About Apartment Living / Rental

Playing It Safe

2009-07-11T08:54:36Z

If you have kids or enjoy having children visit you at your apartment, you might take them to a playground, whether it's at your complex or at a nearby park. Playgrounds can be a great way to keep young ones entertained in the summer, but they also pose hazards -- especially to children who don't know how to play safely.

Here's how to access a free resource that you can use to teach children about playground safety and help ensure a fun time for all.

(© Public Domain / Courtesy of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission)

New Report Shows Vacancies Continue Their Climb as Rents Fall

2009-07-09T14:21:20Z

In January, I wrote about how the economic slump was bringing down average apartment rents in the United States, along with a slight increase in the vacancy rate, which was good news for renters.

A new report from real estate research firm Reis Inc. shows a continuation of this trend. According to yesterday's report, the national vacancy rate rose to a near-record 7.5%, a 1.4% climb over last year's figure. Plus, effective rent (which includes concessions) fell nearly 2% from last year.

Not surprisingly, many landlords are reportedly boosting concessions to maintain occupancy, according to Reuters.

Are you finding your apartment search to be easier than you had expected because you're encountering many vacancies? If you already live in an apartment, have you been able to negotiate any rental concessions with your landlord, such as enjoying a free month's rent in return for renewing your lease?

Roommates Who Don't Pay Rent

2009-07-07T08:41:39Z

If you split rent with roommates, you might think your tenancy is protected as long as you pay your landlord your own share of the rent each month. But roommates who don't pay their full share put you at risk, too.

After diligently paying your rent each month, the last thing you want is to be threatened with eviction because a roommate comes up short.

Read what you can do to prevent this situation from happening to you.

(© Medioimages/Photodisc / Getty Images)

Are We Going European?

2009-07-03T07:29:56Z

A recent report from the National Apartment Association (NAA) estimates that homeownership in the United States could decline up to 8% or more by 2030, aligning homeownership rates with those of several European countries. This would mean apartment renters would make up around 40% -- rather than just above 30% -- of the population.

The NAA report attributes the decline in homeownership and rise in apartment living to several factors, including a growing immigrant population, the lack of affordability for many households, the emergence of Generation-Y households, and a growing nationwide trend toward urban living.

Highlights of the report and an executive summary are both available on the NAA's Web site.

(© Alex Williamson / Getty Images)

What's More Stressful Than Finding a Job in This Economy?

2009-07-02T08:36:52Z

The answer is finding an apartment -- according to 17% of 1,000 American adults surveyed recently by Rent.com.

The Rent.com survey also revealed apartment hunters' gripes with finding the right rental. Topping the list are apartment ads that lack important information such as pet policies (50%), not having enough worthwhile apartments to check out (29%), finding difficulty with taking time off from work to visit apartments (36%), and having to devote to much time to an apartment search (49%), or experience too much frustration (39%).

Interestingly, the survey also showed that many apartment hunters would sacrifice time and comfort in return for the perfect apartment. For instance, 9% of those surveyed said they would live two hours from their job, if needed.

What are your main gripes with apartment hunting? Have you changed your lifestyle or made any sacrifices to find the perfect rental? Would you?

(© George Doyle & Ciaran Griffin / Getty Images)

A Safety Tip if You Live Alone

2009-06-30T08:46:40Z

If you're one of the many apartment dwellers who choose to live alone, advertising that fact on your outgoing answering machine or voicemail message could open the door to crime. Stalkers and other criminals may be quicker to break into an apartment if they learn that it has only one occupant.

Here are some helpful suggestions on what to say in your outgoing message to make yourself less vulnerable to crime.

(© Jonnie Miles / Getty Images)

Fight Roaches Without Causing Explosions

2009-06-25T07:54:12Z

In November, I told you about a Georgia tenant who set off as many as 14 fumigators before leaving her apartment for work. She was trying to combat a cockroach problem, but the fumigators' ingredients interacted with a pilot light, causing a loud explosion.

This story has played out again, this time in Citrus Heights, California. On Monday, a tenant in an apartment building there set off 10 fumigators in a similar attempt to get a roach infestation under control. The explosion blew out some of the building's load-bearing walls, according to the Associated Press, leading officials to condemn the entire building. Fortunately, as with the Georgia incident, no one was injured, but the tenants in the building's three apartments have been placed in temporary housing.

Read how you can prevent explosions when using fumigators to combat roach problems.

More HUD Funding for Housing Counselors Is Good News for Renters

2009-06-24T08:18:56Z

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recently announced that more than $58 million is available for housing counseling programs this year. This figure is $11 million, or 23%, above the amount of last year's funding. The money will be awarded as grants to hundreds of HUD-approved counseling agencies and state housing finance agencies that offer guidance on several aspects of renting an apartment, as well as other topics.

Read how to get free or low-cost advice from a HUD-sponsored housing counselor near you.

An Unusual Home Invasion Makes a Strong Case for Renter's Insurance

2009-06-22T08:28:56Z

Imagine returning home from work and finding your apartment wrecked... by a deer! That's what happened to tenants in Saint John, New Brunswick this past Thursday.

According to the Telegraph-Journal, a deer gained access to a first-floor apartment by jumping through a window. Afraid and confused, the deer tore through the apartment, injuring itself and causing extensive damage to the tenants' belongings, which included some reportedly irreplaceable collector's items.

Fortunately, the deer couldn't access the tenants' bedrooms because the doors were closed, and none of the tenants was hurt. But the tenants will need to replace their belongings using their own money, because neither one had purchased renter's insurance, according to the Telegraph-Journal.

Do you have renter's insurance? If not, a good policy may cost much less than you think. Read all about renter's insurance and be prepared for the unexpected!

Disability Remains Top Basis for Housing Discrimination Complaints

2009-06-19T11:31:57Z

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recently released its annual report for Congress on the state of housing discrimination. The report reveals that 4,675 (or 44%) of the complaints lodged in 2008 were based on disability discrimination.

This is the fourth year in a row in which disability-based discrimination has proven to be the most common type of fair housing complaint, and its numbers have been climbing, according to HUD's data.

Do you know what kind of disability is protected under the Fair Housing Act? Also, read how the law's ban on disability-based discrimination may protect you -- even if you don't have a disability.