If you have read every section about renting, then you understand that getting a rented house or apartment isn’t exactly a piece of cake. You need to be sure that you’ll be happy in your new home, so you want to take extra care in finding it. We’ve put together a list of what you should keep in mind when you start your hunt.Cost!

First of all, you are not going to be blowing your entire paycheck on rent money. That new apartment in Manhattan may be banging, but not if the cops find your cold, starving body a month after you rent it. A good rule to follow is that the monthly rent should be no more than 30% of your take home monthly paycheck. This could be anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars, depending on how much bank you make.

Resources!

You can find many rented houses and apartments online at sites like Craigslist. But be warned, you can’t always trust what you see online. (You can believe anything on TV.) Look in the classifieds in the newspaper (what’s a newspaper?) or check with your employer or university to see if they recommend any housing in the area. PRO-TIP: Look for pictures of the place in ads. No pictures are a bad sign.

Broker! (OPTIONAL)

Can’t look for an apartment on your own? Let someone do it for you! A real estate broker can find you the apartment or house you need, and pretty quickly too. The broker will either get a fee from you or the landlord, who may pass the cost on to you by increasing the rent! If you absolutely don’t have the time to look for an apartment, a broker may be a good option for you.

Location!

Speaking of area, research your new town. Are things going to be more expensive there than where you currently are? Do they have lattes there? Do people there KNOW what a latte is?! Also, be sure to know where the BAD parts of town are. You may think that you have found the perfect apartment only to find that your neighborhood regularly deals with the antics of anthropomorphic animal, villains, and superheroes, which may look awesome on Saturday morning television but gets rather tedious in real life.

Neighbors!

Good fences make good neighbors, but what if everyone is separated by thin walls? Ask your landlord or meet people living around the area. Is there a stomper living upstairs? Does the couple next to you constantly fight? Nothing can ruin a living experience like really bad neighbors.

Street Noise!

How thick ARE the walls and windows in the house or apartment? Are people honk-happy on the street below? And how much noise does it take to disturb your beauty sleep?

Furniture!

Does the place come with its own furniture? If you are moving around a lot, you don’t want to be hauling the dinette set with you everywhere. PRO TIP: Bring a measuring tape to a potential apartment or house and measure every doorway and window. Nothing sucks worse than getting that new loveseat and discovering that it’s an inch too big to fit through the door.

Amenities!

Does the place include electricity, cable, and other utilities? Ask about the utility rates of previous tenants to see how much you will probably pay. What about a washer or dryer? Will you be able to GTL?! (Gym, Tan, Laundry. Thank you, The Situation.)

Pets!

See if the landlord is pet friendly. Even if they are, they may not be willing to take on your Princess, the 250 pound Saint Bernard. Most places will be able to take on small pets like an ant farm or goldfish though.

Apply!

Once you have found a potential new home to rent, request an application from the landlord, or send a “renter’s resume” to them. This resume should include personal information with the contact information of any previous landlords you had, plus a description of your job and salary, and any references from people who can say how responsible you are.

Your potential landlord will do a credit check on you by looking at your credit report. Your credit history can have a big impact on whether you get to rent or not as it shows the landlord how responsible you are with your money. You will probably need to send a fee with your application so your landlord can do the credit check. BUT, if you have no credit or bad credit, our blog has some tips on how to try and convince your landlord that you will be a good tenant. If you are signing on with a roommate, make sure he or she also is approved by the landlord.

Inspect!

When a landlord is willing to take you on, first ask for a tour of the place. If there is obvious damage, make sure you won’t be the one who has to pay to fix it. Take plenty of photographs so you can compare one home with the next and also as proof of the rented place’s current condition.

Sign Away!

Are you feeling good about the place? Everything seems ok? Do you agree with everything on the lease?  Congratulations! You have a new home. Sign the lease, make a photocopy of the lease and keep it with you. Start moving in your Weenie Baby collection!

BONUS: Keys!

Get lots of copies of your new house keys. You’ll thank us later. Also, make sure the lock was changed after the previous owner left it. You don’t want to wake up with the previous tenant in bed next to you because he was evicted but still has the key!