4. TENANTS ARE UNHAPPY
Before making a decision about a place, it’s a great idea to knock on doors and ask other tenants about the place: How long have you lived here? How quickly are repairs taken care of? Are there any varmint (mice, roaches, hobos) problems? Are they happy there? If you’re hearing a lot of bitching, chances are it’s a landlord problem. Of course, you can’t take everything as gospel. “If a tenant is three months behind in the rent, he’s going to blame the landlord,” Benson says. “So he might not give him a favorable review.”
5. THERE’S NO EMERGENCY CONTACT
If your toilet is spewing sewage, you want to make sure someone’s going to drop what they’re doing to stop the leak. So if one of the criticisms of current tenants is that the landlord is unreachable, don’t expect it to be any different for you. Before signing a lease, make sure you have someone’s contact info in case of emergency — whether it’s the landlord or property manager. “A lot of landlords just want to own the property, but they don’t want to deal with it, so they’ll hire a property manager,” Benson explains. “Just make sure you have access to somebody who can and will get things done.”
6. HE PRESSURES YOU TO SIGN THE LEASE
Prior to signing the lease, ask for a day or two to read it over. Don’t treat it like the iTunes user agreement — actually read it over. It’s a document that is designed to protect both the tenant and the landlord, and if he doesn’t want you to peruse it too closely, then he’s trying to hide something. “He should want you to read the lease, because it provides the guidelines for using the property,” Benson says. “If he doesn’t appear to want you reading it, leave.”
7. They Require Upfront Payment Before You Sign The Lease Agreement
It is normal practice for landlords to require a security deposit before moving into the property; however, it is not normal practice for them to ask for payment before signing the lease agreement. This could be a sign that they plan on taking your money and running without providing any guarantee of living conditions or services. Make sure that you read over the lease agreement carefully and make sure all terms are clearly stated before paying any money upfront.
