I'm about to start some serious apartment shopping. Does anybody have tips they wish they had known or just some things they've learned to look out for?

It's going to be in a big city, although I may end up staying in one of the suburbs.

I was wondering, are apartment prices every negotiable?

I'm looking at real estate agencies as well as Craigs List. I figured I might be able to find a good deal on CraigsList.

**I will be renting, not buying

check http://www.apartmentratings.com and do a google search for the management company's name to see if anything pops up.

you can try negotiating, if you find a place you like you can suggest you'd sign a lease if you could get it for $###. how much room they have depends on how tight the market it is where you are.

make sure you look thoroughly, note anything that is broken before signing anything.

some less obvious things to think about:
* train/traffic noise
* noise from other tenants (no way to really check how thick the walls are, if you run into other tenants you could ask for their thoughts)
* average utility bills

As qwex stated find out the market concessions for the area in which you would like to live. Check A property concessions against other A properties, and B property concessions against other B properties for a fair analysis.

Some people prefer to live on the top floor as there is no noise from above. You need to be a considerate renter no matter which floor you rent on. Ground floor is nice if you do not care for stairs (assuming no elevator). If the apartments have hardwood floors, find out what percentage of the floor space must be carpeted (area rugs) and if it is enforced. This (supposedly) cuts down on noise from above. Check out the "quiet hours" and make certain they are enforced.

Since you will be in a 'burb, find out if a garage or parking area is included in the lease. If no, what is the upcharge?

If you sign a lease, find out how it renews after it expires. Do you need a new year-long lease? Or will it be month-to-month after the year? You can also work a lease for a longer period of time. This will lock you in at the current rate rather and avoid rent hikes. The negatives to this are; what if you hate the place? What if you want to buy a home? Moving for a job? (There are state/local laws that cover lease breaking due to job movement. Find out what those are in the state you will be living.)

Find out what utilities are included in your lease payment. If heat/air is included, find out who controls the thermostat.

Find out what car and apartment insurance will be in that area.


Ummm when i think of more, I will post them.

Thanks qwex and AMS. Please do post more if you think of any. So much is going on I'm bound to forget about things.

also, make sure you know sublet rules, in case the place turns out bad and you want to leave. I'd also check for any move-in fees, I know some bigger apartment buildings charge them.

If you are coming to Boston area, this is EXTREMELY important.

For example, my current car insurance at Quincy is 2.4k a year. For the same terms, if I live in Weislley or Newton, it would beb around 1.1k. That's more than 1 month rent difference.

If you have pets, make sure the building allows pets & that the lease covers it.

Same for smoking/non-smoking.

Definitely find out as much as you can about noise from other tenants -- try seeing the apartment at different times of the day -- for example,when the kids are home from school Also, find out about winter parking bans( if applicable), snow removal etc. And are there any crying babies next door