Leasing Renting

Search for Lower Rental Costs
There are several things you can do to find a lower monthly rent:

Look Outside an Urban Area. While living in the city center may seem like a priority, it doesn’t mean much if you can’t afford the rent. Instead, check out apartments in the suburbs within a conveniently commutable distance to work.
Consider Transportation Costs. Urban areas generally require a smaller transportation budget, since you can likely take public buses or subways to get around. However, you still need to take transportation costs into consideration, whether it’s a bus pass or gas money, if you choose to live away from the city center.
Get a Roommate. You can slash the price of any apartment in half simply by sharing it with someone. You need a landlord’s approval before doing so, but having a roommate can significantly reduce the financial pressures of renting. Just make sure you have a written agreement with your roommate laying out all obligations.
Think Small. Square footage comes at a premium in an apartment, particularly in the number of rooms. Going for a studio or one-bedroom may mean missing out on some space, but you make up for it with big month-to-month savings. Assess how much space you really need based on your lifestyle, visitors, pets, and storage. You may find that you’re happier paying less for a smaller place.
Negotiate. Unless you’re apartment hunting in a popular area with little renter turnaround, many landlords are amenable to negotiating. Check out the rates for comparable apartments with similar amenities in the area and bring your research with you to strike a better deal. You can also offer to pay rent for a longer chunk at a time (a landlord may lower the rate if you pay three or six months at a time) or choose to sign a longer lease to score a better deal overall.

Start Hunting Early
Don’t leave apartment hunting for the last minute. In a perfect world, it should start around three months before your “must move” date. Many current tenants have to let their landlords know of vacancies in advance – the majority of areas require renters to give at least 30 days’ notice, but plenty give more.

While the features you want in an apartment are specific to you and your lifestyle, there are a several basic things you need to look for:

Transportation. If you’re currently without a car, check every potential apartment’s proximity to public transportation. An apartment may be well-priced and in a great neighborhood, but if you have to spend most of your time walking or calling taxis, it might not be so attractive. What’s more, you need to factor the cost of transportation into your budget for a realistic picture of how much an apartment really costs.
Convenience. Choosing an apartment that is conveniently located can make your life a lot easier. Look for a place that’s close to work, shopping, transportation, and amenities such as laundry.
Safety. Not only should an apartment be in a safe neighborhood, landlords should make an effort to ensure their tenants feel safe inside. Proper locks on each door, private entrances, and security should all make you feel better about renting.

Cell Phone Reception

Cell phones are essential these days more than ever. Almost all people rely on these gadgets for several different reasons ranging from work, communicating with family and friends to keeping track of their daily tasks. However, if they find it difficult to use their phone because of a poor signal, that is a big problem. When touring the potential apartment, renters should try using their phone in all areas of the place to see if the reception is up to standard and consistent.

Another thing that is equally important to everyone is Wi-Fi. There are landlords that include utilities like water plus heat in the rent while others give rental incentives like Wi-Fi and cable so it is important to ask about the Wi-Fi.

Water Temperature and Water pressure

These are things that usually go unnoticed but which renters have to face every single day. Nothing could be worse than having extreme water pressure, which can be too strong or too gentle, and water temperature that is unstable. Certainly, they wouldn’t be able to take a bath while touring the apartment but they can open the faucet to test the temperature and pressure on their hands to see if they are just right. In case there are any issues with it, they can consult the landlord/company to see if these can be addressed before they move in.

No Pests Around

Even if they are only renting an apartment, they consider it as their home. However, bugs and rodents among other pests, also find their way in, which makes it a major issue for a lot of people. It is very unsanitary as well as gross to have pets inside an apartment. They have to take a look at the top and inside of their cabinets to see if they have feces. In addition, it is a good idea to also check the baseboards and walls to see if there are large holes or cracks.

If still this does not make them feel satisfied, they can ask the landlord for a copy of the latest pest control treatments done to the apartment/building. It is stated in the lease if the unit/building had any pest issues because landlords disclose such information about their apartment for lease. Renters should be eager to ask specific questions. Since this will be their home, there should be no pests.

Power Outlets and Electrical System

A lot of things at home require a power outlet to work, which includes phones, chargers and appliances, among others. When touring an apartment, try to plug a gadget into all possible outlets to make sure that they work. If they cannot think of anything to bring, they can always drop by a nearby hardware store to buy an Electrical Receptacle Wall Plug AC Outlet Ground Tester. Its price ranges from $5 to $10. It can test the circuit status for each outlet in the apartment. In addition, it can check all the lights in the apartment to ensure they can be turned on and off when needed. When they move in without checking the power outlets, they will regret it when something doesn’t work when they need it most.

