Renting a home might not be as intimidating as buying a house, but it can still be a pretty stressful experience, especially if it’s your first time dealing with homes for rent. Luckily, there are some tricks you can use to make things easier on yourself. Here are just a few.
Figure Out How Much You Can Afford.
Some homes for rent are going to be more expensive than other homes for rent, naturally, which is why you need to know what your budget is before doing any looking. The easiest way to figure out how much rent you can afford is to divide your take-home pay by three. Whatever the figure comes out to is the max rent you can afford, since you shouldn’t spend more than one-third of your take-home pay on rent.
Get Some Apps Working For You.
One of the best places to find a house for rent is the Internet, but it’s not the only place. In addition to online listing sites and classified, you can also download some apps, like HotPad, to help you find possible places to live. These apps are particularly useful, since they have filters that can help you separate the places you can afford from what you can’t.
Be Prepared to Be Scrutinized.
Most landlords aren’t going to let just anyone live in their houses for rent. They want reliable tenants who pay rent on time and don’t trash the place. In order to vet potential tenants, landlords often ask for a list of personal references, a credit score, and a pay stub.
Your first time looking at homes for rent locally can be a pretty stressful experience, but it doesn’t have to be harrowing. These little tricks should make it easier, and help you find a place to call your own. If you have any questions about homes for rent, feel free to share in the comments.