How to Find an Apartment Where You’ll Enjoy Living and Won’t Get Stabbed

I seem to move more frequently than most. Even in high school I packed up and spent my summer months on abroad programs, and in college I somehow managed to live in three different cities while only attending one school. In total, I’ve lived in fourteen different places (houses, apartments, and dorms) and I’ve hunted for an apartment three times. I’ve managed to find nice places to live and I’ve never been robbed, stabbed, or beaten in my sleep by an angry roommate, so I think I’ve done well. I’ve decided to pass my wisdom onto all of you who are new to apartment hunting. Here are the usual things you need to look out for when finding a place, and a few unusual things as well.

By Abigail

Where to look – I’ve always found Craigslist to be the most valuable tool when apartment hunting. It’s important to check the site everyday, sometimes even multiple times a day, when you’re in the market for a place to live because the good ones get snatched up. Fast.

What to look for in a housing ad – First of all, do you want to live alone or with roommates? On Craigslist you can search for both, and there are other sites, like roommates.com, that are good. Also, trusty ol’ Facebook can be your friend (no pun intended). The second most important thing is price. Come up with a range, from the lowest you’re willing to spend (to weed out any sketchy ads for apartments with outdoor toilets, etc) and the maximum you can spend. This will keep you from looking longingly at pictures of apartments way out of your income level. And finally, look out for catch phrases: cozy = small, bachelor = no kitchen, 420 friendly = you’ll walk into a haze of pot smoke every time you come home.

What to look for when you’re viewing an apartment (a checklist):

1. Safety – Is the building secure? Are their bolts on the door? What floor is the apartment on? (First floor apartments are generally not a good idea unless the neighborhood is absolutely crime-free.) Are there people walking about or are the streets empty? It might be worth it to check out the neighborhood at night to see if you’ll feel comfortable there once the sun has set.

2. Neighborhood – So the neighborhood is safe, but does that mean it’s a cool place to be? Think of how important it is to you to be able to walk to shops, restaurants, the grocery store, etc. Also, how close is it to public transportation? Is a parking space included? How difficult is it to find street parking?

3. The apartment – Do you feel comfortable? Does it grab you? So much depends on gut instinct, listen to it. Walk around the space, take a few minutes to get acquainted with it, don’t let yourself feel rushed. Can you imagine where your bed would go?

4. Necessities – Is their air conditioning? Heating? Is there plenty of light? Do the windows open? Are there screens on the windows? Is there an adequate amount of storage, closet, counter, cabinet space? Is there laundry in the building? How much does it cost? What are the neighbors like?

5. Amenities – Pools, doormen, and gyms are all nice extras but really shouldn’t be a deal breaker. A dishwasher can also be nice, but it’s not worth renting a crappy apartment just so you don’t have to scrub your dirty plates by hand.

6. Final questions – Are utilities included? Is Internet and cable already hooked-up? Does parking cost extra? Is their an on site super or maintenance dude? What’s due at move-in? First and last month’s rent and a security deposit is typical. Is subletting allowed (in case you want to rent it out to someone else for the summer)? And last, but often most importantly, can you paint the walls?

I hope this helps! Good luck! And let me know if you find a great place using my advice.