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Renter's Guide
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The perfect place for the potential
tenant
Okay! So you have decided to look for a
new place to live. Now that you have
begun the search it is important to
remember this; landlords are looking for
a tenant who will pay their bills on
time, maintain a clean and well-kept
home and has the ability to pay the rent
in a timely manner.
Great! Now you have found that perfect
place.
It looks like you're ready to apply for
the property. Click on the link to view
our Rental Application.
Print out a separate
application for yourself and any
roommates that will be living with you.
Accurately and completely fill out the
entire application and submit via email
or in person to our office.
Please Note: We DO NOT require a
processing fee for processing your
application. W&J Rentals retains
the right to implement an application
fee at any time without notice.
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Just started your search? Take a look at
our Property for Rent
page to view a list of rentals complete
with pictures and details, maps, local
schools information and more. |
Policies on Qualifying Applicants
W&J Rentals has a few policies
that you should keep in mind before we
accept your application. **
- You must schedule an appointment
with one of our agents to see the
inside of the property.
- A completed rental application and
non-refundable security deposit are
required to 'hold' an apartment.
This ensures that we are being fair
and only reserving apartments for
SERIOUS tenants.
- Rent is due by the date marked on
your lease. LATE CHARGES will be
assessed at the rate of $25.00 for
the 1st 10 days and a $1.00 per day
for each additional day. If tenant
mails the rent to landlord, the date
of payment will be the date the
letter is postmarked. There will be
a $25.00 fee for any partial payment
made for monthly rent.
- If you are receiving a student
loan, you must pay the equivalent of
1 month's rent + Garbage, Sewage,
Water (if applicable) and Occupancy
Fees, prior to receiving your
apartment keys.
- ALL STUDENTS must have a
guarantor. This is the policy for
ALL STUDENTS regardless of age.
** W&J Rentals reserves the
right to change the qualification
standards that are currently listed.
Top 5 Things to Consider BEFORE
Renting an Apartment
Finding an apartment can be
overwhelming. Not only must you choose a
new place from the seemingly endless
options available, you often have to
sign a long-term lease that holds you to
your decision for an entire year.
To make your search for the perfect
apartment a little easier, we have
provided you with a Checklist of Questions
that you can ask potential landlords
when viewing apartments.
To make the process more manageable, you
should gain an understanding of exactly
what it is that you are looking for
prior to beginning the search. Here are
the 5 most important things to consider
when looking for a new place:
1- Location, Location, Location
The first and foremost thing to consider
when searching for a new place is
location. Whether you are looking for an
apartment in close proximity to specific
points of interest or want to live in a
certain neighborhood, determine the
general area you would like to live.
If you do not have a particular area in
mind, examine the surrounding areas,
making sure to acquire a good sense of
the overall character of each before
making your decision. When possible,
visit each location to get acquainted
with the environment and absorb the
overall feel of the neighborhood.
If you do not have the opportunity to
get a first-hand picture, do your
research. Get the candid opinions of
others by talking to friends or reading
online discussion boards. Then, take a
look at the neighborhood websites, read
travel and city guides, or read
Wikipedia articles on the areas. Check
the crime reports provided by the local
police department Finally, utilize all
official and government provided
information like census data: average
age, average income, percent renters,
and crime. This last step is often
overlooked and can be the difference
between finding the place of your dreams
and nightmares.
After narrowing down your search to a
general area, you must decide where you
want to live within that area. Are there
particular points of interest you wish
to be near, such as a park in which you
can jog or walk your dog? Do you want to
be within walking distance of work,
school, or nightlife? Will you rely on
public transportation? Identifying
specific points of interest and
recognizing the desired surroundings
further narrows down your searching
area.
2- Rent
The second consideration is the amount
you are willing and able to pay each
month in rental fees. You must determine
your price span and set a maximum amount
for the rent. By searching within an
established rent range, you ensure that
you only look at viable options.
Remember, if you are planning on living
with others, this range should be
established according to the constraints
of the lowest maximum.
3- Length of Lease
Determine the length of time you are
looking to rent, as many properties
require minimum lengths of stay,
generally for 12 months. If you want or
need a month-to-month rental, your
options may be reduced and you should
expect slightly higher fees.
