Tag Archives: tenant

Moving On Out

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Your lease is ending, you’ve already found your new home…what’s next?! MOVING! 

The process of moving is very exciting, (you’re gonna live in a new place!) but also requires a lot of work and proper planning to make it easy on you. Here at tenant.rentals we’ve put together some tips to make your move as smooth as possible.moving

LABEL EVERYTHING! We cannot stress enough the importance of labeling every single box, bag, or container that you plan on moving. If your stuff isn’t labeled, how will you know where it goes? Labels should ask be as specific as possible, so that you can put things exactly where they need to be. For example, if you label a box ‘bedroom’ how will you know which bedroom it belongs in? You’ll end up having to sift through the boxes to figure out what goes where. You also need to be clear on which boxes have fragile items and which don’t, skipping this step may cost you a lot.

  • Don’t take every single box at once. Yes, making multiple trips does seem like it’ll be a pain, but it will make the process easier on you. If you take all your stuff at once, you’re gonna end up with stacks of boxes everywhere and very little room to move. Try taking things by sections, maybe you can do a few rooms of the house at a time so that all boxes are situated in their respective areas. This way you’re also clearing up space to keep moving in more things.
  • Use what you already have at home before spending tons on packing supplies. Things like shoes and clothes don’t need to go in fancy boxes from Home Depot, you can use trash bags for items like these. You can separate shoes depending on style and put them into different bags to avoid messing them up. For clothes it’s also really simple; keep all of your stuff on hangers,  make a hole in the bottom of a big trash bag, and put the hangers through…you’ve just made your very own garment bag! Use suitcases to pack books or items that require folding as well.
  • If you do end up needing some extra boxes, don’t buy them! Hit up your local grocery store or stores like Walmart and Target in the early mornings. Usually, these kinds of stores have tons of boxes laying around from the days shipments, and they’re pretty much up for grabs for anyone!
  • Teamwork makes the dream work! Enlist in the help of friends and family to make your move as smooth and quick as possible. Maybe while you’re moving boxes from point A to point B someone else can be unpacking your stuff in your new home. Whatever way you decide to do, having more people on board will definitely make the process go a lot smoother.

Good luck moving!

Should you have renter’s insurance?

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In the realm of insurance, the renter’s variety is typically overlooked. Renter’s insurance provides you with liability protection while also covering your personal items that may have a risk of being damaged or stolen for various reasons. Some landlords and property management companies require renter’s insurance, while others leave it up to your discretion. However, if you’re not required to get renter’s insurance, you should definitely look into it. If you’re renting a property, it’s not your job to insure the property structure, it’s the homeowners.  Even though you’re not responsible for the structure, you are responsible for all of your belongings inside

So,  you’re probably asking yourself if renter’s insurance is actually worth it. Well, imagine that the home you’re renting is broken into, and your expensive television is stolen, if you don’t have renter’s insurance, you’re at a loss…but if you do, it’ll cover it! Renter’s insurance covers things like theft, vandalism, fire, etc. It’s not your landlords responsibility to reimburse you if something happens to your belongings; by law they’re not the liable party, you are.

insurance Of course, the topic of financials is also highly important to consider. Much like car insurance, you can receive a discount on renter’s insurance if you pay it all in a lump sum for the entire year. The biggest financial plus about renter’s insurance is that it’ll cover your belongings if something happens to them. You won’t need to dish out a ton of money to replace whatever was damaged or stolen.

Consider your possessions, and possible liabilities, and think about whether or not renter’s insurance is for you.

To get a pet, or not to get a pet? That is the question

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We all know that having a pet can be a lot of fun, but it can also be costly. Pets are a huge responsibility in a lot of different ways; you need to make sure they’re fed, bathed, have a place to sleep, the list goes on. If you’re considering getting a pet, there are a few things you should think about before making the big decision.

