So you have found your ideal place. You can visualise yourself having a good time in there. You are done with the most pressing matters, but then, just as you are settling in, bothersome questions that were never there to begin with start to pop up. Can you change the locks on your door? Can you change the bell? Can you change the fixtures? Let Zameen.com help you out with these issues. Read on below to find out more.
A general rule of thumb is to make sure that you ask all that there is before you move in. A lot of times one may be nervous to ask, but this is how it is. One needs to get over the initial hurdle and ask since it is your right to gain as much information before committing to a place.
Some of the key questions that you should ask are as follows.
Should I change the locks?
The thought of someone else having a copy of your apartment or home keys might be slightly uncomfortable. It is okay to ask the landlord if you can change the locks or not. If you don’t ask, you will never know. However, if the answer is no, then you need to decide if you feel safe in the building and the vicinity or not. If not, there are plenty of other options in the market that one can look at.
How to handle the trash?
A good lease/rent agreement would answer most of your questions. However, it is still a good approach to directly ask questions that may or may not be a part of the agreement. Often, you would find that agents and sellers are more than happy to provide extra information.
One may ask about how the trash is managed in the property and if there is a service that picks up the trash every day. One may also get details on how to package the trash and where should one place it so that the sanitation department or any other relevant service can dispose of it properly.
How to manage the logistics?
Within any gated community or neighbourhood, there is a high probability of the society’s internal transport. However, one may ask what the local transport options are and how people of the community normally commute. This also includes the parking spaces allocated to each apartment – if yours is an apartment building.
How to manage replacements and repairs?
Another important thing is to know if you have the permission to modify or replace items on your own or if you have to ask your landlord every single time. If you have the permission, then you can further ask if it extends to replacing lighting fixtures, leaky faucets, doorknobs, squeaky flooring etc. you should also consider asking if you have to replace these with the originals when you are moving out.
Do you have rights as a tenant?
Another important thing is to know if you have rights as a tenant. The answer to this is yes, you do. However, what those rights entail and the extent to which they are applicable including the circumstances need to be discussed and the best person to do that is your landlord. This way both parties are on the same page and there are fewer issues between the landlord and the tenant.
These were some of the things that you should ask before you decide to move into a place. Have you ever faced a similar situation? If yes, share your tips in the comments below or head over to the Zameen Forum and start a more detailed conversation.
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