4 Things to Consider When Picking a Rental Home
Are you looking for a rental home, but having a hard time narrowing down your decision? You'll want to know the following things to consider before you sign a lease.
The Walkability
If you rely on public transportation, you'll definitely want to consider the home's walkability in comparison to other homes. Look at the surrounding area to see what is going to be walkable to where you live. Is there a nearby grocery store that you can go to? Is it close to a nearby bus stop or train station? What are the nearby restaurants? These are the types of places that you will be going to the most, and it's important that there are great places nearby.
The Schools
Anybody that has kids should pay attention to the local school system that they are moving into. Even though you are not a tax-paying homeowner in the area, your kids will go to the local schools in the area. You may find that it's worth renting in a certain area just for the school system.
However, you should also consider where you will be moving to when you are done renting. If you know you want to buy a home in a certain area, it may be worth renting in that same area as well. This will help keep your kids in the same school and maintain consistency.
The Home's Condition
When touring a home to potentially rent, it's important to take a look at the home as if you were inspecting it to buy. You will want to ensure that the current owners are taking care of the home because that will reflect on how they repair problems that come up while you are living there. Make notes of anything that still needs to be repaired from the previous tenant, and ask if those things will be fixed before you move in.
In addition, you should also ask how it works when repairs need to be made. Not all rental properties are run the same way. You may be working with a property management company that needs to be contacted, or a landlord that lives in the area and will come to do the repair themselves.
The HVAC System
Don't make the mistake of thinking of the current season and not what it will be like in the future. If you are touring a home in the winter, verify if there is air conditioning that you can use when the weather gets hot. You definitely want a home that is going to be comfortable all year round with the kind of HVAC system you want.
To explore your options, contact a real estate agency to look at property rental listings for certain areas.