When choosing topics to cover in my new fair housing book, a common practice known as “steering” easily made it to the top of my list. Why? Most landlords and tenants know that turning away an apartment applicant based on a protected characteristic such as race, religion, or disability is illegal. But not everyone realizes that [...]
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Two Simple Tips to Streamline Your Apartment Search
By MyNewPlace Guest Blogger, Ron Leshnower – About.com’s Apartment Living Expert For many apartment hunters, the search for the perfect rental starts off fresh and exciting. But when an apartment search starts to take longer than you hoped, it can feel like a drag and you might get anxious that you won’t find a suitable [...]
Still thinking about the apartment that got away?
Believe it or not today’s blog post isn’t about some catchy Katy Perry song.. oh no, now it’s stuck in my head again, but instead we’re going to talk about the apartment that was just right but for whatever reason you didn’t get it. You’re still living in fantasy land Oh you remember. That moment [...]
Get the Most Out of Your Apartment Bathroom: About.com Guest Post!
By MyNewPlace Guest Blogger, Ron Leshnower - About.com’s Apartment Living Expert! Although apartments come in all shapes and sizes, one thing they have in common is a bathroom. However, when it comes to making decisions relating to convenience, comfort, and decor, many renters choose to focus their attention on other rooms in their apartment. It’s true [...]
How Much Should You Spend on Rent?
Conventional wisdom has historically limited rent to 25% of your income before taxes. Surveys suggest Americans are paying upwards of 30%, lots of times more. My friends who live in San Francisco often pay at least half their income to a landlord every month. Domu.com’s rent calculator puts “low end” at 20% of income, “middle [...]
How to Negotiate Your Rent
Americans aren’t always comfortable with haggling, but in the case of rent, price negotiations could be huge. You can raise the question of reduced rent with your landlord before you sign a lease, mid-lease, or even at the end of the lease. Stay friendly, and make sure your timing is good for your landlord, as [...]
Red Flags: When to Keep Looking in Your Apartment Search
Don’t let your renter’s enthusiasm blind you to obvious red flags. When these problems present themselves as you look for apartments, move on to the next residence on your list. Scope out the area Neglect If a property appears neglected, it is neglected—and so will you be, as a tenant. Now is the time for [...]
Be Smart When Meeting Roommate Candidates
By MyNewPlace Guest Blogger, Ron Leshnower – About.com’s Apartment Living Expert Very often, renters choose to live with roommates whom they don’t know well. It could be that the person is a referral from a friend, an acquaintance at work, or a stranger from an online roommate-matching service. If you’re considering rooming with someone whom you [...]
Apartment Envy: The World's Most Expensive Apartments
Oh, sorry, are you not in the top 1% of Americans when it comes to income? You can still partake in the eye candy. Here’s your daily dose of apartments so expensive, they blow even college tuition out of the water: Live in midtown Manhattan for a mere $100 million This apartment, on the market [...]
Before Starting Your Apartment Search: The Checklist
Before you start looking for your next place, you need your documents in order. Although a landlord won’t necessarily require every single one of the following, any of them might be on the table: Rental application Most places will require you to fill out an application, complete with your personal details and other information. If [...]
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Julia Erlandson: Hello, We have some properties in the area that m...
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