What You Will Need When Applying for a Rental
- Drivers license or Photo I.D. if your license isn’t one
- SS Card/#
- W-2 form for annual wages or Last 3 payroll stubs or Previous year’s tax return if you are/were self employed.
- The offer letter stating your employers intentions with regard to pay and start date
- Money - Some places will accept security deposits with personal check, but others will require a certified check or money order. Most require the security deposit and application fee to be separate checks. You may want to offer to pay a higher security deposit to guarantee funds.
- References for the last year’s (and prior) residence
- References from any creditor who can attest to consistent payments
How do You Find a Furnished Apartment?
- Equity Corporate Housing – When trying to secure fully-furnished, short-term housing, Equity Corporate Housing will make that simple for you. They offer apartments on a month-to-month basis specifically for corporate transferees. They will take the lease, connect utilities in their name and provide all furniture, kitchen utensils as well as linens for your stay. They will require credit card payment and a 30-day notice-to-vacate for you to avoid additional charges. Rates will vary by city and number of bedrooms. For more information, go to www.equitycorporatehousing.com.
- Equity Rental Solutions can find and qualify:
- Listings where the owner is renting the unit furnished
- Or unfurnished listings and reference for a company to rent furniture from. This becomes very cost effective because it allows the flexibility to rent just a bed and couch if needed, or all the "fixins". The individual would connect his own utilities and there would be no mark up on these costs or administrative fees for providing consolidated billing as there is with a corporate housing company. Typically the advantage to using a corporate housing provider is for the “Company”, not the “Individual.” The company does not have to manage security deposit payment and getting them back, connecting and disconnecting utilities and setting up monthly payments. For an individual, these are normal living expenses and the individual usually don't mind doing that part themselves, especially if he can save some money.
Tips: Some apartment communities offer short-term and long-term furnished rentals. In these cases, you can expect to pay the apartment rent, and some pass-through or slight mark-up cost on the furniture. Ask if utilities can also be included; however, that becomes more challenging for the property to administer so many don’t offer this option. If you find a property that already has furnished apartments, you will avoid furniture delivery fees from rental companies. Or if you arrange your own furniture rental you will pay for delivery but avoid any pass-through or mark-up.
If you set-up your own furniture rental, most vendors will require a minimum of a 90-day lease. It’s common to find furniture rental companies that offer full rental packages that not only include furniture, but all kitchen utensils and linens for the bed and bath as well. The utensils and linens are referred to as “the housewares package”. You can determine how much or how little furniture and housewares you want based upon your needs and budget. These companies also take credit cards for your convenience.
Avoid Renting A Home In Foreclosure
In today’s economy, many homes are being foreclosed upon. Finding out that one is renting a home in the middle of the foreclosure process is often quite worrying to tenants, especially because the tenant is not legally released from the obligation to pay rent to the landlord for as long as he is the owner of the property, Therefore, if you are renting an apartment, find out if there is a property management company who owns them, and doesn’t just manage the property. If you are renting from a private investor who owns a home, small apartment building, duplex or single condo, you may want to do a little more homework to make sure that the landlord and the property is financially solvent. Just as a landlord requires a credit check on a prospective tenant, it is wise for a tenant to do his/her due diligence and ask for a letter from the landlord’s bank confirming that the mortgage payment is up to date. Many county auditor web sites are searchable by property address and provide information such as the status of property taxes and whether they are up to date. If you would want to go further, you could pay a title agency to find out if there are any liens on the property you are thinking of renting. There is also some additional safety in renting a house or apartment through a real estate/property management company. They can assist through the process, possibly renegotiate the lease (to a month-to-month); and at a minimum, would have additional rentals available for your consideration should you need one.
Why use Equity Rental Solutions when I can
find rentals on my own?
Although locating rental options that meet your needs is one of the most time consuming tasks during a relocation, it is just one of the many things you need to do. Many options are available on web sites, but that is just the beginning of your search. Each property must be called to get specific information and the right questions must be asked to uncover hidden costs and to qualify the housing. But there is still finding the properties, coordinating utility disconnections and reconnections, mail forwarding, temporary housing, moving your furnishings, researching your new destination, and focusing on your new job. Equity Rental Solutions can manage and assist with all of the above, allowing you to focus on work-related issues.
Is Renters Insurance needed, and if so, where can I obtain a policy?
Although your landlord most likely has insurance on the property you are renting, that policy does not cover your personal belongings should they be damaged or stolen, or should one of your guest's become injured while at your home. Typically premiums are very reasonable and they provide protection for your personal property against:
- Fire
- Certain natural disasters
- Theft
- Vandalism
- Liability protection for injury or damage to another person or person's property
In some cases, a landlord may even require that their tenants have renters insurance. For more information on where you can obtain a policy or for a quote, click on the following link: www.rentersolution.com.
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