Forums » Smalltalk » Apartment-Hunting!

Thus begins a new quest, one of horror, trials, and gruesome battles to the death.
....Okay maybe not to the death, but to the lease!
I am currently undergoing the Acquire a Residence quest in Life(T). It is...much more grueling than I expected. I've sent countless emails/inquiries, heard back from less than half, visited 5-7 apartments....and still looking.
I'm stalking Craigslist, Zillow and Trulia, and finding out that people somehow can actually live without pets because there's a LOT of apartments that have a 'no pets' rule (seriously? How do you all cope without an animal buddy?).
Apartment-hunting is a lot more exhausting than I thought. I've lived with my parents or in a dorm my entire life, so I am finding out a lot of things! Do any of you have any tips for apartment-hunting, anything that's serious, anything that's a myth, etc?

Oh boy, I know your plight well. I've lived in off-campus apartments with roommates for the last number of years. Each time we move, I'm the only one who seems to be responsible for finding new accommodations, that suit everyone, and going to view them. I think this year I emailed roughly 125 places, visited 20, weighed the pros and cons of each... all within a budget. I did have difficulty finding pet-friendly places, as many have carpet installed which comes up as an imediate "no pet" flag.
Definitely check local ad websites (stuff like Kijiji which we have here in Canada) because you can find more ads from individual landlords as opposed to the big property management companies that turn up in Google searches.
If you have friends who have rented in the area before, ask them where they stayed, maybe a place there is available and in your budget.
Speaking of which, try and find out how much utilities will cost you if it isn't included. Laundry, wifi (not all fast speeds are available everywhere), water, heat, is there A/C (if not, can you bring in a portable A/C unit or only fans?)...
Check for mould if you're shown the unit you could be renting (if they show you just an empty one because it's convenient, ask if they can show you THE one), online reviews for landlord's dealing well/badly with fixes, furnished/unfurnished, water pressure and heat (my old place's water was either cold or boiling, no in between)....
There's probably a lot more things to think about and a lot you probably knew.

Like Kriptess mentioned, definitely find out if your rent is all-inclusive (electricity, water, internet, etc). Also double-check that the internet is unlimited. It's vastly cheaper to have a couple flatmates and split the rent, and I'd recommend moving in with people you know than taking a chance with strangers (I've done both; the stranger thing can turn out okay, but it can also turn out really bad). Unfortunately, if you want pets you're probably going to have to pay more for an apartment that allows them, unless you happen to get a very amiable landlord. If you have a car parking might cost extra. Be aware of what's around your potential apartment, too. Are there pubic transit stops, corner stores, grocery stores, convenient stuff like that? Also, in my experience landlords want the first and last month's rent (according to your lease) up front, as well as a deposit for the key, so be ready to take a financial hit at the start.