoyment of the Boston Beacon Hill apartment/condo
How are maintenance issues handled?
It’s inevitable that at some point, something in your Beacon Hill apartment might stop working. That’s why it is important that you understand what you’re responsible and what the landlord is responsible for. It’s also good to find out from the landlord, what he considers to be an emergency maintenance request and if there is someone available 24/7.
What counts as “normal wear and tear”?
Some Beacon Hill real estate landlords might be okay with a few scratches on the walls or hooks installed. While others might immediately take that out of your security deposit. It is important to establish your landlord’s idea of what “normal wear and tear” is before you move in.
To what extent can the unit be personalized
Beacon Hill landlords have their own tolerances for the number of customization from their tenants. Some may be okay with their tenants painting the cabinets, installing shelves, etc,. Whereas others, might be upset from a simple nail in the wall. It’s important to establish what your landlord is okay with prior to signing the lease.
What is the guest policy?
While some Beacon Hill condo landlords are okay with you having guests stay over, others might not. Establishing the exact policy will leave no room for interpretation and avoid any unpleasant situations.
How will the landlord handle neighbor complaints
While escalating issues with your neighbors to your landlord should be considered as a last resort. It should still be important to hear how your landlord plans to handle such issues. For example, will he be willing to speak directly to the neighbors or take drastic action if another neighbor is breaking building policies?
Have there been any pest infestations?
It’s possible in Beacon Hill, like any other neighborhood in the city to have pests. Be sure to ask your landlord if any of these infestations have taken place on the property and what was done to resolve the issue.
Conclusion
In my 20 years as a Boston Beacon Hill real estate agent, I’ve found most individuals has a good to great experience living in Beacon Hill. Many of my past tenants, actually moved up from renters to Boston Beacon Hill condo owners.
If you have any questions, please feel free to call me at 617-595-3712.
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