Apartable Blog

With reports of insane rents in Brooklyn, this article is an interesting perspective of the borough as a whole:

Here’s another installment from our friends at Rocket Lease. Rocket Lease provides online rental applications and credit checks for landlords. Read more posts like this one on their new and improved rental blog.

Though Apartable is focused on making finding an apartment an easier and all-around better process, part of finding a new apartment is also moving out of your old one.

In addition to ensuring that the switch goes smoothly, it is important to know how to get the most money back from your old security deposit as possible. Many renters use a good portion of this money for the security deposit/first month’s rent on their new pad.

Here are five things that we here at Rocket Lease recommend to make the moving out process easier:

1. Line Up the Dates – It is almost easier to move out of an apartment and into a new one when the move-out date and move-in date line up. For most people, anything more than a day or two difference makes the entire process a heck of a lot harder. So try to line up the dates as closely as possible. The ideal situation is a move-out and move-in date on the same day so that you can just haul your stuff from one pad to the other.

2. Start Early – A lot of people wait until the last minute to begin packing for a move. This is, of course, all too easy to do. Force yourself to start early and pack a handful of things per day. 

You’ll be thankful when your move-out date arrives.

3. Have Someone There to Help – If you live by yourself, you might already know just how much it sucks to move alone. You should enlist the help of a reliable friend or family member to help you move boxes and especially to lift heavy furniture items. If you don’t have a spacious car (or truck) yourself, you might want to make this a friend who does.

4. Clean Thoroughly – Cleaning thoroughly is the number one thing that you can do to increase the chances of getting all of your security deposit back (as long as there are no major damages to the apartment, of course). Spend some time cleaning the floors and walls and pay special attention to the bathroom and kitchen.

5. Plan a Walk-Through – Talk to your landlord and plan a walk-through before you move out of your old apartment. This will ensure that you know exactly what they are charging you for if they decide to subtract any damages from your security deposit.

A lease agreement protects the landlord's property, but it also allows for your privacy and ability to fight any allegations a landlord might make. Here are a few things the law requires of landlords and tenants to keep in mind when it is time to sign:

1) Discrimination – It is illegal to deny somebody housing based on their race, nationality, immigrant status, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability or occupation. People with children are also protected from discrimination.

2) Security Deposit - You get this back when you move out or within an appropriate amount of time afterwards. The landlord can subtract some from the deposit if they have to repair any damage you caused to the place during your stay. The same goes for any rent you may not have paid. These are the only things your landlord can use your deposit for. You have the right to cancel the agreement and get your deposit back if the apartment isn't ready by the start date agreed upon.

3) Other Provisions - The rules for the building, and any other terms defined by the landlord, should be clearly stated in the lease agreement. They may not allow pets, for instance. One thing to be aware of is that a landlord can be held liable for any injuries to persons or property due to the landlord's negligence, even if they write a provisional clause for exemption in this scenario.

4) Breaking the Lease/Subletting - If you move out before the end date specified on your lease you are still responsible for the rent until you or the landlord finds a new tenant. The only way you should sublet your apartment is with written permission from your landlord. As the original signer of the lease you are still responsible for paying the rent, so make sure the person subletting is good for it.

5) Eviction - By law, you must be served with an eviction notice and a court hearing. It is illegal for the landlord to lock you out of your apartment, take any of your belongings or stop essential services like heat or water. They're not even allowed to set foot in your apartment unless they've given prior notice, or have your consent.

6) Safety - Building codes are upheld by the owner to prevent injury or illness to the tenants because of unhealthy conditions. Your apartment should have at least one working smoke detector near each bedroom and at least one carbon monoxide detector. The apartment should also have already been investigated for various hazards, including the need for window guards. 

Being aware of your rights as a tenant ensures a better understanding of the lease agreement a landlord may offer you. Read through it carefully before signing. Ask questions. The more you know about how the landlord conducts their business, the better the time you'll have living in their building.

  This is a guest post by Liz Nelson from WhiteFence.com. She is a freelance writer and blogger from Houston. Questions and comments can be sent to: liznelson17 @ gmail.com.

One of the things that always confuses renters is just who's behind the listing. Many times, it's just not clear whether the person advertising an apartment is a broker or the landlord. Apartable makes it much easier to tell by requiring an account for each listing and displaying agent profile, and now we're expanding to landlords too.

Listings from certain landlords and management companies now have a special "Verified Landlord" badge. This shows you that we have a direct feed of their vacancies, and we've checked that the listings are legit and are updated frequently. We work directly with these landlords to publish their most up-to-date listings.

