These days, more and more landlords are requiring their tenants to get renter’s insurance. This shift in the renting process is molding the way landlords and tenants interact prior to establishing tenancy. However, tenant applicants are not the only ones affected the renter’s insurance requirement, existing tenants may also be asked to get the insurance […]

The problem with signing a lease is that it keeps you in one place for a year. And believe it or not, circumstances just push you to break your lease and go. That’s what happened to me. When I didn’t sign a lease (with my old apartment), I stayed there for 7 years – there […]

Fire and natural calamities are two things that could completely damage your rental property. But these are instances that come unexpected, leaving you no time to prepare. You may not be able to save all your belongings; in fact, in the haste to get out, you may only bring a few clothes with you. So […]

There seems to be so many horror stories circulating about deposits. But most of them can be traced back to a lack of education on the different deposits asked prior to moving in. So I’ve compiled a list of all deposits, what they are and whether they are refundable or not. I hope this helps […]

Secondary smoke can cause a whole lot of complications. That is why states have crafted laws that prohibit cigarette smoking in some areas. For apartments, the law is not yet very clear so the decision would come from your landlord. You cannot break the lease because of the smoke, (sorry to break that to you). […]

If you’re a renter with a pet, then you must know how hard it is just to even find one that accepts pets. But despite, it is never wise to settle on the first rental property that you find because chances are, you’ll be looking for another one soon. So still consider the features of […]

When a lease agreement was not signed, then that means you are not legally bound to fulfill anything. But does that also mean that you will not get the same rights as the other tenants who did sign the lease? And in case you move out, how will you do that legally? From a lot […]

The problem with sharing an apartment with someone is that when disagreements arise, your roommate may threaten to take you off the lease agreement. If you are not well-informed then you might get all crazy with such a threat. But know that there are conditions that your roommate has to meet before you are taken […]

When you’re living in an apartment, you often wonder who pays for the utility charges on common areas. Sometimes, you might doubt if your utility bill includes the common areas of the apartment complex especially if the charges just spike up for no reason.  Undeniably, there are really some landlords who would do everything that […]

There are really some instances when you cannot move in even though you’ve already paid the security deposit and signed the lease. Things happen and as much as you would have wanted to keep your end of the deal, you just  can’t. Now, most tenants would think that landlords are being unfair when they insist […]