First of all, are you financially capable of taking on the responsibility? You need to figure out all the costs that you’re going to incur and see where you stand with your personal finances. Aside from your normal financial obligations, you’re going to have to make sure that you can take on vet bills, buying food, and the basic cost of owning a pet (grooming, toys, etc.). A big financial matter that you also need to consider is your rent; is your landlord going to charge more because you now have a dog or cat? Landlords are fully entitled to ask for a pet deposit or increase your rent if you decide to get a pet, because the liability increases on the rental.

Aside from the financial investment, you’re going to have to be willing to invest your time, too. Normally, people keep their pets for a long time, so that’ll be something you need to be sure you can do. If you plan on moving in the near future, it may not be the best time for you to get a pet because you don’t know where you’ll be living next and if pets are even allowed.

These are just a few basic things to consider, be sure to look at your specific lifestyle and see if you’re truly ready to have a pet before you end up doing something you can’t handle.

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5 in 5: Top 5 Maintenance Fixes in 5 Minutes

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As someone who’s renting their home, you’re not responsible for the property maintenance that a homeowner is. Though it depends on your specific lease agreement, your landlord typically handles most of the maintenance issues. This, however, doesn’t relieve you of all maintenance duties, it makes you responsible for the day-to-day issues that may come about. Based on what we at tenant.rentals have determined as simple things that have a big impact on the function and appearance of a home, we’ve created a list of the top 5 small (and regular) problems and their fixes, that take 5 minutes or less to do!

  1. Wall and baseboard scuffs – It’s really easy to let your walls and baseboards get scuffed from the regular wear and tear, but it’s also really easy to keep them looking new. Make it a point to wipe scuffs off (Magic Erasers are awesome for this) as soon as you see them so that you can avoid your walls turning grey and looking old.
  2. Weeds – Normally, in a home that requires regular landscaping, it’ll be the landlords responsibility to maintain it. As much as it’d be convenient for you, your landlord can’t be coming by everyday to pluck weeds. If you see a couple of weeds here and there, get rid of them. Weeds never enhance the appearance of any home.
  3. Carpet stains. – Pretty much following the same idea of landscaping, if you have carpeting your landlord will normally get it cleaned for you at a point or another. But if you see any small spots come up, or have any spills, put some stain remover on for a few minutes and wipe it off, and they should be all gone.
  4. Appliances. – Wipe down your appliances regularly! Cleaning your large appliances on a normal basis is great for a couple of reasons: you clean vents and other parts that can be affected by residue, and you keep your appliances from aging as quickly.
  5. Check your air filter. –  This is soooo easy. If you think it’s time to change it, take a look and call your landlord to replace it for you. Definitely very doable.

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Deal Breakers – why you should always factor them in

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As someone looking for a new place to live, you probably have some standards and requirements that you look for in a home. These may be things like being pet friendly, or having a pool, or being in a particular area, etc.; while you may feel like you can overlook these things if you like a property enough for other reasons, it may not be in your best interest.

It’s extremely important to have some kind of deal breaker(s) that determine whether or not a property is right for you. Now, we’re not telling you to be picky or demanding! Having a deal breaker factor that’s something extremely important to you (maybe being x miles from your job) helps guarantee your satisfaction in your new home, because you’re not settling for whatever you find, you’re making it a point to find what you want. For example, you may have decided that you’re only living within a five mile radius of your office, because you hate driving…but, you found the most beautiful home ever, and for a great price. Only drawback? it’s ten miles away from your job. You may think that you can overlook the distance and just get used to the drive, but you most likely won’t. If there’s something you’re set, you shouldn’t compromise it for something that’s not as important to you.

Having a deal breaker in mind when you’re looking for a place to live also helps narrow down your search. In this aspect, searching for the perfect home is like searching for the perfect car; you have the specific features in mind that you want, and focus your search strictly on what meets these criteria. Keeping a fixed thing in mind that you won’t compromise no matter what will save you the time of looking at those properties that you know don’t match up.

 

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