When you see the blue badge on apartments from UDR, Related, Stonehenge and other leading management companies around the city, you'll know that their vacancies are up to date and 100% no-fee.

Here's another installment from our friends at Rocket Lease. Rocket Lease provides online rental applications and credit checks for landlords. Read more posts like this one on their rental blog.

If you are a pet owner and a renter, then you already know how hard it can be to find an apartment that allows pets. The simple fact of the matter is that many landlords specifically state in their leases that they don’t allow cats or dogs in any of their units. The reasons for this are fairly straightforward and make a lot of sense when you think about them: pets can be dirty, noisy, and sometimes even dangerous. For many landlords, the negatives of renting to pet owners far outweigh the positives so they just decide to keep their apartment buildings pet-free.

While some apartment buildings obviously need to be pet-free (think: people with allergies to pet hair), not all do. The five quick tips discussed below will help you find an apartment that allows pets and ensure that you’re all set to sign the lease when you do. 

1. Give Yourself Time – Because it can be difficult to find a pet-friendly apartment building, it is essential that you give yourself plenty of time for your apartment search. Don’t start looking the month that your current lease ends – start looking at least three months beforehand. By keeping your eyes open early and talking to friends who rent with pets, you will increase your chances of finding the perfect home.

2. Make Sure the Apartment Really is ‘Pet Friendly’ – Even though an apartment might allow pets, it might not really be a good place for your pets, especially if you have a dog. As dogs need space, it is essential that you find an apartment with a good area to walk nearby or, better yet, a space for running.

3. Be Upfront – When meeting with a landlord for the first time, tell them that you are a pet owner. Don’t wait to tell them until right before signing the lease. Furthermore, don’t sugarcoat anything – tell them exactly what kind of pet you have, how big it is, and its habits. Telling your landlord that your dog is twenty-five pounds when it is really fifty pounds isn’t going to do anyone any good.

4. Prepare Pet References – Your prospective landlord will want to know for certain that your pet is well-behaved. Preparing pet references to show them is a surefire way to reassure them. Pet references should include a report from the vet (stating that your pet is current with all the required vaccinations), a letter from your current landlord, a certificate of training, and a record of their size and breed.

Pet deposits are a small amount of money that a tenant puts up at the beginning of a lease term in order to keep an animal within an apartment or home. A pet deposit is usually paid on a per pet basis and the price is usually set based on the rental costs.

1. They allow renters to keep a pet. Many renters who complain about pet deposits do not realize that without a pet deposit most owners simply don't allow pets at all. Many areas in which renting is common simply don't allow pets because of the risk they present to the properties. This is bad for owners and renters alike because most of the time this does not actually keep people from owning pets. Instead, most renters own pets but hide them from the owners which eventually causes problems for both parties. Renters end up unable to ask landlords for necessary repairs because they are hiding their animals and landlords end up with damage caused by this lack of maintenance.

2. They're a fair alternative to pet rent. Owners that do not use a pet deposit usually use a pet rental cost. This is usually an additional cost tacked on to monthly rent under the assumption that a pet will cause additional wear and tear. Pet rental costs are usually the same whether for a ten pound cat or a fifty pound dog, and for pet owners that have low-maintenance animals the pet rental fee will not be fair because the animal will probably do little to no damage to the apartment. Pet deposits are much fairer because they only charge based on damage and pet owners have direct control over the amount of damage that is caused.

3. They put the landlord at ease. Pets can damage apartments more than some renters may know and a landlord with a pet in their apartment will be well aware of what can go wrong. Dogs have been known to tear out drywall and doors and permanently stain flooring. A pet deposit makes a landlord far more willing to accept a pet while still allowing a tenant to get money back as long as they control their animal.

4. They are just a deposit. A pet deposit should not be confused with a pet fee and a tenant needs to be very cautious about how these two terms are used. A pet fee is a fee that will not be returned to the tenant. Most tenants will not want to pay these. However, a pet deposit is a deposit of money in addition to the tenant's regular deposit that can be used towards damages. The tenant will get the money back and some states even require the tenant to get back interest. Some contracts do use the term pet fee and pet deposit interchangeably so a tenant will want to have this clarified for them within the contract itself regardless of the way the terms are defined.

5. They lessen the hassle of moving out. If a pet does cause damage to the apartment then the landlord can repair the apartment at a low cost, deduct it from the deposit, then return the remainder to the tenant. Otherwise the tenant may have to do the repairs themselves or payout a higher amount to a contractor to have them done. Most landlords already have handymen and contractors that can do work at cheaper costs, and this avoids having to trade money back and forth at the end of the tenant's term at the apartment. It also means that the entire process can be expedited.

