If you are searching for an apartment, you will have to spend a fair amount of time navigating through the many listings online. If you want to save time on your search and eliminate apartment listings, you can search for those apartment listings that already contain answers to questions you have. A high-quality apartment listing will help you weed out places that don’t fit your criteria and indicate an organized and communicative landlord, which is always welcome. As you search for your next apartment, look for an apartment listing with these five critical pieces of information.
Lots of Details
The information that should be front and center in an apartment listing is the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, square footage, and ideally a floor plan. All of this information helps you visualize the layout so you can instantly know whether you are interested.
Avoid listings that have vague terms like “junior one-bedroom,” or “open one bedroom.” Additionally, if you are looking in a new part of town, look for a listing that contains information about the neighborhood, including proximity to transportation, shopping, and education. You can also perform your own searches to confirm this information.
Apartment Amenities
When looking for an apartment, you will likely have specific amenities that you want. You should look for an apartment listing that provides information on amenities beyond heating and kitchen appliances. This can include in-unit laundry, storage, any outdoor spaces, hardwood floors, parking, and more.
Policies You Need to Know
The apartment listing should disclose any necessary information for renters. Some of these policies could be a dealbreaker, so you should inquire if the information isn’t listed or is vague. Policies regarding what pets are allowed, the number of people who can live in the unit, smoking, parking, noise, and lease terms and length are all crucial policies to know.
Clear Costs
You should make sure that the landlord is clear about the precise amounts in the apartment listing. These costs include:
- Monthly rent
- The cost of the deposit, and is it refundable
- Any one-time fees, such as an application fee
- Pet fees or monthly charges
- Parking costs
- Which utilities are paid for by the landlord, and which are paid for by the renter
These additional fees can turn an affordable apartment into one that is a budget-stretcher, so it is crucial to have this information clarified as soon as possible.
High-Quality Photos
You should focus your search on apartment listings that contain photos that are up-to-date and detailed. An apartment listing should have photographs of both the exterior and interior of the apartment and ideally pictures of any shared amenities. Make sure when communicating with the landlord that the pictures are of the unit for rent, not of a “similar model.”
Once you find an apartment listing with this information, you can begin to make an informed decision about whether this might be the best apartment choice for you.
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.