A romantic, candlelit dinner for two is a classic Valentine's Day gift. But instead of going out to eat, consider having the meal in the privacy of your own apartment. You can either cook or bring in dinner, but plan to spend time with your Valentine alone. Especially for parents of young children, a candlelit dinner means a rare chance to reconnect with your spouse (and eat a meal while it is still hot).
One of the myths about renting is that you’re stuck and completely at the mercy of a landlord. Many potential renters may be surprised to learn that the myths of apartment living or the bad experiences of a few don’t apply for the vast majority of landlords and apartment buildings.
Tenants have more rights and privileges than they realize. Here are some rights and trends in apartment living that you may find surprising:
You Can Decorate Your Apartment
Landlords are primarily worried about damage to their apartment buildings and extra work for themselves. If you can alleviate a landlord’s fear by promising to return the apartment to its original condition, especially if you’re painting walls or hanging shelves, a landlord may be willing to work with you. It may be especially helpful to offer to hire a contractor of your own if the landlord is not happy with your repair work.
You Can Upgrade Your Apartment
Landlords want happy tenants, but they have to manage their expenses carefully. If you’re unhappy with an appliance in your apartment, many landlords will be willing to work with you about finding a replacement. If you aren’t happy with the way your dishes look after running the dishwasher, offer to find a used dishwasher and help your landlord install it. Many landlords are happy to provide materials if you provide the labor.
Those who are new to renting in the city or who want to keep up with the latest trends in apartment living are probably wondering how the current apartment vacancies stack up against what else is out there. We all want to get the best value for an apartment, and therefore it's helpful to know what other tenants are looking for in their urban apartment buildings when you’re on the hunt for a new place.
We have looked around the web and found several trends among tenants who reside in cities. You'll notice that certain trends are nothing new, while others are developing in light of current trends in popular culture.
Rooftop Decks
Some landlords have found that adding a rooftop deck is a great amenity to add to their properties in the city. Decks provide an excellent common area for tenants and their families to gather together and enjoy a relatively private space away from the bustle of the city streets.
A life crisis doesn't usually come with a warning signal. Tragedy and unexpected problems can strike suddenly, and therefore it's important to have a strong network of friends around for the times when life is hard. Whether you're in the midst of a short term crisis such as an operation or working through a long term struggle such as a divorce, the investments you make into relationships with neighbors will pay off for the long term.
Emotional Support
Sometimes you just need someone to talk to when life is hard, and that's when it helps to have a friend living down the hall who listens when it matters most. An unsettling phone call or a rough day at work can leave you feeling frustrated or hurt, and it's important to have friends around who help you carry that weight and work through it.
Apartment tenants who have a clear grasp of their financial situations will ensure the long term security of their families by saving money for the future. Setting up a budget can be stressful because it forces us to both look at our limitations and to face any of our past choices that may have been irresponsible.
Though setting up a budget can be tough at first, the long term benefits are excellent. In fact, once you have a budget that you can follow, you may find that you have more financial freedom and less guilt.
Identify Your Income
There’s no sense in setting up a budget that doesn’t match your actual income. Therefore, review your income tax statement from last year, your anticipated salary for your work this year, and your total expenses from your previous year’s bank statements.
If you’ve moved recently, then it may be tough to settle on precise numbers. Always overestimate what you’ll spend and underestimate what you’ll earn. This will save you from surprises down the line.
Whether you’ve had enough of living at home or you’ve moved out of the dorms and into an apartment building near campus, you’ll have your hands full finding furnishings for your apartment. Even if you think a window treatment is something you receive on a spa day, there are some simple ways you can decorate and furnish your apartment so that it’s functional and feels like home without having to clean out your checking account.
Where to Find What You Need
While Freecycle is a great place to begin a search for furniture, you’ll get what you pay for, which means a free couch or table may look a bit rough. The best furniture for the money can usually be found at yard sales and through websites such as Craig’s List.
However, if you’re a member of a Swapaholics Group in your apartment building, you may be able to find neighbors looking to get rid of furniture or who may be willing to help you find what you need.
Many apartments have odd spaces in bedrooms, hallways, and even closets where you have more space than you need. One of the best ways to use an odd corner or a wide stretch of hallway is to set up your office in these otherwise wasted spaces. This both creates a central location where you can manage projects and saves other rooms in your apartment for relaxation and family time.
Setting up an innovative office in an unusual space will require thinking outside of the box and using materials that you can’t necessarily find at an office supply store.
Wall-Mounted Desk
The legs of a desk can take up a lot of room and cut down on your leg space. By custom-cutting a piece of plywood, finishing it, and then mounting it on the wall, you’ll save on space and materials.
Change the Flooring in Your Office Area
By putting down a rug or a pad for your chair, the floor in your office can help create a feeling that you are at work and it’s time for business. Many people struggle to separate business and home life, and therefore a physical reminder will help you focus while working and to leave work behind when it’s time to be with your family.
