What to know when you rent
By Adam Albrecht
The Collegian
Rental agreements for houses and apartments often have clauses that potential renters should take into consideration when they are looking for a place to live. Rules concerning guests, parking and what utilities a renter pays may influence where a person chooses to live.
“My friend and I are renting an apartment in Fresno, and our lease is every 12 months,” Raven Magnus, a mass communication and journalism major, said. “The apartment complex will allow the tenant to renew their lease once a year or month-to-month basis.”
When renting a house or an apartment, each lease has its own requirements. Usually, all payments are due on the first of the month. If the tenant does not pay on or before the deadline, an added fee added may be charged.
Most apartments require a deposit between $400-500, and will be paid back once the tenants have moved out. All apartments must be in the same condition as when the renter moved in.
“Just because you give the superintendent your deposit, it does not mean you will receive the full deposit back. The apartment can look just the same as when we walked in and the superintendent will find something wrong,” fashion merchandising major Constance Mack said.
Beyond the day to day wear and tear of living renters need to be aware of what to do in case of more severe home damage.
“The superintendent suggested that we should buy renters insurance, just in case something should happen to the apartment, such as, fire damage, water damage, or burglary,” Magnus said.
Renters should also be aware of rules that apply to entire apartment complexes, such as noise courtesy rules.
“At the apartment complex that I am renting there are some odd requirements in the contract, such as, loud music is not allowed after 10 p.m., and tenants cannot wash and dry their laundry after 11 p.m.,” Mack said.
Mack said while her complex won’t allow loud noise past a certain time, it does not have any requirements on guests visits or parking.
“I am renting a house in Kingsburg and its quite different than renting an apartment,” Lacey Woods, a food and nutritional sciences major, said. “I have to pay for trash and utilities separately, and I pay more to PG&E because of the electric water pump system, since we live in the country outside of the city limits.”
But there are benefits to having a house or renting from a private owner.
“We are only allowed one pet in the house; compared to living in an apartment we would not get that option. Also, if we must do major changes to the house we have to ask for permission first,” Woods said.
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