Renting a property for residential purpose is one of the common activities that many people will engage in several times before eventually moving into their own property. There are also instances of people having their own property but may choose to live in rented apartments for one reason or the other.
For instance, as a result of relocation or job transfer, many landlords have become tenants in their new location. The need to look for a property to rent is something that you will have to deal with at different times. Knowing what to look for when renting is thus a knowledge we need to acquire.
Before thinking of the property, the first thing is to ensure that you are dealing with the person who has the authority to rent or lease the property. There are many rent-related scams that take advantage of the fact that the demand for rented properties is more than the supply. The best way to avoid being scammed is to use an agent that has been referred to you by others who have used their services. You can also ask other tenants living in the property if you are not sure of the authority of the agent you are dealing with.
A house cannot detach itself from its environment. When you are approaching the property, take a good look at the environment, look out for potential environmental problem. This is very important. Many people have rented properties in areas that have flooding challenges but they did not pay attention to this fact because the house they wanted to rent was newly built. There are also buildings located too close to the canal or a garbage collection centre in violation of government regulation.
In addition, you should pay attention to your neighbours and neighbourhood. Most people go for inspection of properties during the weekend when they are off work. In order to understand a neighbourhood that you are not familiar with, you need to vary the times that you visit the place so as to have a proper view of things such as the volume of traffic in the area. You can also ask friends that live in that neighbourhood what sort of challenges they normally face. The buildings around the one you desire to rent are also important. If the buildings around the house are used as places of worship, you need to ensure that they are designed in a way that does not constitute a nuisance to the neighbourhood.
There are other potential sources of noise that you need to watch out for, such as proximity to airport, highway, schools, factories and petrol stations. There are areas that although they are not directly situated close to garbage dumps, they suffer bad odour directed to the area by wind. The unfortunate thing is that those who are living in these areas do not know that they are putting their health at risk. I remember driving past an area that had a cement factory and noticing huge settlement of dust on all the roofs of the buildings around the factory.
Definitely that was a sample of what those living in that neighbourhood had been inhaling regularly. Many of them may later discover that they have respiratory or other health challenges. Don’t take these things for granted.
Furthermore, ensure that you are comfortable with the parking arrangement for the tenants. There are houses which have a limit as to the number of cars allowed in the compound.
There are houses where parking is not available. Although you may not need parking space as of the time of moving into the building, you should still ensure you have the space allocated to you. If there is no parking space, you may have to park on the street at a risk that only you will have to bear.
Another very important consideration is the general security of the building and the neighbourhood. These days, a building that is located on a street that has its own gate and security is better than a building located in an isolated part of an open street. A building that is gated is better than one without walls or gate.
Security is becoming a more serious issue on a daily basis and it starts with where you live. Once you are approaching where you consider your dwelling place, you should be at peace. It should not be a neighbourhood where you need to watch over your shoulder before driving into your compound. Infact, if the place had been peaceful before and you notice a sudden negative change in the area of security, consider relocating to a more secure place.
No comments:
Post a Comment