Renting a home is, first and foremost, a sensible solution to a much bigger problem. While owning your place is widely agreed to be the ideal outcome, it is often impossible to achieve in a short timeframe due to the rising housing prices and any down payments involved with purchasing them. As such, many people turn to rent to live comfortably without the need to overstrain their budget, like in the case of purchasing your own property. Although not ideal, renting usually is a safe and hassle-free way to live in good conditions.
Unfortunately, the above applies mostly to veteran tenants. While the rental market is generally free from harmful practices, there are instances where renting a supposedly amazing place can backfire spectacularly. Worse, inexperienced renters often make rookie mistakes that could have easily been avoided, putting both their budgets and their mental health at significant risk.
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To help you avoid that, below you’ll find a list of several most common mistakes green renters tend to make, including not checking if the landlord is the victim of a scam, not taking pictures after you first move in, not taking action if the landlord breaks the law, not checking out the neighborhood beforehand, and even signing the leases without reading it carefully. Read the ideas below and learn what mistakes to avoid in order to rent safely!
Renters Don’t Check If the Landlord Is Victim of a Scam or a Scammer Themselves
It’s an unfortunate truth that renting a home comes with greater risks than purchasing a property. For one, you don’t have the right to do any remodeling or even paint the walls without the landlord’s permission. In addition, many landlords are sometimes dishonest people who have no qualms about taking advantage of inexperienced renters. This is why being extra careful while renting is absolutely necessary. For starters, you should always make sure that the landlord you’re dealing with is indeed a real person. It is very easy to fake a landlord’s identity and use it to scam others.
The best way to check if the landlord you’re dealing with is real is by checking with your county’s registry office. If they can confirm that the address listed on your lease is indeed owned by the landlord, then you’re good to go. Otherwise, you might want to consider moving elsewhere. Moreover, if the landlord has fallen victim to a scam such as an inheritance one, their property may be in debt, making living there a ticking time bomb. This is why it’s better to find out how to avoid inheritance scams and other fraudulent behaviors.
Renters Don’t Take Pictures After They Move In
When you move into a new place, there is a lot of stuff you get to unpack and set up. It can be hard to remember what exactly your place looked like before you moved in, regardless of how detailed your memory is. To make sure you’ll always remember how your place was before you moved in, take some pictures of the place. Later on, when something goes wrong, you can easily prove that the state of your apartment was nothing like it is now. It’s also a good idea to take pictures of all the appliances as well as the hallway and staircases. This will help you prove that these areas were in great condition before your tenancy started.
Renters Don’t Take Action if the Landlord Breaks the Law
It’s not uncommon for landlords to break the law when it comes to renting houses. These include things like discriminating against certain races, denying tenants with pets, and more. Unfortunately, many renters don’t realize this until it’s too late and their landlord takes advantage of them.
To prevent yourself from falling victim to such discrimination, contact your local housing authority as soon as you learn of something illegal or otherwise wrong happening at your place. These organizations are always there to help people with similar problems. You might also want to contact an attorney who specializes in the subject matter as well as the local news outlet.
Renters Don’t Check Out the Neighborhood Before They Sign the Lease
While it might be tempting to just sign a lease without thinking much about it, after all, it feels great to know that you’ll have a roof over your head for at least the next year. However, it’s smarter to check out your neighborhood beforehand thoroughly. A good idea would be to take a look at local crime statistics and see whether any serious crime happened near your potential home in question.
This way, you won’t be surprised when you find out that there were numerous reports of criminal activity in your neighborhood. Also, make sure to explore the surrounding area and see if there are any bars or businesses nearby. While this might not seem important at first glance, having fun places and bars close by can make life much easier in the long run!
Renters Sign the Leases Without Reading Them Carefully
One of the most common mistakes inexperienced renters tend to make is signing leases without reading them carefully first. Even though this might seem like common sense, many renters still opt for this option because they don’t want to waste time on something they don’t fully understand just yet. However, signing a lease without reading it carefully might have dire consequences later on.
For example, some leases prohibit tenants from keeping pets inside their homes and even require them to pay higher rents if they decide to keep their pets after all. Some leases also state that tenants are obliged to report certain issues right away, which could mean reporting an issue on Sunday evening instead of Monday morning. Be sure to read each lease carefully before signing it and ask for explanations if there are any parts you don’t understand!
Conclusion
Renting a home is usually a simple and convenient solution for those who don’t want or cannot buy their own property. However, if you’re inexperienced, you might end up making quite a few mistakes along the way, which can cause you some serious issues down the line. To prevent that from happening, follow the above tips and learn what mistakes to avoid as an inexperienced renter so you can live in peace without feeling like you’ve been scammed. Good luck with your house hunting!
