Advice for choosing a new home

I’m with pusskat1 on not worrying about furniture until you have the new place. Every place is a different size and shape you’ll need measurements before getting furniture.

I’m with Erythrura on the avoiding male roommates. Also be careful of apartment buildings with lots of bachelor suites as the main demographic who rent them are sad single men and suicidal divorced men.

Try to get a self contained apartment over a room in someone’s house or apartment if you can afford it. Sharing common areas with the owners or other tenants can result in a lot of interpersonal conflict and potential spying or cameras. Having your own laundry is really nice. Shared coin laundry results in a lot of bullsh*t as does sharing machines with a house owner or a couple —I’ve never had the homeowner not be weird about sharing their machines.

I’d personally rather be alone or go into a new place with a roommate at the same time —not move into a space someone’s had before you because they can treat you like it’s not your space and have a long list of rules and preferences they think you have to follow.

Make sure everything is in good repair as that is a reflection on how good or bad the landlord is. If it’s clean and free of damage, mould, mildew, etc it means the landlord actually looks after it. Run down, dirty, holes in walls and doors, water damage equals a slumlord. When renting, nothing should be a fixer upper. That’s not your job.

Make sure drugs and drug dealing isn’t an issue in the area or the apartment itself. Low prices can mean high drug or crime rate even in small towns. A previous landlord didn’t disclose my apt had been rented to a drug dealer for a decade before me and having strange men somehow break into the locked building and pound on my door for drugs was very unsafe.

If you don’t have a pet, don’t get one (especially cats and dogs). An astronomical amount of landlords are refusing pet owners these days —especially in big cities. It can really limit your options for some of the nicer places to rent.

Look at what services and stores are close by —how close is the grocery store, restaurants, public transit, parks, trails, library, health clinics, etc? Can all your needs be easily met without having to travel far?

Look at cost of living for each area you consider moving to. Are the rents lower? Are the groceries cheaper? Why? Is it because there are no jobs and all the locals live in poverty or is it because it’s just not a sought after place to live right now?

Maybe consider a doorbell camera. Many are wireless. They’ll record if anyone tries to get in when you’re not home —creepy tenants, landlords, repairmen, etc. Landlords have to give you 24-48 hours written notice before they or a repairman they hire can enter your apartment.

Avoid scams. Don’t pay any money until you’ve signed a written contract. Do not agree to verbal contracts. Don’t pay any deposits to “reserve“ a place. Look up prices of other rentals in the area to see if the price of the place you want is fair. Price can be negotiated if you have proof they’re over charging.

Happy hunting! Go in person to view for sure before agreeing to anything —it can be really fun to look at new places, even the bad ones to make fun of them and have them to compare the good ones too.

If you can afford it, eliminate everything where you would have male roommates/flatmates or would share a lot of common spaces with men - especially men who live alone - from the rotation. It's not worth the trouble and danger.

Try to visit the place you are looking at at different times and days. Some places look fine by day, but are really sketchy at night or become hell on the weekends because everyone wants to park or pass through there to get to some event.

Little things to watch out for: if you are looking at apartments try to find out if the door to the building is usually open/unlocked (unsafe) or if every visitor needs to be buzzed into the building (safer). Find out if your name will be visible on the outside of the building (mailbox, doorbell) or just your apartment number (safer) and if you would have to share a mailbox with other tenants (can lead to stalking and mail theft).

Red flags are if it's a high-crime neighborhood. You can search the web and/or call the police department. Zillow.com (US) has a crime rate watch on its website. Another basic red flag is look at the upkeep not only of the apartment complex, but of the surrounding houses and apartments. Invariably where things aren't kept up, there's crime and low pride. With a quick search, beware also of large late rental fee (a sign that people aren't solvent, so money problems also beget theft). Beware language that allows change to a lease, extra fees and agreements that aren't spelled out, and stating that the renter is responsible for all damage and repairs, plus any mold, mildew, or damage. Make SURE you do an initial inspection; also make sure that you take pictures after you sign the lease and before you move in, to document the exact condition of the rental. Those pics need time stamps.

Overall green flags for rentals are the same as what you would look for in a home purchase: convenient access to grocery stores, banks, entertainment. A well kept up yard and building, washer and dryer access, good reviews online, a low crime rate. Overall, make sure it's a good neighborhood. If you see lone women out walking, that's an excellent sign of safety. Women out with children at a local playground is a good sign. (Random groups of men just hanging out? Hard pass!) People walking dogs is a good sign, as are mature trees, landscaping, general pride in the neighborhood. Best of luck, and I hope you get that sunset view!

By the way, every single time I've moved, any new space requires new furniture and accessories. So wait to buy anything. See how your existing furniture fits first. Make a list of what you'll need. For the first week or so, I'd HIGHLY recommend curtains first thing for privacy, and a Masterlock Door Jammer ($20 Target). It's a long, adjustable metal bar that fits under the doorknob, and absolutely prevents all break-ins. Complete peace of mind.