What to look for in a rental property

Location and Features of the Property

This, along with budget is one of the most important decisions you need to make.  It is worth spending some time ranking the following features as Essential, Preferable or Handy.  

Location

• Close to work
• Close to schools
• Close to park
• Close to shops
• Close to amenities eg hospital
• Close to sports grounds
• Close to transport
• Close to family and friend
• Close to leisure activities

Internal Features

• Number of bedrooms
• Separate dining room
• Separate children's rumpus room
• Open plan layout
• Number of bathrooms
• Modern kitchen
• Built in wardrobe
• Additional storage

External Features

• Yard space
• Garage or Street parking
• Outdoor area
• Security
• Low maintenance
• Fully renovated /landscaped
• Access to property

Finding a rental property

Once you have your rental property wish list you can commence the home hunt.  Here are 2 primary ways to help you find your rental home:

Navigate the Networks

One of the best places to search for rental properties is on-line.  Portal such as daviesmanagement.com, kijiji.com, rentboard.com, padmapper.com are great places to start.  For the real estate portals you can specify the communities where you want to rent, number of bedrooms, price and other features and you will be presented with a shortlist of available properties that meet your requirements.  Make sure you save your search criteria and set up property alerts so you are notified of any new rental properties as they become available.

Talk to your Davies Property Manager

Davies Property Management manages 600 rental properties in and around the Edmonton area, so contact Davies Property Management and discuss what you are looking for, ask if we have anything available or coming up in the area / price range you are looking at.  This is an important step as it might help you find a property before anyone else does.

What to look for when inspecting a rental property

Making sure you visit a rental property before you sign a lease is vital. It's tempting to sign away as soon as a landlord says yes, but be patient. There could be issues that aren't visible in an online listing.  It is recommended to visit a property mid-week - weekends can be packed with other prospective tenants, whereas visiting on a Wednesday might see you leap to the front of the queue.

Here is a summary of what to look for when inspecting the property:

The outside

Make sure you spend time looking around the outside of the property and consider the following:

• Is it in good condition?
• Is the property secure? Have a look for deadbolts, window locks and other security features. The level of security can make a huge impact on your insurance.
• Is there a garden and what maintenance is required?
• If you like gardening it is worth asking if you are able to add your touch to the garden
• If there is a garden shed with junk it in, ask if it is being cleared out
• Does the property have a garage - does it have a working door with remote openers
• If there is no garage, where are you allowed to park

The Inside

• Is it in good condition? Is it clean, is there any signs of damp, mould, infestations of any kind?
• Does anything need to be repaired?
• Is there enough storage for all your stuff?  Consider if there is enough pantry space, clothes hanging space, linen space and areas for you to store laundry items such as brooms and vacuum cleaners and external storage
• Is the property insulated?
• When was the furnace last services and ducts cleaned? Do they appear in good condition? 
• Will you be able to fit your furniture and items into the property? It is worth measuring the front door and rooms to ensure your furniture will fit in
• Inspect the quality of kitchen items - are the dishawasher, stove and refrigerator in working condition?
• Does the property have enough electrical outlets and are they in the right place?
• Are the bedroom adequately heated and do they have closets and blinds or window coverings?
• Check the bathroom - do you see any signs of leaking, does the shower work?

Safety checks

• Do the windows have locks? Especially important if you have a ground floor apartment or house.
• Are there enough smoke alarms? Do they work?
• Is there a way to escape in the event of a fire?

Budget considerations

• How much is the rent and what is included?
• How much is the security deposit? What are the conditions for the landlord deducting money from the deposit?
• What other bills are there and what are you liable to pay for?
• What are the estimated utilities cost of the property?
• Can you comfortably afford the rent on top of the security deposit and utility costs?

Other considerations

• Does anything need to be repaired?  If so ask the landlord to put this in writing
• If the landlord agrees to make repairs, get it in writing along with a time frame of when it will be fixed
• Photograph the rental property including all inventory before you move in
• Spend time reading and understanding the tenancy agreement
• Keep a copy of the signed tenancy agreement for your own records

Happy home hunting!