Questions to Ask Before Moving into an Off Campus Apartment

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Questions to Ask Before Moving into an Off Campus
Apartment
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• Moving into your first apartment can be a big
  deal, especially if youre a college student.
  However, it can be a lot of responsibility and
  paperwork. Many students might find acquiring an
  off campus apartment confusing and complicated.
  Thankfully, there are some questions you can ask
  to uncomplicate the process and help you find the
  best student housing in Waterloo.

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What Costs Do You Incur?

• When renting, there are some costs youll have
  to cover yourself and others that will be covered
  by the landlord or property management. For
  example, you wont have to pay for repairs or
  maintenance. Under an inclusive lease you also
  wont have to pay for utilities, but this will be
  dependent upon the type of apartment and lease
  agreement you have.

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• Some rentals even offer free Wi-Fi and cable.
  Before you sign a lease, make sure you know what
  additional costs youll be responsible for
  upfront and monthly.

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What are the Lease Terms?

• Most young renters dont know this, but you
  should never sign a lease without reading it
  first. If you arent sure what parts of the lease
  to read, ask your landlord for an abbreviated
  version that includes the most important parts.
  Your lease should state how long it lasts and
  what type of lease it is (month-to-month,
  one-year, etc.).

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• Make sure the lease begins on or before your
  move in date and clearly states the rental
  amount, the handling of late payments and fees,
  grace periods and any costs you might incur for
  repairs, maintenance and more. Additionally, ask
  property management about your payment due date,
  accepted payment methods and how and where to pay
  rent.

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Are there Any Rules for Changing or Decorating
Your Apartment?

• Most off campus housing Waterloo offers has
  rules for changing the apartments. However, there
  usually arent any rules about decorating unless
  your renting a furnished apartment.

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• If youre renting a furnished apartment, you
  should ask about moving furniture around or
  decorating with certain accent pieces. For any
  apartment type, you should ask about repainting
  walls and hanging art pieces and photos on the
  walls. Nail holes and other damage to the walls
  could forfeit your security deposit.

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How are Emergencies Handled?

• It can be frustrating when an appliance or
  other major equipment just breaks down. But, the
  level of frustration you experience could depend
  on how your property management handles repairs
  and emergency situations.

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• Ideally, maintenance should be on call 24/7 to
  handle emergency situations. Fortunately, most
  student apartment complexes have highly
  responsive maintenance crews that handle
  emergency repairs in a timely manner. However,
  ask property management about maintenance and
  emergency response times before you sign the
  lease.