Paint the Wall a Calming Color
A fresh paint color is another way to set apart your office space. While your goal isn’t to take a nap, choosing a warm plum or deep earth tone can help create a friendly, relaxing atmosphere for your work. Some workers prefer a minimalist black and white look for their offices, but experiment with other objects such as paintings or photographs that can add color and vibrancy to your space.
Mount Crates on the Wall for Storage
Wooden crates can be mounted on the wall facing out so that you can store your office supplies in them and save on floor and desk space. Many apartments have a surplus of wall space, and therefore you’ll most efficiently use your space by figuring out what you can mount on the walls.
Preparing for company doesn’t have to be an all-day affair that cuts into your work or family time. If you’re expecting visitors for a family event or for the holidays, here are some simple ways you can make your apartment comfortable for everyone in a few hours:
Space in Your Apartment’s Guest Room
If you have a dresser or a book case in your guest room, provide an empty drawer or shelf where your guests can leave their clothing so they don’t have to live out of a suitcase all weekend. You can also create more space in the guest room closet for their suitcases.
The best plan is to remove the extra items in your guest room, place them in a box, and hide them under your bed, in your closet, or in your storage space.
A Space That Guests Can Call Their Own
Whether it’s a cleaned up guest room or an open corner, provide a place where your guests can leave their luggage, books, or anything else they’ve brought with them. They shouldn’t feel like they’re imposing on your space in order to simply settle in.
Empty Hangers in a Closet or Hooks
From your hall coat closet to your guest room closet, clear out some of your items in these closets in order to make enough room for your guests’ coats, shirts, and dresses. You can create space by moving items into your own closet or a storage room.
You may have dreams of renting an apartment with beautiful hardwood floors, a newly remodeled kitchen, and a spacious living room for your parties. Or perhaps you prefer something more simple and economical since you don’t plan on spending too much time in your apartment.
If you have a very specific list of requirements for your apartment, you’ll need to take stock of the apartment market in your area and around the country. Factors such as proximity to a major city, local real estate trends, and the job market will determine what you can get for your money.
Here is a region-by-region guide to what you can expect to get for your money in an apartment rental. Naturally some of these trends will vary in the case of some specific locations.
Apartments in the Southwest
An apartment in the southwest tends to come with more extras than those in the northeast or west coast. Therefore you can expect that a one-bedroom, one-bath apartment in a complex will include a lot more than central air and laundry facilities for less than $1,000 a month. You’ll be able to find buildings that offer a pool, fitness center, clubhouse, and even a business center.
There are many unexpected costs that may hit your landlord and put him/her in a tough financial position. As a tenant, you need to learn what your landlord is up against so that you can anticipate any rental hikes that may come your way. If you understand what’s happening in the rental market and to your landlord in particular, you’ll have time to prepare financially for a rent hike or to make a deal with your landlord.
Here are four reasons why a landlord may increase your rent:
Higher Insurance Rates for Rentals
A new landlord may not take into account the fact that insurance for a rental property could be 25% higher than a typical homeowner insurance policy. Simply overlooking this expense could force a landlord to explore a higher monthly rent when it’s time to renew your lease.
Higher Taxes
As different states, cities, and towns try to figure out ways to fund education, social services, and other programs that are receiving reduced federal funding, there’s a chance that property taxes may become a necessary way to continue providing the services that citizens need. Apartment owners may pass on some of their increased tax costs onto tenants.
Legal Advice for Landlords
Landlords deal with problems that tenants probably can’t imagine. For all of the unexpected issues that come their way, landlords will need legal advice. Some of them may be prepared for such situations, but if a landlord is caught by surprise, he/she may try to recoup some costs with a slight rent increase.
Many families have missed out on the many great reasons to rent for far too long. Renting as a lifestyle choice has many significant benefits that are easy to overlook if you’ve never taken the time to consider them. Here are six overlooked benefits of renting:
Live in Great Neighborhoods
Renting makes it possible for most families to live in the top neighborhoods with excellent schools, libraries, and recreation facilities. You can live well within your means and still enjoy beautiful neighborhoods without a crushing monthly mortgage payment.
Enjoy Greater Flexibility by Renting an Apartment
Renting an apartment can actually be synonymous with success and financial security. If you don’t have a mortgage tying you down, you’re free to move when a job opportunity comes up, and you’ll even be able to take more risks and pursue new opportunities without a mortgage payment.
Pursuing your dreams requires living within your means and being able to jump at opportunities when they arise. Renting an apartment makes both of those aspects quite possible.
