Guidelines for First Time Renters

Your first place is like establishing credit. Start out right and it's smooth sailing. Make bad choices and it will follow you. Some pointers from my years of managing property are here, so I hope they help.

Deposits: This is money you put up against any damage you do to their property. Insist that the manager and you do what is called a "walk-through" where you take photos of every single thing that is wrong. This is your evidence against being held responsible for things done by someone else before you, and is the only evidence that holds up in court. That gouge under the fridge would cost you money out of the deposit if you can't prove you didn't do it. Take photos to the point of night sweats!

Keep in mind that this is their property. Read and ask questions before you sign that contract. Ambiguity is out the window when it's in print, and no one ever gets away with "they didn't tell me" when it's in your signed contract.

Locks: Your manager will always have a key for emergency access. That is the law. You may be gone when there is a fire, water damage from upstairs, etc. Changing your lock is illegal, and if something happens in your apartment that causes damage to someone else's apartmentt and they can't get in, the door damage is on you because they will break it down. It's also a violation of your contract and you can be given a notice to vacate. The same thing applies to your windows.

Speaking of door, if you are a kicker, ask your manager if you can install a kick plate.

Utilities Keep the following in mind.

1. Heat rises, so if you live below someone you are helping to keep them warm.
2. Replace the light bulbs with florescent ones, then put old ones back when vacating.
3. Opening the hot water heater door to reset the temp to 140 saves money and scalding.
4. If the breaker flips, turn off some things and reset the breaker inside the box.
5. When it's cold, keep bathroom and kitchen sink doors open to keep pipes from freezing.
6. If you have gas heat or stove, invest in a $30.00 Carbon Monoxide detector. Carbon Monoxide is spent gas, which hovers close to the ground. The small gel pack inside gets saturated and give you a warning to get out. Install it low or you can go to sleep and never wake up.
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7. If you can, avoid using baseboard heating. I like the portable ones that look like old radiators. They recycle oil and heat very nicely, and can be moved around.
8. A stocked freezer is more efficient. Dollar Tree has the little fridge and hood vent bulbs.
9. Enclosed fixtures cannot have a bulb larger than 60w. Anything more is too hot.

Disposals: Most people think it's a wood chipper for food. To keep it optimal, run water down for 10 seconds, add food gradually, run water after for 10 seconds. Once a week, grind some lemon juice and ice cubes to keep blades sharp and smelling good. Avoid starchy foods like spuds, rice or stringy food like celery.

Bathrooms: Everyone knows how to use a plunger. If you can't fix the problem, don't avoid the manager. Tell them what you did. If it's a root or broken pipe, it's not your fault. If you live in a downstairs unit, it might be a problem upstairs.

If you smell urine and notice the floor around the toilet is soft, report it immediately. It's the wax ring that is simple to fix but costly if ignored. Linoleum is easy to replace. Subfloor gets costly, and don't even get me started on the support beams.

Bedrooms: Never put any furniture closer than 6 inches to an outside wall. This will create mold, especially if you live in the Northwest. If you find it, don't panic and call Hazmet! Get some Dawn and a wet rag and simply wash it off. Don't put bleach in a bottle and spray it on, as it will damage the carpeting.

Living Room: Keep nails and tacks small, don't burn red candles, and smoke outside. If you have to smoke inside, a smokeless ashtray is a good $15.00 investment.

Smoke Detectors: It's the law that you have to maintain the smoke detector. During the walk-through, you or the manager will test it to make sure the battery is fresh. Test it often. Leave the battery in. In Oregon, it's a $250.00 fine if it's dead or missing. If there's a fire in your apartment and the battery is not there, the cost is all on you. Not worth saving $1.00.

Cleanliness: One of the tricks managers use to see what kind of resident you are is to do an inspection of the smoke alarm. If you give them permission to enter while you are not home, you may find a writ on your door ordering you to clean your apartment. Messy kitchens especially attract ants, roaches, and gnats. If they stayed with you that would be one thing, but they migrate. No one will tolerate this for long.

Roommates: Remember that your apartment is one price no matter how many people live there. I have seen 4 people move in, then 3 move out leaving the last resident holding the bag for rent and utilities. They can also be as bad as guests, who can get good residents evicted faster than you can imagine.

I hope all this helps.

By Sandi/Poor But Proud from Salem, OR