How to rent a house in America: step by step instructions

In the States, it’s really possible to find a good apartment in a good area for affordable money, but the problem is that many (especially immigrants) do not know how to do it, writes Andrey Boychuk in an article for Immigrant Porada.

Megapolis or a small town?

In a big city, for example, in New York or Chicago, as you understand, no one is waiting for anyone. That is, today there is housing for rent, but tomorrow it will not be. A small clarification: I mean apartments available for new arrivals, we are not talking about apartments in rich areas for $ 5-40 thousand per month.

In a small town where thousands of people live around 10, activity is usually not as high. This is a plus for you, because in this case you can choose housing and bargain.

Select the area and determine the rental price

First you need to decide on the area where you would like to live. Then decide how much you can afford to pay the rent. This will be your fulcrum from which you can push off, deciding whether to rent an apartment separately or share it with someone (rent a room, for example).

If you are not familiar with the prices of apartments in a particular area, here is a good site where you can enter the address of the desired apartment or area, indicate the number of bedrooms and find out the average price in this area - Rentometer. This site is verified.

For example, let's see how much a one-room apartment can cost in Ridgewood (Queens) in New York.

We get the result - on average, such an apartment will cost about $1250 per month.

Another method for determining rental costs is to monitor apartments for 1-2 weeks if you have the time. It's better to keep an eye on the prices on the website. Craiglist.

So, having decided on the area and the amount you are expecting, you are ready to search. Feet in hand - and forward!

The main methods and resources for finding an apartment

1. You can hire a real estate agent, and he will help you find what you are looking for (well, of course, if this is a good agent). But there is one nuance that you need to know. Who pays the agent? Are you or a landlord?

For example, in New York you have to pay an agent for his services. How many? One monthly rental fee. That is, if the rent is $ 1250, you will have to pay him an extra $ 1250 for finding an apartment for you.

But in small cities this may be just the opposite. For example, in Poconos, Pa., The landlord pays the agent for renting an apartment.

2. A simple (and most importantly - cheap) way is to write to all your friends on Facebook or in Ukrainian-American groups on Facebook that you are looking for an apartment in a particular area. You never know who might know who or what.

Фото: Depositphotos

3. The least traditional way to find housing is to walk around the areas you like and look for FOR RENT ads. This method is for those who are in no hurry to move. This good old way is the most profitable, since you can talk to the owner live and bargain.

4. But the most effective way (besides, free) is to search on specialized sites. Here is a list of housing search sites:

Craigslist - my favorite site. The most effective in terms of finding housing. There is always updated information here.

Polishclassifieds.com — do you speak Polish? In that case, this is a good site for finding an apartment. But even if you don’t speak Polish, you can still try to call and speak as best you can. Practice shows that if someone needs to sell, and someone needs to buy, then everyone quickly understands each other. From my personal experience, I can say that many friends found housing on this site. The downside is that advertisements are posted there not from all cities, but mainly from megacities.

Rusrek.com — website of the Russian-speaking community. Well, everything is simple here - call and make an agreement. Those who speak neither English nor Polish can find accommodation here. This site also covers mainly major American cities. Also, many ads here are forgotten to be removed when they are no longer relevant. The main thing is not to be discouraged and look further.

Padmapper.com — the site is quite new to me, so I can’t say much. A very user-friendly system that scans various rental websites and puts all the information on one map page.

5. Property management company. Large apartment buildings in 99% of cases are managed by a Property management company hired by the owner. Usually the company’s advertisement is at the entrance to the complex or the company’s name and telephone number are written on the house itself. Or you can simply Google “property manager” and the name of the city where you want to rent a home. Or you can call them and ask if they have any apartments for rent.

In order to rent a house in such complexes, you must have a normal credit history and stable earnings. Each company has different conditions, but usually you need to earn the amount of 3 times more than rental housing. That is, if the monthly rent is $ 1000, then you need to earn $ 3000 per month and be able to prove it.

