The trials and tribulations military families encounter while searching for the perfect rental home can be time-consuming. Sometimes, it's tempting to get the process of renting a house finished as fast as possible.
Try not to get it over with! When rushed, it's easy to ignore red flags when signing a lease to make the move-in faster and easier. However, this hope-and-pray method rarely works out. The best way to search for rental homes is to take the time to think about your quality of life, your priorities, and how you’d like to live for the next few years.
Hopefully, these red flag scenarios won’t seem familiar, but if they do, get the discrepancies clarified, preferably written within the lease, or walk away. It will be better in the long run to put in the effort now before moving forward with renting a house.
Even if you have the best-case rental home scenario pending, you should have a list of pertinent questions to ask before signing a lease. This helps protect your peace during a busy time. If you're wondering "what are red flags when signing a lease?" here are ten signs to make note of and discuss with the homeowner ASAP.
If the landlord is difficult to contact or communicate with initially, there’s a strong possibility they’ll be unavailable during emergencies or more urgent situations.
One example would be an unexpected PCS. Military members are entitled to break their lease early under certain conditions, so it's helpful for the homeowner to be aware of, and comfortable with, managing SCRA protections.
The landlord is ready for you to sign, but they make no mention of a thorough move-in/out walkthrough inventory list. If you still want to rent the house, make sure you create a detailed document with timestamped photos and videos of the property’s condition at move-in and move-out.
After reading the lease, there isn’t a clear description of what's deducted from the renter’s security deposit after move-out. There should be a detailed list of what constitutes "normal wear and tear."
Some landlords are more generous than others when it comes to what fixes you need to make before moving away. For example, some require nail holes to be filled, while others want to take on the chore themselves to ensure the quality they prefer.
After a conversation with the landlord, you’re both in agreement that you have permission to make aesthetic upgrades to the property, but there isn’t a mention of this in the lease, nor is there language as to who pays for the updates.
Or, necessary improvements, such as a working oven or functioning water heater, are promised, but they’re not listed in the lease. A situation like this should be documented in detail.
Ensure all wording is in the lease before you sign.
The landlord isn't willing to elaborate on how often they’ll make regular checks on the property, or how detailed those checks will be. Research your state’s description of tenants' rights and repairs and maintenance to learn how you’re protected from invasive visits.
The home doesn’t have basic safety options like smoke alarms, carbon monoxide detectors, or prevention of less obvious potential hazards, such as sturdy banisters or porch railings. You’ll probably want to walk away from his situation, but it could serve as a reminder to update or purchase renters' insurance.
You're not certain that the rental home is zoned for the school that the landlord advertises. Only the school system can provide up-to-date, accurate address searches. Double and triple-check its boundary locator. You can also search local news to make sure a pre-determined boundary change isn’t scheduled for the near future.
The landlord or property manager pressures you to sign quickly without giving you enough time to review the lease thoroughly, ask questions, or inspect the property. Be cautious if the landlord discourages inspections, avoids clear answers, pushes verbal agreements instead of written terms, or insists that “everyone else is interested” and you need to decide immediately.
Research everyday neighborhood circumstances. For example, traffic patterns, crime stats, and even the unkind way your direct neighbor takes care of their dogs can stop a lease from being signed.
Bad vibes or a strong negative intuition about a house will not go away or get better. Take your spouse’s and family’s opinions into consideration as well. Don’t sign the lease if there isn’t a positive consensus.
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