Renting a property can be a tricky thing. While the owner or broker would try his best to get you to sign the lease, you will have to be extra cautious and check out the finer details before you put your signatures on the document. Here are some simple tips for those hunting for an apartment. Keep this checklist handy when you go checking on a rental property:

• If you are planning to take up an apartment in the city, then one thing is sure that you won’t be able to drive down to all places, and you will need to walk a lot. So, check the walk score before you finalize an apartment. Important places such as school, market, parks should be within easy reach.
• These days, mobile phones have become an indispensable part of our daily lives; many cannot seem to survive even a few hours without them. So, see to it that there is adequate mobile signal strength in all parts of the house.
• The last thing that you want to see in your bed is a hoard of bedbugs. No matter how good and clean an apartment looks; do not hesitate to ask the property manager if there are any bedbugs in the apartment.
• Unless you want to wake up to a sight of cockroaches plying on your kitchen worktop, you must check for all signs of infestation in the apartment before you sign a lease. Look for any roach traps or feces of cockroaches in drawers or in the crevices of furniture.
• It always pays to check out the apartment at different times of the day. The neighbourhood might be really quite during the day, but it may get noisy during the night.
• Check out heaters, AC, and water supply. Run the water taps, and check the flow. It should not happen that the water pressure is so low that it barely manages to drip down the shower, and it takes four flushes to completely flush the toilet.
• Ask the property manager how they will be billing you for utilities. Check if you will have to pay a fixed amount monthly, or you will be billed separately for usage.
• It also makes sense to check out the condition and location of electrical sockets. Depending on where you want to keep your electrical gadgets, see if there are electrical sockets at the appropriate locations.
• You must always ask the property manager about their credentials and experience. Ask them how long they have been managing the property. Obviously, the more experienced property managers would be able to manage emergencies and other requests more promptly and efficiently.

For more such tips and tricks on renting apartments and managing your rental property stay tuned to our blog. For more information and advice, get in touch with REAL Star Property Management via (254) 935-2392 or in person at our office locations, 1506 Paseo Del Plata, Ste. 200 in Temple, TX, and 3901 E. Stan Schlueter Lp., Ste. 100 in Killeen, TX.