For many, renting a place is the next step after living with your parents. It is a great and exciting experience when you are just starting out on your independent life. But while living in a rented apartment or house has its advantages, that excitement is bound to turn sour after a while because of difficulties tenants commonly face.
If you’ve been living in a rented space for a while now, you’re sure to know these 7 things all too well:
1. Landlords, am I right?
Ah, landlords. Like your boss or your in-laws, they’re the people you don’t want to rub off the wrong way. First of all, securing the apartment you want includes being your most pleasant self so you can leave a good impression and beat all the others who want to rent the space. And as a tenant, you need to cultivate friendly relations with them. This in itself should not be difficult, but sometimes landlords can be a bit too strict and impose rules like ‘no furniture that could leave scratch marks on the floor’ that you need to follow. The thing to remember is that you are living on their property, so you’re going to have to make nice if you want a reliable upkeep on your apartment in case there are repairs to be done or some leniency when you’re running a little behind on rent.
2. The decorating debate
Nothing can make you feel more at home than being able to design your space in a way that would match your personality. Unfortunately, redecorating is a very contestable topic for renters and landlords. While some landlords might be amenable to repainting, most would probably limit you to using temporary wallpapers. Anything that would include making holes in the walls- hanging paintings, framed photographs, shelves- is almost always a big no-no. In some cases, the most you can do is buy some nice curtains, throw pillows, and furniture in your favorite color.
3. Repairs
Like redecorating, having broken stuff fixed in a rented space can be difficult. Little things like busted bulbs or leaky faucets are not a problem, sure. But what about faulty electric wiring? Major repairs are going to have to be talked over with your landlord because a) it’s their property and b) you shouldn’t have to shoulder the fees of having it fixed because you’re only a renter.
There’s also the issue of how it got broken: was it merely normal wear and tear or was it your fault? Convincing landlords of the first one, especially if you’re not in good terms with them, can be very tricky.
4. Those old furnishings you can’t get rid of
Every renter who has stayed in a furnished apartment has had to live with that one old sofa or ridiculously large cabinet that can’t be thrown out because it belongs to the landlord. And if the landlord happens to have some furniture or appliances he/she no longer uses, that would end up in a unit for rent. Adding the word ‘furnished’ to your space for rent sign usually means you could also add some digits to the amount you’re going to charge for it, hence the creaky beds or wobbly chairs that may be old but are still ‘good enough’ to use.
5. Old units
Renting old apartments wouldn’t be a problem if it has been well-maintained. Older units are also usually less expensive than newer ones, so that might make it more attractive to prospective renters. But sometimes old apartments have problems that are not immediately apparent. For example: some parts of the house might need to be replaced or reinforced, or there could be a termite infestation starting to grow just beneath the surface of the walls. Although these problems naturally occur to any home with the passing of time, there are a lot of preventive measures you can do in a newer house.
6. Rent Hike
Although there are laws in place that protect tenants from unreasonable increases, rent hike is something most renters worry about. This is especially the case if you’re the type who budgets earnings down to the last penny with not much elbow room for changes. Since you’re only renting, you cannot control how much you’re going to be charged by your landlord overtime. On the other hand, you’d know how much you’re going to pay every month if you take a loan to buy yourself a home.
7. Like throwing money into the wind
Of all renter problems, this might be the worst one. Paying rent every month to your landlord mostly feels like throwing money into the wind. And if you’ve lived in the same space for years, sometimes you can’t help but think to yourself: I might as well own this place. If you’ve got one of those rent to own deals, then great! But since that is more expensive, most people opt to just rent. The problem is that renting is not an investment; in the end, you get nothing back for paying all that money.
If you’ve been living in a rented home for years and recognized every single thing on this list as something you deal with everyday, now is the time to move out! Stop throwing money into the wind because you can use that money to buy the home you’ve always wanted. Through BDO Home Loan, you can have your own property free from all your renter troubles. You can find more information about it here.