Need advice when it comes to moving into apartments for the first time??

OK, so i am about to move out pretty much for the first time and am feeling overwhelmed going to diff. apts and checking them out, like what am i supposed to say? can i just walk in the rental offices and tell them that im interested? what should i expect? what questions should i be asking (except for the obvious ones)? i have furniture, kitchen stuff, bathroom stuff, cleaning whatnots and all of that kinda things, im just nervous about the process i guess? please help! thanks!!!

You might want to see if a real estate agent will handle rentals for you. Typically the person who rents out will pay the fee. That would allow you to present a list of what you want, can afford, etc.

Alternatively, I'd say determine the area you want to live in and what YOU want (studio, 1 bedroom, washer & dryer included IN apartment, etc) and with your list CALL the places and see if they make the cut. If they do, (what they offer and for what price) then stop in and have a look around and take it from there.

Some things that CAN be issues:

what happens if you need to break the lease--some rentals DO have provisions in the lease regarding that and it's a good idea no matter how sure you are you won't do that

what about pets--again, you could decide to get one

are you allergic to smoke? I have never heard of an apartment complex with NO smoking, but some people are CHIMNEYS. If it makes you ill, what kind of rights will you have (probably none) and how's their ventilation at the place? You might be able to find a place where you share a wall with someone who has been around for several years and does NOT smoke and your odds of his leaving or taking it up and making you miserable decrease. If YOU smoke, you should have the decency to mention that and maybe share areas with other smokers because it DOES seep in to other peoples' apartments and can make for strained relations.

would you ever want a roommate? to sublet? is this covered in your lease?

who do you contact for repairs or problems? is that an acceptable set up to you or not?

Absolutely positively make sure when you do pick a place that you do a walk-through. EVERYTHING that is damaged MUST be noted at that time in writing or you will likely end up paying to fix it when you leave. In fact, with cheap cameras these days, I'd say take a friend, that morning's newspaper, and a camera and document ANY problems and YOU keep the pix. Better to get them digital or scanned and email the copies to yourself and a friend JUST IN CASE.

When you leave, you MUST do a walk-out and it should be similar to what I just said: take pictures with that day's paper and hopefully a witness. You will be glad you did. Remember even if you rent from a saint, he could DIE or sell before your lease is up and a total nutcase could hold your lease.

Also decide how you'll pay for your rent. Best deal is to set up some kind of automatic pay if you can. Second best is to see you get it there a day or two early AND get a receipt if you don't mail checks. Even if you use money orders. So you will want a safe deposit box at some point for these sorts of things---receipts, etc.

Make sure you have adequate renter's insurance as well.

Depending on where you live you may want to ask about who owns the place, will he continue to own it or is it up for sale or will be soon, etc.

Browse through some horror stories from people who rent and try to prevent those nightmares by addressing the issues beforehand.

See the apartment MORE THAN ONCE before signing anything. Take a friend, a grumpy one is better, so he can point out the flaws. Every place has them. See the apartment with GOOD light, but also go back at night (that's when YOU will LIVE there, right?) and maybe on a weekend as well. If it looks decent during the day and is party animal central at night, that could be a problem.

Good luck.

Oh, also if you are going to have a roommate, you both should be on the lease. Whoever signs is jointly and severally liable for rent and damages, so don't take someone in, have them trash the place, not pay, then skip out leaving YOU holding the bag. This happens A LOT.

Have some idea of what you want: studio, one-bedroom, or larger. Do you want a building with an elevator, or are stairs ok. Do you want a place with a pool/rec room or not. (I'm assuming you're in the US.) What areas of the city would you consider living in? What areas not? Do you need parking? Keep transit in mind if you will be using that. Is it wired for cable. What utilities are included in the rent -- electric/gas, water, garbage, cable tv? Is there wireless access (wifi)?
Do you want a lease for a set term (a contract for, say twelve months occupancy with a set price for rent) or a month-to-month lease (each side only has to give 30-days notice to leave.) With a month-to-month the rent can be raised with 30-days notice. Pets? If you have one, you will probably have to pay an extra deposit. Plus, it's a lot harder to find a rental with pets.

Have some idea of what you can afford. Look at ads or ask people to get an idea of what rates are.

A rental agency or landlord will probably want to do a credit check. Have with you the name, address, and phone of your office or personnel department.

I've heard of young people being asked if they have a vacuum cleaner as part of the application process. Otherwise they usually don't ask about what you own.

You will probably have to pay first and last month's rent, plus a security deposit. The security deposit is usually for damage to the place, and is returned if no damage at the end of the tenancy. The last month's rent is for the last month you are there (if rent has gone up in the meantime, you usually have to pay the difference.)

Different states have different laws on rental deposits, notice requirements, etc. , so things may be a bit different than what I have described.

When you look at a place, keep in mind: the neighborhood; the condidition of the lobby (trashy with broken mailboxes is not a good idea), security: can anyone walk in, or do they have to be buzzed in; size of rooms; closet space; how clean is it to start with; are there curtains/blinds or will you have to get them; how much traffic is there (for noise considerations.)

Once you've done this once (found a place to rent,) the next time is easier: still a hassle looking at places, but not as puzzling.

Look the place and area over real good. Hang around the area for a day or two. Do you feel safe? Walk around the place at night.Are these the people you want to be around? Do they have similar values? Is it a loud area? Quite? Shops close by? Public trans.?Close to work? An apartment in a house is usually bettor than a large complex.It has more of a neighborhood feel to it. Large complexes are notorious for crime problems.