Where to look for an apartment? What should you pay attention to while inspecting an apartment? Is a subscription apartment worth it? Below we present a list of 10 things you should know before you rent an apartment.
Research shows that only 27% of the Poles are satisfied with the place they live in.[1] The remaining ones often live in badly-arranged and too small apartments, located far from their work place, which forces them to spend a lot of time commuting. When you buy an apartment, it is difficult to predict if it is still going to meet all your expectations in a year or two. Is it easier to find a place that respond to the current needs perfectly when you rent? What do you need to know so as not to regret the decision? There are plenty of questions, which is why we have prepared a guide in which we have collected the most crucial aspects that everyone deciding to rent an apartment should take into consideration. Read it!
1. Your budget for an apartment
If you want to rent an apartment, think wisely how many square meters and how many rooms you will need. How many people will be living with you? What do you usually do in the apartment and how much space do you actually use? Are you planning to work from home and will you need to organize a small office space for this purpose? Will one shared room be enough for your children or do they need separate rooms? If yes, it will better for you to rent an apartment with 2 or 3 rooms and a separate bedroom and a living room than a small studio, which in turn will be perfect for a single or a couple without children.
2. Apartment size
If you want to rent an apartment, think wisely how many square meters and how many rooms you will need. How many people will be living with you? What do you usually do in the apartment and how much space do you actually use? Are you planning to work from home and will you need to organize a small office space for this purpose? Will one shared room be enough for your children or do they need separate rooms? If yes, it will better for you to rent an apartment with 2 or 3 rooms and a separate bedroom and a living room than a small studio, which in turn will be perfect for a single or a couple without children.
3. What location?
It is best to choose a place so that it matches the place you spend most of your time while being out. Close to the university or the office so that you can get there quickly on foot or by bike or at least in the vicinity of public transportation stops offering convenient access to such places. It is also a good idea to take a closer look at the vicinity of your new apartment. Is there a store in the vicinity where you can do the shopping everyday? Are there parks or green areas in the vicinity where you can go jogging in the morning or walk with your dog? However, if you like going out with your friends in the evening, check if there are any attractive clubs and restaurants in the vicinity. It is important to tailor the location of your apartment to your needs, not the other way around.
4. Millions of offers… Really?
Advertising websites, social media, local press, advertising pillars, real estate agencies, a walk around the district of your dreams and looking for interesting offers hanging on the staircases or balconies? Fortunately, searching for an apartment this way is history. Today, you can find and see an apartment or even sign an agreement remotely if you decide to rent it from a professional company. Check out the selection of offers. Read the interview with our tenants, Dan from Luxembourg and Alexandra from Belarus to know more about the experience related to entering into a rental agreement remotely with Resi4Rent.
5. An agreement is a must
Never rent an apartment without signing an agreement. It is a guarantee of both parties keeping their declarations, the absence of which may cause problems in the future. Read our article to find out what a well-written rental agreement should look like and what it should contain for the rent to be safe for you.
6. Rent – how much is it and what does it include?
It is a basic matter you need to know before you sign any documents related to the rental. When you choose the subscription apartment service, you get accommodation in a furnished apartment fully-equipped with household appliances as well as access to Wi-Fi, a dedicated online panel where you can manage the bills, technical services and permanent support from the customer service office on site in each building.
Additionally, find answers to the following questions:
- Does the rent include utility bills, i.e., gas, electricity and water?
- How is the consumption of such utilities settled?
- Do you have to pay extra for waste collection?
- How can the landlord increase the bills for utilities and administrative fees for maintaining common parts?
7. A modern building or an old tenement house?
Apartments in old tenement houses certainly have an exceptional charm. Decorative elevations and high ceilings that make rooms look spacious and bright. However, neglected common parts or problems with thermal insulation may be drawbacks of such buildings. Apartments in modern buildings are designed using novel technological solutions. They often have better energy efficiency ratios, which means savings on bills for utilities. They are also equipped with a functional ventilation system ensuring a constant inflow of fresh air. All Resi4Rent buildings are equipped with a CCTV system and security guards who guarantee safety of residents around the clock. Apartments themselves are designed for rent, which is why there are no unusable spaces for the maintenance and heating of which you have to pay. When selecting a place, check whether a storage unit belongs to the apartment and whether there is a room for strollers, a place where you can park your car or leave your bike.
8. Can I move in with a cat?
Many landlords are against renting apartments to people with pets as they are afraid of additional damage, an excessive noise, an unpleasant smell or simply conflicts with neighbors. It is often particularly noticeable in the case of new apartments and apartments in high standard, whose owners say explicitly that they do not wish to have four-legged residents.
What if you cannot imagine living without your beloved pet? In Resi4Rent, you do not have to adjust to the apartment. A subscription apartment is adjusted to your lifestyle and if your pet is a part of it, no one will make any problems because of that. As many as half of our clients live with their pets in our apartments and as owners of the building, we guarantee that an apartment is refreshed after each tenant. However, we want to remind you that you should clean after your four-legged friend 🙂
9. Who is responsible for what?
Who pays for a broken washing machine – a tenant or a landlord? Who should be responsible for repairing an entry door? If you want to avoid any misunderstandings, check which obligations are borne by the tenant, that is you, and which are borne by the landlord. Any doubts should be regulated in the agreement, with the provisions related to maintenance in case of damage to the apartment or any possible failures of equipment being the key provisions. You should read such provisions in advance so as not to be disappointed later on. We have already written HERE about what to do when a failure occurs.
10. What will a neighbor say?
No one will ever tell you more about the conditions of living in a given place than a person who has experienced it personally. It is a good idea to check the opinions on a given location or a renting entity on the Internet. Information collected this way will help you take a final decision. Moreover, it is always good to share a building with people who are similar age or have a similar life situation. It is easier to make contact with someone and form a closer friendship that is something more than saying “good morning” to each other in the elevator. In Resi4Rent, most residents are young people who like being independent. People who are willing to spend time in a larger group may take advantage of extra classes organized for residents or go out to restaurants or fitness clubs nearby and use discounts offered by our partners.
Remember that when you decide to rent an apartment, you will probably spend at least several months in it. Therefore, do not be afraid to ask questions before you sign the agreement.
[1] Report “There’s no place like home! How the Poles live”, (link to https://www.echo.com.pl/download,1515,jak-mieszkaja-polacy-raport-2022-echo-investment.pdf), Echo Investments, 2022