6. Newspapers. This is the least popular form of advertising these days, but you can still find accommodation there. What newspapers? The most popular is Russian Reklama, which costs $0.25, or is free in NetCost Market. There are also other Russian newspapers that have an advertisement section. If you live in a small town, then there may not be a press in Ukrainian or Russian. Then ask about Local Newspaper and in the classifieds section called Classified there will be listings for nearby housing.

Next, I will talk about very popular sites, but neither I personally nor my friends have found housing there. Firstly, there are agencies mainly advertising housing. Secondly, they are in a hurry to put information in there, but no one is in a hurry to remove from the site when the housing is already rented, that is, the information is often outdated.

Therefore, I recommend not to waste time, unless this is your last hope. By the way, these websites are very good resources if you are looking for a property to buy. Here they are:

Zillow.com

Trulia.com

Realtor.com

Another tip: When calling from a website or newspaper ad, the first thing to ask is whether you are talking to the owner who is renting the home or a real estate agent. A lot of agents advertise homes in the owners section. How it works? He will show you the property, make you interested, and only then say: “Hello, I’m an agent, I need to pay.” Therefore, I advise you to ask immediately and not waste time.

Фото: Depositphotos

Important Tips

In America, 99% landlords take a security deposit. Security deposit This is money that the landlord keeps for the entire time you rent the property. In 99% of cases, the security deposit is equal to 1 month of rent.

Therefore, you need to be ready to pay immediately for the first month of a plus security deposit. You must give it to you when you move out of the apartment and leave it in the same condition it was in when you started living there. In case of any damage to the property, the money is withdrawn from the security deposit.

In the contract that you sign with the landlord when renting housing, the amount that you deposited as a security deposit must be clearly indicated, or the amount must be written SECURITY DEPOSIT.

Always sign a contract (lease agreement), which specifies all the terms of your lease: when exactly you must pay, in what form, what is the amount of the fine for late payment of rent, what you are responsible for and what the landlord is responsible for. Even if you rent a room, sign a contract that specifies all the details: who is responsible for what.

I have a girlfriend who has filed a lawsuit with her landlady for the fact that she does not want to give the security deposit. If there were no contract, there would be no proof, and she would not be able to get her money back, and this is only a matter of time.

Always pay by bank check. On the receipt you need to write what you are paying for (for rent). If you find a good apartment at an affordable price, but the owner does not agree to pay by check, but only in cash, then ask for a receipt (receipt), which will say what you paid for (for example, 123 Main Street - rent October 2014).

If the landlord does not want to take money by check (this way they have the opportunity not to show this income at the end of the year) and only requires cash, then bargain, ask for a discount. And the normal discount is 5-10%.

The landlord has the right to ask you for certain documents: proof of income, ID (copy of an identification card), and a form signed by you agreeing to have your background and credit history checked. I know from my own experience that not all people who seem good at first glance are honest and conscientious tenants or able to pay regularly. If you rent an apartment through a management company, they have a form for this that you must fill out - you need to pay $25-100 to review this form.

DO NOT bargain by phone. Ask about everything on the phone and if this is what you are looking for, make an appointment. And when you already liked the house, you can ask if a price reduction is possible.
Remember, the worst thing that can happen is that you are told, “No.” So bargain. Just don't go overboard by being too aggressive.

What is included in the rental price? Be sure to ask this question when renting a room. Is the payment of utilities, the Internet, etc., included in the price, or will you have to pay extra for these services?

About the Author: Andrey Boichuk - founder Immigrant porada - Platform for Ukrainian immigrants in the United States. Cheerful husband beautiful wife and father of a joyful daughter.

This blog is translated from the Ukrainian language. The original article can be found on the website. "Іmmigrant Porada" (Ukrainian online advice platform for immigrants in the United States).

ForumDaily is not responsible for the content of blogs and may not share the views of the author.. If you want to become the author of the column, send your materials to [email protected]

See also:

We live in the USA: how to rent a house

Personal experience. How to avoid mistakes when renting a home in the US

How to buy a home in the US

First steps when buying property in New York

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