Finding the right apartment or home to rent can be difficult and stressful. You can be competing with many others for a quality unit in a prime location.

The secret, real estate brokers say, is to plan ahead. Often renters will wait until the last minute to look for another apartment. However, when renters are in a hurry they tend to take apartments they don’t really want.

Here are a few tips for finding the best rental homes and apartments in your area.

1. Start your search 60 days before your move

The best rentals, in terms of price, location and amenities, go earlier in the month, so don’t wait until midmonth to look for a new place to live, Macon says. It’s best to start searching 60 days before you need to move, especially if you are looking for a rental property where there isn’t as much available.

The second and third weekends of the month tend to be the busiest. If you start your search the first weekend of the month, there will be less competition and the best properties will still be available.

2. Search for rental listings online

About 90% of renters will start apartment hunting on the web. Looking online is a good way to start your search. You can get a sense of pricing and apartment amenities. However, if you’re moving to a new city, apartment rental sites won’t tell you enough about neighborhoods and the local amenities of each, such as public transportation or grocery stores.

3. Use a real estate broker

In most cases, real estate brokers are available to help renters find properties free of charge. The key is to find a broker who specializes in rental properties, not home sales.

If you’re looking in areas where there is generally tight competition for apartments, you’ll want to talk with a number of real estate agents before committing to one because different agents have different relationships with different buildings. Make sure you are talking with an agent who has access to the apartment buildings in neighborhoods where you want to rent.

4. Don’t be fooled by scams

Be aware of online scams, particularly ads on Craigslist that require you to provide your credit card to pay a deposit fee to be shown the apartment. No one should require a deposit to show you an apartment.

Also, be careful if you are renting an apartment directly from a private person because you will be giving a total stranger your Social Security number and your bank account information, and they will likely run a credit check on you. It’s safer to work with a licensed and bonded real estate broker.

5. Consider roommates

If you’re considering sharing an apartment, make sure you know who your roommates will be and consider asking the landlord for separate leases. If you have a joint lease and the rent is $2,000 a month, you are liable for the entire amount if your roommates don’t pay their share, Macon says. But if you have a separate lease, you’re liable only for your portion of the rent.

How should an office space be for employees to be more productive?

Should it be in a metropolitan location? Should the space have all the facilities provided?

What are the amenities one would look for when looking for an office space?

Well, if you aren’t actively involved in finding sourcing and leasing commercial office space, the process of finding the right office can be more challenging. Little details can make a big difference in your space occupancy, after all. Once you’ve figured out your budget, here are few things to watch for.

1) Good Environment

Good environment doesn’t mean you have to add some super-lavish furniture elements to make it attractive to your employees. Sometimes, proper ventilation adds a great beauty to the office space location. You can also play with interiors and wall decors to make it more interesting place to work.

2) Reasonable Commute Options

Yet another important thing is that companies should be concerned about while choosing a commercial space is the commute options available for the office space location. It’s good to have office space in a location where the employees can reach without any difficulty.

No one wants to travel for a very long distance with no facilities provided to reach office easily. Sometimes, difficulty in commuting can also be a reason for an employee to think of switching the other company. So, companies should either provide cab facilities to employees or consider having their office in a location that has frequent transportation so that the employees can reach office very easily.

3) Good Parking Ratio

Every office space should have a dedicated parking space to park the vehicles. When the mobile workforce increases, employees will obviously have to get their own vehicles to the workspace, and they want their vehicle to be safe.

So if you’re looking for an office space, consider choosing the office space for the business that has good parking ratio, so that the employees can park their vehicles without having to fear about damage, theft or any other mishaps.

4) Proximity to the Amenities

Closer the office is to amenities like coffee shops, restaurants and hospitals, easier it will be for your employees to do what they need to. Employees should need these amenities for a great hangout place to spend their free time and relax along with their friends or teammates. Along with amenities, it’s a good option for an office to be located close to services that the business needs.

5) Good Structure and Utilities

Last but not the least; you should also see if the office building offers other utilities to support your business objectives. So, make sure that the building’s electricity, power backup, water supply and ventilation systems are up to the current standards.

Also, see if the building is structurally sound enough from foundation to roof and consider if you have to make any structural changes on the space.