Renting property can be stressful at times, particularly when moving to a new country. You always hear horror stories about the “landlord from hell” and worry that you may end up in a nightmare situation with your next landlord.
The important thing to remember is that nobody can force you to rent a property. As such, provided you ask the right questions before making any commitments, FloridaPropertyRealty.com says, you should easily be able to avoid running into any problems.
Another great way to avoid any issues is by hiring a real estate agency to help you. In any case, here are some important questions to ask your landlord before renting.
Who is my main point of contact?
The first thing you will want to know is who your first point of contact will be. In some cases, you may not deal directly with the landlord and instead go through a real estate agent. Whatever the case, make sure you are 100% clear on whose responsibility it is to assist you with any inquiries or requests.
Is it fully furnished?
Make sure that you are absolutely clear on what comes with the apartment and what doesn’t. It is not uncommon for landlords to advertise an apartment with various images that show off certain items of furniture, only to remove them once the agreement has been signed. Be clear about what you get.
Are bills included?
Another very important question to ask is whether or not bills will be included. In some cases, a landlord will include the water and electricity with the overall rental cost, however, this is not always the case. Often, you will be responsible for taking care of these bills yourself—in which case you’ll need to know who, how, and where to pay.
Can I decorate or customise the space?
Depending on how long your rental agreement is, and how long you plan to stay, you may wish to personalise the property and make it feel a little more like home. Before you sign anything you should be clear about how much freedom you have with changing the aesthetic.
Whose responsibility is it to take care of the garden?
If you are looking at houses for rent in Chiang Mai, one thing that you will notice is that most of them come with beautiful big gardens – which begs the question: who is responsible for taking care of it?
In most cases, a landlord will take responsibility for the upkeep and maintenance of any garden space, however, that’s not to say that you will be unable to grow your own plants. Make sure that you ask permission, but if you wanted to grow your own berries for example, your landlord likely won’t have a problem with that.
Other important questions to consider:
- Are pets allowed?
- How energy efficient are the lightbulbs?
- When were the air conditioning units last serviced?
- What is the area like?
Take your time to ask the right questions and make sure that you are clear on everything before you make any commitments. It shouldn’t take long to recognise whether or not your landlord is going to be pleasant and attentive or not.