Pet deposits solve a very real problem that property owners can have with tenants that have animals. If a tenant has an animal that is well-behaved they will usually get their deposit back.

Here's another installment from our friends at Rocket Lease. Rocket Lease provides online rental applications and credit checks for landlords. Read more posts like this one on their rental blog.

Searching for a new apartment can be beyond exhausting. Even with sites like Apartable that make finding a new apartment a better process, it can still be time-consuming and tiring. What makes it even more tiring (and potentially even dangerous) is when you fall victim to an apartment rental scam. 

Scammers know that apartment hunters are very vulnerable. Part of the reason for this is that finding the perfect place to live is such an emotional process. This is why scammers look to attack these emotions and use them to their advantage. Taking note of the apartment rental scams discussed below will help you avoid them during your apartment search.

1. You are asked to send money before seeing an apartment. One of the most common rental scams of all, this seems to happen mostly while searching for apartments on Craigslist. You find an apartment that looks great – its photos are excellent, the information is spot-on, and everything seems legit – so you email the landlord. They ask you to send in money for an application fee before coming to see the apartment. Though this could just be a landlord being a ditz, it is usually a sign that the rental ad and the ‘landlord’ is a scam/scammer. There is no reason that you should send money for an application fee before actually having a showing.

2. The landlord seems overly eager to rent the apartment. Of course, it is perfectly natural for a landlord to want to rent out their apartments – it is how they make money – but are they being overeager? Do they waive common application fees or security deposit? Do they fail to ask you for any information that could be used for tenant screening (i.e. your credit score or employment history)? A landlord that is being pushy, one who really wants to rent an apartment to you without doing many of the things that landlords ‘should’ do, could just be looking to scam you.

3. They are asking for too much information online. It happens way more often than you’d probably realize but when responding to apartment advertisements, many people are asked for personal information by the so-called landlord. While a name and phone number is par for the course, you definitely have adequate reason to get suspicious if you are asked for your social security number or bank account number online over the email. Simply put, do not give it to them. They are almost definitely trying to scam you. 

This guest post was submitted by Jake at RocketLease.com

As a landlord or property manager, you know full well that finding new tenants and having them sign a lease agreement is one of the most important things that you can do. You can’t make any money without tenants, right?

But finding new tenants isn’t as easy as snapping your fingers twice. Sure, there are a lot of people out there looking for new apartment rentals but there are also a lot of landlords out there with empty units to fill. This is only part of the reason why it is so important to make your rental ads really shine.

Luckily for landlords, there are a few easy tips that can make finding new tenants easier than ever before. It won’t be a piece of cake but, then again, it won’t be a nightmare either.

Fine-Tune Your Online Presence

Having a solid online presence is everything in these days of the internet. What this means for you, a landlord, is keeping your website up-to-date, staying active on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, and putting out high-quality rental advertisements on various online listing sites whenever you have an opening.

Meet New People

Things get stale fast in the rental industry if you are always doing the same thing and never meet new people. Luckily, the internet has you covered once again. Websites tailored towards real estate and rental networking like Active Rain and Bigger Pockets are excellent ways to connect with others in your area. The same goes for apartment associations. If there is one in your area, sign up. Doing these two things will help you network and will probably result in at least a handful of tenant referrals or leads.

Ask Around

Struggling to find new tenants to fill your empty apartment rentals? Why not just ask around. If you’ve been a good landlord, then you will be surprised at just how willing your current tenants will be to refer their friends to you when they’re looking for new places to live. It is also worthwhile to ask friends, family, and acquaintances if they know anyone who is in need of a new place.

Not every site can have as much detailed info in its rental ads as Apartable does. For those times when you have to create your own posts, our friends at RocketLease.com have some great tips about what works.

As I’ve mentioned before in a previous guest post for the lovely Apartable blog, there are a heck of a lot of bad apartment rental ads out there. Bad rental ads aren’t just ugly – they also won’t get you any new tenants if you are a landlord. And, the thing that really gets me is that creating a good, solid apartment rental ad is really easy.

In fact, creating a totally awesome apartment rental ad is one of the easiest things that a landlord, property manager, leasing agent, or anyone else looking to fill an apartment with new tenants can do. It only takes a few minutes and it all but guarantees results. With the three tips below, you can create an apartment rental ad that really shines and fill your empty apartment unit faster.

