The last thing you want is to have an awful first-time renting experience. Talking with your landlord or San Diego CA property manager is key to a successful rental experience. Moreover, there are a few basic things you have to know and luckily, we have listed them for you below.
1. The Lease
The residential tenancy agreement or more commonly known as the lease is the contract you and your landlord will sign. Simply put, you are to pay to live in someone else’s property, this is the written record of what you should, can and should not do during your stay. Usually a lease has these important sections:
- Name
- Mode of rent payment
- Validity or terms of the lease
- Deposits, fines and fees
- Rules and access to the property
- Responsibilities
It is absolutely necessary for a you to read and reread the lease and to understand it. Since you will be given a copy, you are to refer to it if you are unsure of your planned changes to the Temecula or San Diego rental.
2. Entry Condition Report
A San Diego CA property manager or landlord prepares a summary or report of the rental property’s condition every time a new tenant comes in. This is shared with the tenants for him to check. It is ideal for a tenant to review the report and agree or disagree with the assessment of the areas in the property before he or she signs the document. It is then given back to the landlord or property manager.
Videos and photos are powerful tools to secure a record of the initial condition of the rental property. At the end of your term, you and the landlord can always go back to the initial condition report and check these snapshots and videos to see if there is damage to the property acquired during the course of your stay.
3. Deposit
As a form of security, San Diego CA property managers and landlords may require a security deposit. This is a certain amount of money you pay at the start which will be given back to you unless you fail to meet the terms of the lease. Usually, this is used to pay for cleaning, replacement, or repairs of items in the home that were damaged during your stay.
In most cases, your security deposit cannot come from your rent. These two are different. Security deposits are paid at the onset and kept by the landlord until the end of your rental term. You also cannot use it to pay your last month’s rent when you move out. To make sure you get your security deposit back, read the tips in one of our other posts.
It’s an exciting chapter in your life and you must try not to miss the thrill of living your life in an entirely new place. Once you fully understand the three things above, make sure you talk with your San Diego property manager and landlord for all the other things you need to know as a first-time renter.