For people who rent instead of own a home, good property management is key to having a good renting experience. In fact, over 30% of all renters move from year to year and don’t typically renew their leases. This can be for a number of reasons (as many renters, particularly in college towns, are students), but can be, in part, due to poor property management. For the 25% of people who are renters by choice (meaning that they purposefully choose to rent instead of buying property to own), finding good property management can be somewhat of a skill, and spotting bad property management something of an art form. But good property management can make renting a wholly pleasurable experience, something that is important for the one out of every four people in the United States who have moved at least once in the last five years.
When looking at apartments for rent, while it is important to consider the quality of property management (which can often be assessed by talking to the current renters), there are also a number of other considerations to make. First, it’s important to consider what you need out of a dwelling – what size requirements you have are particularly important. For a larger family looking to rent, townhouses for rent can be the perfect fit. A townhouse for rent will typically have considerably more space than a typical apartment, but will most likely be more expensive. A townhome can provide the perfect mix of low commitment with suburban living, which can be ideal for families moving with children.
If you have pets, it is also important to find a pet friendly apartment. For the 70% of all Americans that have a pet, it’s important to read the apartment’s restrictions before seriously considering it. For instance, most apartments will be okay with smaller contained pets, like fish and lizards, but some will not allow animals like dogs – and some will allow both dogs and cats, but only those of a certain size or breed.
Many people are also looking for fitness centers and swimming pools in the apartments that they are looking to live in, and others want a close proximity to nature, such as access to walking trails. Over 50% of prospective tenants consider mobile connectivity when touring an apartment, taking out their phones to check the cell phone service and people with children are often looking for easy access to the neighborhood playground, if not a playground on the apartment complex itself.
Living in an apartment can be a great way to live in a cost effective manner (and this is why half of all renters choose to rent), but it is key to know what you want out of an apartment or other rental property. From good property management to pet friendly living to an accessible playground, the ideal apartment is out there for everyone – but it’s important to know what specifications you require.