Apartments are the perfect places to call home if you’ve got better things to do than repair the furnace all weekend or perform an extreme home makeover on your entire downstairs. Tenants have a lot more free time since they aren’t tied down by household projects, but there are still some simple ways to customize an apartment with your personal style and taste without tearing out a wall or spending hundreds of dollars on paint.
You can dramatically change the mood and look of your living space with a few minor adjustments and additions. Here are some decorating ideas that you can start this weekend.
Screen Off a Corner
Besides adding color and design to a living space, screens offer the advantage of hiding items that may not fit in a closet. If you need a small table to hold your files or a project that’s in progress, you can set it up behind a screen and preserve the integrity of your apartment without sacrificing convenience.
Screens offer the advantage of being portable so that you can rearrange your room or change the aesthetic whenever you choose.
The simplicity of renting can save you from a lot of hassles and even DIY disasters since your landlord is generally responsible for all of the major repairs in an apartment building. Your monthly rental payment covers a whole lot more than simply paying for your home. Your rent pays for the maintenance and upkeep of your apartment.
This means that renting can be a great deal for tenants. Household repairs and the cost of replacing appliances can be tough to calculate, but these costs often begin around $500 and can quickly climb into the thousands. Rather than trying to save money on a DIY project, why not let a landlord take care of the work for you?
Here are a few DIY disasters you won’t have to worry about if you rent:
When you sign your lease, everything stated in that document is binding legally, and therefore you’ll want to make sure you’ve carefully reviewed what you’re agreeing to do. Some landlords are ignorant, while others may be running a scam to earn some extra cash.
Protect your money and your family’s health by watching out for the following signs that all may not be well when you go to sign your apartment lease.
Payment in Cash for a Security Deposit
One of the number one indications that you may be dealing with a scam artist or a landlord with something to hide is a request for all payments in cash. There is no reason why a legitimate landlord would ever need anything other than a check. Payment by check is perfectly reasonable, and you should make that a requirement.
A lower rent can save you thousands of dollars each year, but when should you hold out for a better deal and when should you settle for the best deal you can find? There are several factors to consider when searching for the most competitive rental rate in an apartment building.
Unemployment Rates Determine Demand for Apartments
If a lot of people have jobs, they’ll want to have their own apartments and that will increase demand for apartments. In addition, young, inexperienced workers may be the first ones laid off or the most likely candidates to remain unemployed. Since younger workers tend to rent, an unemployed young person will most likely move back home or rent a room at a friend’s house. During an employment dip in your city, the demand for apartments will often fall along with their prices.
In such a scenario, landlords will be willing to cut deals and offer a reduced rate. Keep an eye on local job trends in order to determine the nature of the competition for an apartment. Urban centers with a diverse economy, especially cities with technology jobs, will be the most likely to maintain a strong economy and high rent.
Tenants have enough fees to pay when moving into a new apartment with the security deposit, first month’s rent, and moving expenses. They shouldn’t have to worry about questionable expenses from their landlords. However, some landlords have discovered that they can profit from additional fees, and tenants will need to be prepared to recognize a questionable fee when it shows up.
Monthly Pet Fees
A pet deposit is an understandable tool that a landlord may want to use in order to ensure tenants prevent their pets from ruining the apartment. However, a monthly fee goes directly into a landlord’s pocket and only costs tenants more money. It’s far better for the landlord to collect a one-time pet deposit that is returned to the tenant if the apartment is vacated in good condition.
Excessive Application Fees
Application fees are often collected in order to obtain a credit report. However, some landlords collect the fee and never collect the credit report. Tenants can ask for the credit report to be done last or even ask for documentation showing that the report has been obtained. Tenants can also go the extra mile by getting the report on their own and handing it over to their prospective landlords if they plan on viewing several apartment buildings.
Landlords have secrets that they’d rather tenants didn’t know. For tenants who are new to renting, uncovering these secrets can make a significant difference for their personal safety and comfort.
There Are No Tests to Become a Landlord
Landlords do not have to be certified or trained like a real estate agent. Some landlords may be making up their rules as they go rather than following the laws on the books. It’s up to you to know your rights and to hold your landlord accountable to them.
Landlords Do Their Own Wiring Sometimes
One cause of fires in the home is faulty electrical wiring. If your landlord wants to save a bit of money, he/she may do the wiring instead of hiring a professional. Pay attention to the lights and appliances in your apartment. Should anything strike you as unusual, ask your landlord to have a professional electrician inspect the wiring to ensure that everything is safe and up to code.
Fall is the perfect time to enjoy cool afternoons outside and to gather together with friends over hot apple cider. Take advantage of this festive time of year to enjoy these fun activities with neighbors in your apartment building.
Go Apple Picking
One of the best fall activities is apple picking. You can save on gas and make the event more fun with your kids if you go with your neighbors. When you’re done picking apples, you can return home to make pies, applesauce, and other apple-themed desserts that you can share over tea with your friends.
