Welcome renters!

Are you looking to rent a home? There are some important things to consider when renting a home. It could be done easily and fast or it could be a nightmare.  These tips should help you :

1.       Define an area where you want to live and give your realtor all the specifications of the home you are looking for so you won’t waste time.  High floor? High ceilings? How many bedrooms? Pet friendly? Old building ok? Water view? Garden? How many parking spaces? Carpet ok? Furnished or unfurnished?  Pool is important? These are all important features that will help you not waste time in your search.

2.       The most important: Budget.  Ask your realtor for an idea of the rental prices in the area you want to live in according to everything that is essential to you. Be realistic, rent prices have gone up in the last years, and sometimes you might need to let go of some features if you are on a tight budget.

3.       Be fast. The rental market is very dynamic, if you feel you found your place you need to act fast because rental properties do not last long in the market, especially if they are good deals. Your realtor would be able to tell you if it is a good deal and recommend you a price to offer. If the deal is good, don’t bargain!

4.       Making an offer: Due to the economic downturn in the past years, many people had lost their homes and their jobs and were not able to cope with all their payments, especially rent and mortgages. Unfortunately, evictions are something very common still, and landlords take a lot of precaution before accepting any offer. In order to get accepted right away, make sure to present as much evidence as you can, that you are a serious and reliable person, able to afford the monthly payments. Do  attach to the offer all evidence you have of your job, do not bring a letter of the employer, bring official documents like paystubs, W-2, bank statements if you are self employed.  A link to your professional network page like linkedin, the website of your company and everything that proves that you are a solid person helps the landlord feel confident that you will be a good tenant. It is also recommendable to attach recommendation letters from previous landlords if possible, make sure to add a phone number to verify the references.

5.    Condominium Association: Once the offer gets accepted you will need to apply for the association to be approved to live in the Community, if it is the case of an apartment Building. Some Associations are very strict and require a fee for each person that will live in the unit. Every tenant needs to be screened, as this a measure to protect all the persons that live in that community. If the person does not have a social security number because he/she is a foreigner, some Associations do an international screening through the Interpol, this process takes longer. Depending on the Association, most of them take around 2 weeks to approve, but there are a few that take up to 4 weeks to process.

6.       Pet Policy: Bringing a pet to a rental apartment limits the offer of rentals on the market. Many Buildings do not allow pets, if they do, it is usually up to 25 pounds, some allow  a maximum of 50 pounds, although they are very few. If you have a pet, expect to be asked for a pet fee, this could vary usually from USD 200 to USD  500 dollars although some landlords can even ask for a month’s rent deposit fee.

If you are looking to rent and would like to have an idea of the prices in the areas of Edgewater/Midtown, Venetian Isles or Miami Beach, please go into these areas showed in this website. You will find information by building on the active rental listings. Contact meMore Info to send you complete information and schedule your showings!