Amenity-Related Questions to Ask Your Landlord

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Apartment hunting results in an overwhelming amount of information, especially when looking at many apartments. When touring apartments and meeting landlords, make sure to ask them these important amenity-related questions. Every landlord is different and may have different policies about the amenities in the apartment. Some may include all utilities and some may leave all utilities to you.

Find out important information about amenities with these amenity-related questions.

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Are utilities included?

When budgeting for an apartment, keep in mind that you should also add an extra $100 for utilities if they are not included. Some renters may get caught off guard when they budget for an apartment that is $550 per month but end up paying around $650 per month with utilities.

Make sure to ask your landlord if any utilities are included in your rent. It may not all be included, but there may be one or two. It’s common for landlords to include water and trash pickup in the rent, but it’s always good to ask and make sure.

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How much do utilities cost, on average?

If your rent does not include all utilities, you can ask about how much utilities run each month. This, again, is important for budgeting. Depending on the kinds of heat, air conditioning, and stovetop, it can be more or less expensive. Sometimes the landlord will not have the correct information to this question, so feel free to ask the current tenants how much they pay.

Keep in mind that this price will fluctuate depending on lifestyle and the seasons so there is no exact answer to this question.

Is the heat gas or electric?

You will most likely need to pay utilities separately, so it is important to know if your heating and stovetop are gas or electric. Gas heating tends to be less expensive than electric heat; however, this means that you and your roommates will have to pay two separate bills (electric and gas) throughout the year. 

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Are pets allowed? If so, are there restrictions?

Pets can be a make or break when finding the perfect apartment. You may have found the perfect apartment for you and your roommates, almost too good to be true, until you ask this question. Some landlords will not allow pets, especially if there is carpet because it leaves too much of a mess or can ruin the property.

If the landlord does allow pets, ask if they have any restrictions about the pet. Some landlords only allow cats. Some landlords will allow dogs under a certain weight or of certain breeds. It is the landlord’s property so they can make the rules. If you have a pet, this should be the first question you ask even before seeing an apartment.

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Is there parking?

If you live in the city and you find an apartment with designated parking, you’ve hit the jackpot! Depending on where you live, parking may be commonly available or you have to fight for it. Ask your landlord if the apartment comes with designated parking. If so, how much extra will that cost monthly? Sometimes a parking space can run up to hundreds of dollars a month and other times it can be less than a hundred. It all depends on the location and the landlord.

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Are washers and dryers included?

You may find that not all apartments have washers and dryers included with the property. This is common in the city if space is on the smaller side or there is a Laundromat nearby. If there is a washer and dryer included, ask if it is located in the unit itself or if it is in a shared space. If it is in a shared space, you will most likely have to pay for it, which means saving up your quarters. Depending on how much the machines cost to use, it may be something to consider when budgeting as well.

Who is responsible for maintenance?

One of the benefits of being a renter is not having the responsibility of fixing something in the apartment that is broken. Of course, this would most likely only include damages that are not your fault. For example, if your air conditioning is not getting cold enough in the summer, then you can call your landlord to have him fix it or send someone else to fix it.

On rare occasions, a landlord may have the renters be responsible for any maintenance that must be done in the apartment. It is an important question to ask, especially if the apartment is older and does not have newer appliances.