There are many reasons to have a roommate in your apartment, such as cutting your chores, rent, and utility costs in half as well as sharing fun times with a close friend. However, sometimes roommates end up being incompatible. Knowing how to break up with your roommate can make a big difference for your peace of mind and possibly even for your credit score if your roommate fails to pay his/her share of the rent.
You probably won’t stay with the same roommate for the rest of your life, and therefore it’s always good to have an exit strategy, whether it’s for a happy reason (you’re getting married) or conflict (your roommate breaks things and makes a mess). The best plan for breaking up with a roommate begins before you even have a roommate.
Any space that you rent or own has value, and if you have a chance to travel or to pursue a short term opportunity in another city, subletting may be a viable option for you. Perhaps packing up your possessions or managing a sublease with your own tenant doesn’t appeal to you, but once you learn about the basics of sub-leasing an apartment, you may decide that it’s just the thing for you.
Why Sublet Your Apartment?
You may spend time away from your apartment for a variety of reasons: a long vacation, a short term job, or caring for a family member in need. If you’re spending an extended period of time somewhere else, why should you bear the burden of paying the rent for a place you’re not using?
Subleasing ensures that you’re only paying for one living space and that your apartment will be cared for—that is, in an ideal sub-lease situation. If you can’t fathom how you'll afford a vacation, then subleasing your apartment may be the only way to make it happen.
There are some wonderful apartments out there just waiting for you to find them, but if you’re new to the apartment hunt, there are some mistakes that are easy to make on your first time around. Before you sign the dotted line and move all of your worldly possessions into a new place, be sure you avoid the following:
Renting Beyond Your Budget
Your rent should take up no more than 30% of your income, and certainly no more than 50% of your income. Once you’ve gone over 50% of your income, you won’t have enough money for your utilities, food, transportation, and other expenses that come up each year. In addition, you should always have an emergency fund that provides 3 months’ worth of expenses in case you hit hard times.
Having too high a rent is risky because you never know when you’ll need to replace a car, pay a high medical bill, or search for a new job. Life is too uncertain to rent a place that is outside of your price range.
The key to creating a comfortable and relaxing apartment is finding the right blend of light. Too much light is harsh and stress-inducing, while too little light makes it hard to perform simple tasks such as reading or making dinner.
There are different ways you can utilize light in your apartment in order to create a relaxing atmosphere where you can recharge after a long day. Here are some tips for lighting in your apartment:
Natural Light
Natural light is one of the best resources you have for your apartment. Choose blinds or curtains that filter light without blocking it. Natural light is less harsh than electric light, and your eyes will be far less strained if you use natural light well.
As the seasons change, you may also want to reorganize and redecorate your apartment, but having too much stuff around can present some major challenges. In fact, too much clutter around the house can create a sense of chaos and make it hard to focus on what you need to do each day.
When it’s time to cut out the clutter, you need a plan in order to move forward. Here are some tips that will help you through this change in your apartment and lifestyle:
Work On an Ideal Apartment Design
If you don’t know what you want your apartment to look like, it will be hard to manage your clutter. Do you want a modern design, a country look, or something that’s just comfortable and laid back? Search for pictures of apartments that resemble the look you want to create in your own space and use those guidelines as you plan for your clutter removal.
One of the most common excuses against preparing healthy dinners is a lack of time. If you’re renting, you’ve already saved yourself a lot of time by removing household repairs and lawn care from your “to-do” list.
In order to save money and eat better, you need to figure out ways to get the most for your money at the grocery store and how to prepare that food during a busy week. There are many different ways you can accomplish both goals, especially since you live in an apartment building community where your neighbors can help you.
Make a Menu
If you can make a list of 20-30 simple dinners that you know how to make, you can plan each week from the options on your list and then experiment or eat out on the weekends. Having a menu of meals that are easy to make and that you enjoy will save a ton of time while you plan each week. In addition, make a list of what you expect to eat for breakfast and lunch.
Chances are that your neighbors have a similar lifestyle and pace to your own. Therefore, you may find that your neighbors have some of the best meal planning ideas that you can borrow.
When your friends move into a new apartment, you’ll want to bring over a gift during your first visit. While a bottle of wine is always a great gift when visiting a friend, most guests want to bring something more permanent for an apartment warming.
The trick is you don’t want your gift to end up at the thrift store in your neighborhood. If you’ve had some time to check out your friends’ apartment, possibly while helping them move in, then you probably know what they need for decorations and what they like to do. The following list of gifts represents a wide range of interests:
A Spice Set
If your friends are moving cross-country, chances are they didn’t move too much food or any spices with them. While you could pick up a fruit or cheese basket for them, a better option may be a spice set. The jars and accompanying rack will be practical gifts they can use for the long term, while you can fill the jars with fresh spices they can use immediately.
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