Must Have Checklist Before Moving into Rental Apartment

Finding a house for rental stay in Indian metro cities is a challenging task. There are some essential parameters on which the apartment must be evaluated before finalising. Based on these parameters we have collated a must have checklist for tenants and renters before availing a rental stay or moving in a PG.

•Allocate a fixed timeframe(minimum 2 weeks) for looking out the prospective accommodation. Flat search takes time and a sufficient time allows to weigh the different options available. If you are moving into a new city, take advice from people who are well acquainted with the location. You can also look for rental apartment reviews website like Rentbaba which lists rental apartment reviews posted by tenants.

• There certain unwritten guidelines which are enforced upon tenants by landlord and PG owner. For e.g.- tenants cannot call upon their friends and family to stay in the apartment. Though major changes are not allowed by any landlords and PG owners but minor customisations should be allowed without upsetting the owner. It’s important to be clear about these terms and come to an agreement beforehand.

  •If planning for staying for more than a year, it’s important to discuss the maintenance of the house for the period. Also, have a good look at the furnishing and appliances because you would be using them for a long period of time and any damages would mean extra cost from your pocket.

•Though we don’t have any say in choosing our neighbours in rented apartments but unethical and unsocial behaviour from them do matter. So while inspecting the flat ask a third party like- the broker or watchman about the neighbour to get some information. I think this is where rental apartment review website come in handy, they eliminate the unexpected and unwanted surprise. If you are sharing a room in a PG or flat then you must make sure that you are compatible with your roommate and set some ground rules to make living easier. 

• You should analyse the location of society based on parameters like- Connectivity, market access, water and power supply, domestic help availability etc. Many people miss these factors only to regret later on. Nobody wants to wait hours waiting for a public transport or auto-rickshaw to go to office every morning.

•The flat should be evaluated based on parameters such as- air ventilation, overall furnishing, Noisy neighbourhood, sunlight availability etc.

•One thing which is not in your hand is the rent. Or can you control it? You can take a longer lease or save for rent well in advance. You might try convincing your landlord or PG owner by reminding him/her of how good of a tenant you are by paying rent on time and on being low maintenance in order to avoid the rental increase, because they have a thing for retaining good renters.