Renting an apartment to call home will always be both an exciting and scary time. The thrill of touring a rental apartment and flirting with the idea of calling it home will never get old.
If you’re looking out for a rented place for the first time and have no idea where to begin, I have prepared a checklist that has been extremely helpful in my journey of searching for a rental apartment.
Now that you’re done with the checklist and having toured a number of well-maintained properties, it might be time for you to decide on a place to call home for the next couple of years. Before you make any decisions, there are plenty of questions you should be asking to make sure the home and the landlord are right for you.
Here is a checklist of 13 important questions to ask before renting an apartment. The questions should cover these basic overarching themes,
- Your rent budget and the upfront payments
- Type of utilities and amenities provided in the place
- Length of lease and rental rates
- Maintenance management and hosting guests
- Location, surrounding convenience, traffic and safety
1. How much is the rent?
An obvious first question but it is the most important question.
“The monthly rent is as listed online, right?“
In most cases, rental prices do not fluctuate as frequently and tend to stay pretty stable throughout the listing period.
However, there will be times when the landlord changes his mind and is now asking for a higher or lower monthly rent. Hence, it is important to ask and be sure of the monthly rent for the place you’re interested in so that you can budget accordingly.
If you are looking for a short-term lease, then it is even more crucial to check the monthly rent. Landlords in Malaysia tend to ask for a higher monthly rent if you are renting month-to-month.
2. How much is the security deposit and utility deposit?
Other than the monthly rent, there is the security deposit and utility deposit to consider. While it is a common practice for landlords to be asking for a 2-month security deposit and a 1-month utility deposit, the amount required may vary from landlord to landlord.
Further to the security and utility deposit, you will want to also ask when can you get back your deposit and the conditions where the deposit will be forfeited.
In my experience, the 2-month security deposit should be returned to you as soon as the key to the place is returned to the landlord. This is after the landlord has checked the place for any damages to the provided furniture and fixture. Any cost to make good on the damages can be claimed under the security deposit.
Any claim to the security deposit should be agreed upon between you and the landlord. If the landlord quotes an exorbitant price for any damages to his apartment, it is your right to seek a second opinion on the appropriate cost.
In most cases, a real estate agent will get involved to seek a third party’s quotation to provide the third quotation to the situation.
The 1-month utility deposit is usually returned to the renter 1 month after the keys are returned to the landlord. The 1 month period is necessary in order to observe the next cycle of utility bills. Any outstanding utilities not resolved by the renter will be deducted from the utility deposit.
Other than that, is there any other upfront payment for the leasing agreement?
3. What utilities are included?
This question is actually two-fold.
Is there any electric, water supply and sewerage service?
First, you want to know what utilities come with the apartment. Does the unit come supplied with the necessary electricity, water supply, gas supply and internet?
In Malaysia, the rental apartments are typically supplied with electricity, water supply and sewerage service. However, internet and cable services will need to be applied by the renter themselves.
In some cases, the landlord may request that you register the electricity, water supply and sewerage services under your name. It does not make much difference to you, the renter, but it removes the liability of late payment and outstanding utility from the landlord.
So be sure to check up on this!
Are the utilities covered in the monthly rent?
Secondly, you want to know if the utilities are covered in the monthly rent.
If you are renting an entire apartment, chances are the utilities are not part of the monthly rent and you will need to be responsible for the utility charges.
However, if you are renting only a room, then you will need to ask if the utility is included in your rent. Most room rentals in the city do include the basic utility such as electricity and water, especially if the place does not come with air-conditioning.
In some cases, the landlord or rental company may subdivide the electricity meter for the individual rooms. In these situations, you may be responsible for your own electricity bill.
4. What is the parking arrangement?
Nothing annoys me more than not having a proper place to park my car.
In one of my previous renting experiences in an apartment built back in the early 20s, the rental apartment we settled in had only 1 parking lot. Having 2 cars in the family, I thought we could manage the parking arrangement by having my wife’s car parked outside of the compound and my car (which was the go-to vehicle) in the compound closer to home.
We were very wrong.
Parking her car outside the compound was a constant worry. On the weekdays, we were concerned if the police would drop by and give us a compound. If we choose to park the car at the nearby shop lots, it means an additional 20% to our monthly rent for a car that is not being utilised regularly.
What ended up being the case is my wife’s car parked with the relative far far away from home. That becomes another issue of inconvenience when both of us need the car.
So if you are looking to settle down, it is important to ask about the parking situation especially if you own a car(s). If the apartment unit does not come with an allocated parking lot, then you want to know what is your next best alternative.
If your next best alternative involves you parking your car a 10-minutes walk away from home, perhaps you want to look elsewhere.
5. What amenities are included?
Another two-fold question to be asked especially if you are a facilities kind of person. This can be the gym, the swimming pool or just wanting to do your laundry at home.
What amenities are provided in the unit?
In Malaysia, rental listings on platforms such as iProperty and PropertyGuru would tell if the property is furnished, partly furnished or otherwise.
To be honest, the standard for a property to be fully furnished depends on the landlord and renter. Sometimes, what the landlord perceives as fully furnished may be considered as partly furnished for you. Hence, it is important to ask what is provided with the unit?
Will I be renting the apartment unit the way it is during the tour?
Are you expecting to move out any furniture that I am unaware of?
Can I please trouble you to remove some furniture I do not need?
Are you expecting to move in other furniture, new or used?
While you are in the apartment touring, it is also a good time to check out the appliances and in-unit laundry. If you do not own any appliances, having these appliances and in-unit laundry can help you save on monthly expenses.
What facility is available in the apartment?
