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RENTING
YOUR
INITIAL PAYMENT
Some
landlords require the tenant to pay the first
month’s rent, the last month’s rent,
and a month’s rent as a security deposit
for any unpaid rent or damage to the premises
at the end of the lease. This is negotiable.
Know
what you are getting for your monthly rental.
You may later discover that there is an additional
monthly fee payable to the condominium association,
which was mentioned in the lease, but not stated
as a dollar amount.
Some
leases include refrigerators, stoves, washers
or driers.
UTILITIES
Some
landlords will include the gas, electricity, and
water in the rent. Others may only include the
water, but require you to pay for electricity
and gas. You may even be required to pay for
all utilities.
THE
SECURITY DEPOSIT
All
states have stringent laws requiring the landlord
to give a detailed itemization of deductions from
the security deposit within a certain time period
after the tenant vacates the premises. If the
landlord fails to do so, most states have small
claims courts, which entitle you to claim small
amounts without the need to employ an attorney.
Because
of the high cost of service people like electricians
and plumbers, many Americans attend to their own
repairs. There are many stores that sell everything
from the roller of the shower door, to an entire
air conditioning system. These stores usually
have people to advise you how to do repairs.
Check out Home Depot.
There
are also service contracts that limit the cost
of repairs by plumbers, electricians and parts
for appliances. See
American Home Shield (www.americanhomeshield.com)
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