To be completely informed, ask these questions when looking for an apartment.
When you are looking for an apartment, you will want to be fully prepared to meet with your potential property manager. Preparing your questions ahead of time will help you make sure that you have all of your queries answered. This information will then help you know for sure whether a potential apartment has everything you need and whether it is the best space for you. Below we break down by category the essential questions you should ask when looking for an apartment.
Apartment Availability Questions
These questions will help you know the relevant information regarding when you can move in. You should ask:
- When can I move into the apartment?
- Does someone currently live in the apartment?
- When does the apartment become available?
Utilities Questions
Utilities are an essential and unavoidable part of your monthly rental expenses, so it is necessary to inquire about which utilities are included in rent and which are not when you are looking for an apartment. The critical utilities questions include:
- Are any utilities included in the rent?
- Which utilities will I be responsible for?
- Do you have a list of the utility companies?
- Is there any maintenance I will be responsible for?
- Are laundry facilities in the complex or unit?
- Are there any recreation facilities, and is there an extra charge for use?
- How is trash disposed of?
Parking Questions
If you have a car, you will need to know about parking. This can be a hugely influential factor when looking for apartments, so you should ask:
- Is there parking at the apartment building?
- Is the parking assigned?
- How many parking spaces am I assigned?
- Is there guest parking, and if so, where?
Pet Questions
A lot of people have pets or wish to have pets, but many apartments have tight restrictions regarding pets. It is then important to ask:
- Are pets allowed?
- What kinds of pets are acceptable?
- Is there a pet deposit, and is it refundable?
- Are there any limitations on pets?
Pet limitations can often include breed and weight.
Apartment Community Questions
These questions will help you determine what the general community of the apartment complex is. This can help you figure out the details of the apartment living experience you can expect. These questions can include:
- What kind of security is offered?
- What are quiet hours and rules for overnight guests?
- What are the move-in and move-out procedures?
- How do I receive deliveries?
The Deposit and Lease
These questions are crucial to ask before signing your lease and moving in. You will want to know the answers to these questions, so you avoid unpleasant surprises later:
- What is the monthly rent?
- How much is the deposit?
- Is there an application fee?
- When and how do you collect rent?
- What is the penalty for late rent?
- How do I renew my lease?
- If I need different amenities, can I move into another unit?
- Can I have a sublet if necessary?
- What is the roommate policy?
General Questions
If any other questions occur to you, you should be sure to ask them as you are looking for an apartment. These questions can include:
- Is there an on-site office?
- Is there an emergency number?
- How fast does maintenance respond?
- What kind of changes can I make to the apartment? This includes painting, shelving, and hanging wallpaper.
Being thorough and asking as many questions as you need can help you discover your brand new home.
Let Us Be Your Apartment Home!
Whether you need your very first apartment home or are relocating to the area, Apartments of Harborside Village would love to be your dream apartment home. Are you looking for beautiful waterfront apartments in Joppa, Maryland? Let us show you one of our spacious and affordable apartments at the Apartments of Harborside Village. To learn more about our apartment options, visit us online, give us a call at 410-679-1130, or email us. For a peek into what it’s like to live in our community, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and YouTube.