One of the biggest perks of apartment living is the facilities that come with the building. These days, pools and gyms are a common sight in Malaysian apartments. However, luxury condominiums may include other facilities such as co-working spaces, private dog parks and sky gardens.
It is also important to ask the landlord if the monthly rent includes access to the gym facilities. If the gym is well equipped and included in the monthly rent, it might be worthwhile for you gym buffs to cancel your gym membership in exchange for the private and exclusive gym.
6. What changes can I make to the apartment?
Some of us are a little more artistic than the rest. When I say that, I meant it in a nice way because my wife is exactly that.
Whenever we move into a new place, the first thing she will consider doing is changing the colour theme.
You see that white wall there?
Nope, it won’t be there for long. It’s going to be something different that she likes and I’m happy for her to do it.
However, it is also important to ask the landlord if these changes are permitted. Changing the colour theme is a minor thing because you can change it back when the lease ends. If you are looking to change out the windows and doors, it may not be as simple and it is important to first consult the landlord.
7. Are pets allowed?
In my line of work, I’ve come across numerous families looking to rent an apartment unit that is pet friendly. Believe me when I say that renting a pet-friendly space is not easy and it is very limited.
Moving apartments with pets can introduce new challenges in Malaysia. Apartment pet policies are complicated and it differs from apartment to apartment.
For those of you with fur babies, it is important to ask if the building is pet-friendly and what are the pet policies. Do they accept dogs and what breeds do they accept in the building?
After dealing with the building management, it is also important to ask the landlord if they have any breed restrictions or weight limits for dogs.
For some pet-friendly luxury condominiums, there may be a pet fee for households with fur babies. So it might be another question to ask your servicing agent if you do not want a rude surprise.
8. How long is the lease?
In Malaysia, the standard lease for an apartment unit is 24 months. The displayed rent price is typically related to a lease period of 24 months and that may change if the lease period is shorter or longer. Other common lease options are the 12-month lease or the 36-month lease.
Shorter-term leases such as the 6-month or 3-month are uncommon but can be negotiated for at a much higher monthly rent. These short-term leases are great if you are in town for a business trip but do not expect to stay on for the year.
Another question you might want to ask is the condition for terminating the lease. Sometimes, an unforeseeable event may happen and you will need to move out of town. That means terminating your lease before the term and some landlords may choose to impose a penalty.
Hence, it is good to know the condition to terminate the lease earlier than expected even if you do not intend to do so.
On a more personal note, you might want to test the landlord on some of these possible circumstances and observe the immediate response. I once had a rather troublesome landlady that is unwilling to budge on anything and is so willing to impose the penalty if given the opportunity.
What happened was I rented the space without truly understanding her personality. It was the worst 1-year I have ever had, renting a space.
9. Will my rent increase?
While most of us, the younger folks, tend to move around from apartment to apartment, there will be times when you find that one apartment unit that is so comfortable to settle down for the long haul.
If you do find a place that is worthy for the long haul, you probably should be asking how often will your rent increase and if it is negotiable.
Realistically, you do not want to be living in a place where the rent is raised regularly or at an unreasonable rate.
10. What is the application process and agreement fee?
The application process for getting the rental space of your dream is often straightforward.
However, there are times when the landlord prefers to do things differently and may spruce up the requirements. These special requests are often brought up by the real estate agent but it does no harm to ask about the application process.
One other thing you should know is the process when terminating the rental agreement.
- What is the process when I do not wish to renew my lease when the term ends?
- Who should I be dealing with to do the handover?
- When can I expect to receive my security deposit and utility deposit?
11. What do I do if something is damaged?
I’ve actually written a comprehensive article that draws the responsibility between landlords and tenants. However, there is nothing clearer than the responsibility spelt out in proper written communication between the landlord and you.
If the plumbing leaks, it is typically the landlord’s responsibility to resolve the situation. However, there are times when the landlord will request you to sort out the issue if the cost is small.
So if I am to give you some guidance on matters related to damaged property, here are the things you want to know,
- What happens if the furniture gets damaged due to wear and tear?
- What happens if the wall leaks and becomes mouldy?
- If the plumbing leaks, will you fix it for me?
- How often do I need to service the air-conditioners?
- If I break the windows or doors, what should I do?
- If the appliances provided stop working properly, should I let you know?
12. How do I get my guests registered?
Remember the days when guests can come unannounced for a surprise birthday visit?
Those days are gone.
Today, most condominiums and luxury apartments have their own set of guest policies implemented. The most common ones are guests registration at the guard house and checking against a list of expected guests for the unit.
In modern condominiums, there are also guest management applications such as JaGaApp where you will need to register your guests into the app before they appear at the condominium.
Hence, it is important to check with the landlord or real estate agent on the guest policy.
13. How is the community like?
Whenever you move from one location to another, you are essentially plucking yourself from one community to another. Every time you move, you’re adapting yourself to a new community.
Like it or not, the surrounding environment and community plays a major role in your living experience. If your neighbours are noisy, you will not likely want to rent the place for long.
Similarly, if the community is filled with friendly and cheerful individuals, it creates a safe environment for families and kids.
Unlike identifying the number of doors and windows you get with the house, it is almost impossible to identify the community at a glance. Hence, it is often my top priority to ask the real estate agent about the neighbours and community.
Another better way is to arrange for multiple viewings of the place at different hours of the day. It can be a hassle but I can assure you that it will be well worth it.
Final Word
I personally like to get all the important questions answered as soon as possible. In some cases, I may start asking the Real Estate agent even before the property tour.
Some wise words from my wife, “Finding a place to stay is easy. Finding a place you love to stay takes effort.”
So ask away these questions and make sure you check the checklist before making too quick a decision.