1. Quality pictures – Don’t even think about putting together an apartment rental ad, especially an online apartment rental ad, without including a handful of pictures. Picture-less ads just won’t get results. Better yet, take high-quality pictures of your unit – use a good camera, open the windows to let light in, and make sure your unit is clean! There is nothing worse than a clutter-filled apartment photograph. 

2. Enough information – Too many of the apartment rental ads I see on a consistent basis are without adequate information. Of course, you want to entice a viewer to find out more, but you don’t want them to waste your time. By giving enough information – size of unit, utilities, location, appliances, amenities, etc (and, of course, the cost of rent) – you will weed out those annoying phone calls that are solely questions and not actual tenant leads.

3. A map – In this day and age, including a map as part of your online apartment rental ad is as easy as pie. Better yet, it is one of the key things that prospective tenants look for. They want to know where the unit is and how far away from work/school/the grocery store it is. Including a map in your rental ad will definitely bring you back more leads.

This is a guest post from Jake at RocketLease.com.

After moving nearly every year since I turned 18, I’ve had the opportunity of living in a wide variety of apartments, both by myself, with roommates, and now with my lovely girlfriend. In addition to renting apartments both big and small, dirt cheap and reasonably expensive, I’ve also rented in a number of big cities, most recently including Seattle and Boston.

Simply put, I have a lot of experience as far as apartment living goes and I’d like to share some of that with you guys today.

The Best Apartment

I wanted to start things off by talking about the best apartment that I ever lived in. It’s actually a bit surprising, even to me, that this was my favorite. It wasn’t the nicest, it wasn’t the most conveniently located, and it definitely wasn’t the biggest. But it was run by a family realty company and had all the charm that I was looking for at the time.

The best apartment that I ever lived in was located in a city just outside of Boston. It was a small studio apartment that I was living in with my girlfriend. What I liked the most about this apartment was that the landlords were just so nice and understanding. They responded super promptly to maintenance requests, weren’t sticklers about getting rent on the 1st (though if it was past the 5th they got worried), and kept the place in all around great condition. Better yet, the apartment was located close to a bus line to the city, had a window with a great view of a small forested area, and all of the other tenants were quiet and very friendly. 

The Worst Apartment

On the other end of things is the worst apartment I have ever lived in. Once again, there wasn’t anything supremely terrible about it, rather the circumstances of my living there were just a little iffy.

The worst apartment that I ever lived in was located in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle. For one thing, it was way too expensive for how small it was (but that’s what you get living in the city, I guess). The two things that really made my time there suck, however, were a) the landlord and b) my roommate. I desperately needed a roommate and decided to move in with a relatively new friend. Needless to say, things turned out bad as he had guests staying on our couch constantly, played his music way too loud, and ended up not paying his share of the rent for three months in a row. Our landlord, while he did redeem himself by being a good sport about my paying my roommate’s rent a little late each month, did little to help fix maintenance issues that were all too apparent in our apartment.

How I Make Sure That My Apartments Are Awesome Now

 Luckily, and not to sound like a whiner, my best apartment experience, worst apartment experience, and all those others in between have taught me a lot about renting. Today, I am confident that I will never rent an apartment I dislike again.

The way I make sure that my apartments are awesome is simple. First of all, I screen my prospective landlord. Instead of just resigning myself to the idea that a landlord is a landlord, I now search for their name and their rental business online, try to get a feel for their personality in person, and ask for landlord references before signing a lease. I do these things to make sure that I am renting from a landlord that is responsible, courteous, and a good person all around.

Secondly, I make sure that I’m not in a rush while I am apartment hunting. The main cause of my worst apartment experience was that I was desperate. Instead of choosing a roommate that I knew I was compatible with, I was rushed into choosing a nearly random dude. Having at least two months before I need to move in, and enough cash to cover first month’s rent, last month’s rent, and a security deposit, helps give me the peace of mind I need to find an apartment I truly like rather than just any one that will do.

Reading Apartable’s Broker Babble blog post really got me thinking: there really are a lot of bad rental ads out there. 

From ads that just sound generic to ads that sound awesome but leave out important information, it is surprisingly seldom that you come across a solid rental ad that is interesting and provides all of the information you need to make an informed decision.

While I’m not going to list actual examples of terrible rental ads, I will discuss three of the things that most perturb me about many of the rental ads on online listing sites today. If you’re a renter, you’ve no doubt noticed many of these before. If you’re a property manager or landlord (or soon to be either), then these might be some tips worth jotting down!

