How to choose a rental apartment?

Nowadays, many people prefer to live in a rental apartment. Taking a loan to buy an apartment or house is a rather complicated and investment-intensive process and limits you to one region and permanent residence, which takes away your flexibility. Renting an apartment is now just as much a part of everyday life as, for example, having a secure job. However, this doesn’t mean that a rental home has to be any less cozy than a condominium. A rental apartment can also be like your own home if you can find the right one.

Where should you start when looking for a rental apartment?

When looking for a rental apartment, the first thing to do is to think about your own needs and desires. If you currently live in a rental apartment, consider why you would want to change your current location. Be it a monthly rent that is too high, high ancillary costs, or an unsuitable location due to a change of job or a changed life situation. Perhaps you are in a situation in which the landlord wants to sell the apartment and you, therefore, have to find a new place of residence. Think about the three most important aspects of your new rental home and look at them first.

There are many different platforms for searching for rental apartments. Rental apartments can even be found on social media and various forums. Navigating between all these different portals and platforms can be quite a headache, and an excel spreadsheet or notebook should be used to manage the information. Ideal for the tenant, this is a platform that focuses on rental apartments and is specifically designed to make the whole process easier and simpler for both parties. Also, it is important to look through the most popular platforms as there are most rental apartments presented.

Lifestyle and needs

The next important aspect is that the tenant should decipher for himself all the extras and comfort benefits that come with a new rental home. For example, in the case of downtown apartments, a big plus is the free secure parking space that belongs to the residence. Families with children prefer to have a storage room for prams or bicycles and an elevator for more comfortable movement. Young people and people who value social life often choose a home located in the city centre and with various entertainment facilities in the vicinity.

Scandium Kinnisvara partner Kalle Aron, who specializes in developing of rental apartments and buildings:

“In our experience, people from very different backgrounds are looking for rental apartments. It may be easiest for those who live alone because only their own needs need to be considered. The rental trend shows that this target group is increasing. The difference between a rental house and a condominium is that in a rental house the entire house is built taking the tenants into account. There is often a shared laundry room in the house, sometimes a gym or communal area. At the same time, the apartments are smaller, which means that the rental price and electricity bills are lower. Today it is very popular, especially among young people, to live in a smaller apartment and save on utilities in order to invest the money saved.

Whether it is an apartment in a special rental apartment building or an ordinary rental apartment is usually evident from the advertisement. If you are unsure, it is always worth asking what other advantages the house offers and what the total monthly costs of the rented apartment will be. “

The rental process usually becomes inconvenient and time-consuming when all questions about the apartment have to be exchanged with the owner of each potentially suitable apartment. The Bidrento management software allows landlords to simplify this correspondence, saving time for both the potential tenant and the landlord.

If the furniture in the apartment is important to you, you should pay attention to it. Some furniture can be replaced, but normally you have to live with the existing furniture.

For example, kitchen furniture and appliances, bathroom furniture, and wall paints and floors in living spaces are difficult to replace. Many rental apartments are already furnished and therefore do not require any additional moving costs. If, as a tenant, you have a certain style and vision for the interior of the new apartment, uniformly coloured apartments with small furniture are the best choice, as it is easiest to adjust them yourself according to your taste.

In most cases, the landlords do not agree to major and permanent changes such as changing the wallpaper or drilling holes. Cozy interior elements such as carpets, plants or curtains change the atmosphere without permanently changing the rental property.

Duties and Rights

Very important aspects that require your attention are the obligations and rights of the parties in the rental agreement. For example, who will pay for unexpected accidents if the rental property is not insured?

If you value peace and quiet, make sure that the neighbours next door do not have small children or pets. Since all of this information is certainly not visible on the first visit, make sure that the rental agreement contains a clause that enables the tenant to terminate the contract early if there are significant hidden defects in the rental property.

If you value peace and quiet, you could also make sure that there are no small children or pets among the neighbours living next door. However, as all this information is certainly not noticeable on the first visit, make sure that there is a clause in the lease that allows the tenant to cancel the contract prematurely if there are significant hidden defects in the rental object that were not notified by the landlord.

So first get a clear picture of your needs and desires. This will help you a lot in your search for a new rental home!