4- Building Size
Next, figure out what type of building
and unit you are looking for. There are
various sizes of rental buildings with
differing numbers of units, from single
family homes to large apartment
buildings. Recognize the positive and
negative aspects associated with each
type. For example, townhouses boast
greater privacy, but often lack many of
the amenities provided by apartment
buildings. Conversely, apartment
buildings generally provide more
services, but consist of a
community-oriented living situation
surrounded by others.
Units also vary greatly with each
building, in terms of both square
footage and the number of bedrooms
available. You must consider whether you
are willing to live in a smaller place
in a better location or if you want a
certain size living area.
5- Amenities
As mentioned above, the size and type of
rental buildings greatly affect the
range of amenities offered. Because the
respective features vary greatly, it is
necessary to specify the amenities
important to you, distinguishing your
wants from your needs. First, determine
what necessary features must exist for
you to even consider it as an
option-these features are your
"deal-breakers." For example, if you
will only move somewhere that allows
Fluffy (your pet cat), then "pet
friendly" is a deal breaker. Once you
have identified your requirements, you
can categorically rule out all
properties that fail to provide for your
needs.
Next, create a list of amenities that
you would like to have, but could live
without if necessary. Remember that just
because you admit that you do not need
something does not mean that you will be
forced to live without it. The point of
separating the wants from the needs is
to determine what a place absolutely
must have in order for you to even
consider it. Further sort the desired
features according to their varying
degree of importance.
Renters Insurance
Your landlord will have insurance on the
building where the leased premises is
located. Tenant's property is not
insured by landlord's insurance. Tenant
is responsible for their own property
that is located in the leased premises.
Renters face the same risks from fire,
burglary, and vandalism that homeowners
do. You need to protect all the
belongings that you have worked so hard
to get. Renters insurance is too
affordable not to have.
1- The Cliffs Notes Version
Simply put, renters insurance allows you
to replace your belongings if they are
damaged or destroyed due to a covered
event. You pay an insurance company to
cover you up to a set dollar amount,
based on the value of what you own.
Renters insurance may not cover all your
things, or protect you from every kind
of loss, so keep reading.
Just as important is the protection that
renters insurance gives you when other
people get hurt or suffer damages at
your place. Renters insurance policies
also provide liability protection. So if
someone sues you for tripping over
garbage piled up in your kitchen, you
are covered for your legal expenses and
any judgments made against you, for
which you are legally liable, up to your
policy's limit.
2- Know Your Limits
It's important to understand that
renters insurance doesn't cover
everything, especially that bet you made
with your brother-in-law about the
Redskins going to the Superbowl. While
big ticket items like jewelry and
watches are covered, there will
typically be a cap on the payouts if
they are stolen. This includes hard to
value items like antiques and
collectibles and business assets. Some
events, both natural (like floods and
earthquakes) and man-made (like wars)
are also excluded.
The good news is that you can often take
out a special policy or buy an extension
to your policy (called a rider) to
adequately cover items like expensive
jewelry and priceless antiques that
would not be fully covered under your
standard renters insurance policy. Take
time to research specific items of
exceptional value.
3- Different Kinds of Coverage
One important difference between
policies is how they value your stuff if
it needs to be replaced. Policies that
use the "Actual Cash Value" (ACV) method
pay for what your stuff was worth at the
time of the claim, whereas "Replacement
Cost Coverage" pays you for what it
would take for you to buy it back new.
This is especially important where
computers are concerned, since the
actual value starts dropping as soon as
you leave the store but it will still
cost you a pretty penny to replace that
stolen laptop.
Also, your policy will most likely
include a deductible, which is a set
dollar amount that you would have to
cover before any insurance payments kick
in. For example, if your $1,500 flat
screen TV is stolen and you have a $100
deductible, your insurance company will
only reimburse you $1,400 if you
purchase replacement cost coverage.
Replacement cost coverage is typically
more expensive, and may be harder to
find in some areas. And the lower your
deductible, the higher your insurance
premiums will be. Read the fine print or
ask your agent to know what kind of
coverage is being offered and what the
deductible on your policy is.
4- A Matter of Records
In the unfortunate event that you have
to file a claim, it's critical that you
have some record of what was lost or
stolen. This is called a "home
inventory" and it needs to be kept up to
date. You should write down a list of
your things, including a detailed
description, purchase date and price
paid. You can even download a free Home Inventory
Brochure complements of
the Insurance Information Institute.
Once you've done a home inventory, make
sure you keep it somewhere safe and NOT
at your place. This may seem like common
sense, but only in hindsight to folks
who have lost their stuff (and all of
their records) in a fire.
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