No Location

What is the most important single factor that renters are interested in when looking for new apartments? Location, of course!

If your rental ad fails to mention the location of the apartment, then how will anyone know where the heck it is? People base their renting decisions in large part on how close the units are to their work, if any bus lines are nearby, and what the overall feel of the neighborhood is like. By simply remembering to include your apartment’s neighborhood or, better yet, including a map, you will greatly increase the amount of rental leads that you receive.

No Rent Price/Confusing Rent Price

After location, the amount of rent is the factor that most renters probably look to first to make decisions on new units. You can’t rent an apartment that is out of your price range.

Since this is so true, it is surprising to me that such a large number of rental ads fail to give the price of the unit. Surely, this should be of large concern? Especially since many listing sites, like Craigslist, actually require that rental price be included in the title of the ad.

Even worse than a rental advertisement without rent listed is one that has one price stated in the title and then a totally different one in the ad’s body. What’s up with this? Though it might be a simple mistake on the part of the landlord or property manager, such a discrepancy definitely screams scam to most people. And it only takes a few seconds to look over a rental ad before posting it anyway. 

Terrible Photos

I actually prefer rental advertisements with no photos over those with terrible photos. At least a photo-less rental advertisement doesn’t scare you away. With that said, you should make sure that your advertisement does, in fact, contain photos (as they are one of the easiest ways to attract new leads), but you should also make sure that these photos are of high-quality.

And speaking of rental listing photos – what’s up with all of these wacked out pictures? It seems pretty straightforward that most renters would prefer to see a shot of the building as a whole and individual shots of each room. However, I see rental advertisements that only contain pictures of say, the apartment’s deck and bathroom sink, and totally forego all other shots on a daily basis. Doesn’t make much sense to me.

So there you have it – the three things that I think make up the worst rental ads around. Luckily, they usually happen independently of each other, though I have seen all three combined to create a truly terrible rental ad many times before.

What do you think? Is there anything else that really makes you wonder about some of the online rental advertisements that are floating around? What is the worst rental ad that you have ever seen?

After moving almost every year since I moved to college, I think I've got a pretty firm handle on what's important when finding looking for an apartment. Every time I start looking (or friends, for that matter), I'm taken aback by how much drivel you have to sift through in order to find useful information. Consider the following question:

Where can I live that's within 15 minutes walking distance to my office at Union Square? 

Here are my options for finding an answer:

See the full gallery on Posterous

Now I have to go through every post one by one and determine if the information, vague as it often is, is enticing enough to actually call or email the poster and inquire further. Repeat this hundreds of times and it becomes tedious and extremely time consuming. There are some sites that help you by sticking said posts on a map, which is already infinitely more useful than the above. But, there's still the problem of the underlying data being too vague, inaccurate or just plain scammy. Plus, plotting "Midtown" on a map just isn't that useful to someone who has been in New York for more than 20 minutes. 

The old real estate addage is "location, location, location," so why don't any rental sites actually let you search by location effectively? Quite puzzling. Instead, I'm presented with headlines like this, which tell me nothing about location, much less anything else:

$1350 / 2br - Great Space Close to All

Date: 2011-11-23, 5:44AM EST Reply to: see below [Errors when replying to ads?]

2 separate bedrooms Full living room Full Bath Call now 347 XXX XXXX

While there have been numerous attempts to make the process easier, it's still fascinating that the most useful tools like HousingMaps and Nestio still rely on the same unreliable data that powers Craigslist.

See the full gallery on Posterous

Once you move out of an insane rental market like New York, your options might be simpler, however. Any search for "chicago apartments" or similar will likely turn up results from rent.com, apartments.com and the like, which over the past decade or so have proven themselves to be masters of search engine marketing, both paid and organic. This becomes obvious from the moment you land, as you're greeted with keyword-stuffed pages with thousdands of internal links and generic marketing descriptions that could simultaneously be apropriate for every single apartment complex in the world, and none at all. Consider the following example:

Del Prado: One of Hyde Parks' oldest, largest and most fashionable 1920's apartment hotels has been restored and reinvented as state-of-the-art apartments with open floorplans, high-end finishes and view of the entire city. With a lavish grand lobby that spotlights the original Beaux Arts and Art Deco architectural details, these modern luxury apartment are encased within the classic elegance of the by-gone era. Rich in history and character, to experience Del Prado is to explore a new frontier of modern living.

See the full gallery on Posterous

I don't want to "explore a new frontier of modern living." I just want a clean, quiet place that's reasonably priced and convenient to where I need to be.