Buying a new home or apartment is generally not the soundest idea when you are strapped for cash and have trouble overcoming your day to day life. This is probably why people have started looking for rentals more often, since they provide a better housing alternative at a cheaper price. In fact, renting an apartment can be quite advantageous, provided that you know how to deal with landlords in the proper way.

Here are some tips for those searching for the ideal apartment rentals:

  • Meet the Landlord – The best way to discuss anything with a landlord is by meeting him in the first place. Phone calls or emails are sufficient for most minor conversations, but they are nowhere good as meeting the landlord in person. If you are unable to find him, try asking a few neighbours for information on how to best contact him.
  • Negotiate the Rent – The rent for an apartment is not something fixed in stone. More often than not, you should be able to haggle the price a little, provided that you show the landlord a strong intent and willingness to actually rent the apartment. On the other hand, they may refuse to lower the rent if you are not convincing enough.
  • Talk to Other Residents – Besides you, there may be people already living inside a landlord’s property. A good way to judge whether the apartment you are going to rent is worth is to ask them for some advice. Sure, you might not get much useful information, but it is always better than nothing. The reason for this is that residents tend to talk a lot more about the landlord, providing your insight on what kind of person he is, whether he listens to people’s problems, etc.
  • Check the Site in Person – Before you agree to rent an apartment, you must make sure that you take a good look inside, since this will be the place you will be living in for quite some time. Make a note to check whether everything is properly cared for or maintained. Not every landlord is going to listen to maintenance requests in the same way. Do yourself a favour, and walk away if the building doesn’t seem to be worth your rent.
  • Avoid Lying – Remember that the key to living in a rented apartment is maintaining a good relationship with your landlord and list your property. To do this, you should always be honest and straightforward whenever you talk with him. Avoid covering up your problems with lies or false information, which may make the landlord lose trust in you. This applies to any situations regarding rental contracts, no matter whether you are just trying to come up with a good agreement or whether you have already been living there for a few months.