Thou shalt follow the 9 Commandments of Renting (or What I learned in Riverpark Towers)
Megan Broadstock, Athens NEWS Special Projects Contributor
August 15, 2005
It's long, it's boring, and really, are all 14 pages and several hundred signature lines necessary?
As it turns out, yes. Information about move-in and out dates is located in the lease, as well as the correct amount for rent each month. Chances are good that somewhere on those endless pages of boredom, the answer to your questions can be found. You can save your landlord or leasing office a lot of time and annoyance if you just check it out to make sure the answer to your question isn't somewhere in all that 10-point font.
* Thou shalt follow proper subleasing procedures.
It all boils down to the lease again. Somewhere in it, more than likely you will find an entire section, maybe even page, dedicated to subleasing procedures.
Probably it will be as simple as letting the leasing office know who your subleaser will be and getting approval. It may take a little extra time on your part, but it will help to make sure that your subleaser and landlord have no problems during your absence.
* Thou shalt respect thy neighbor.
Don't play your music too loudly. Don't throw garbage on your neighbor's property. If you have a party, watch your guests. And speaking of parties, they're great on a Friday, Saturday, maybe even Thursday. Monday night at 1 in the morning is not a great time to be doing a keg stand with 50 of your closest friends.
Not a difficult concept, but one that deserves noting, according to the landlords, is to respect your neighbor and your neighbor's property, and your landlord will like you that much more.
* Thou shalt not vandalize the property.
Keep your bodily functions contained to your own apartment, please. Don't leave your beer cans sitting on the apartment building's front steps. Leave the buttons on the elevator in peace. And please, do not pull the fire alarm. Odds are two people before you have already done it.
All this does is inconvenience everyone. The neighbors don't really enjoy guessing if it's urine or beer on the stairs -- and it's annoying to jump over it on the way down the stairs. And the nice maintenance men who say hi to everyone in the mornings really shouldn't get stuck cleaning that up -- no one gets paid enough for that.
* Thou shalt pay thy rent -- on time and in full.
Life was so much easier in the dorms or even at Mom and Dad's with no pesky monthly payments. But with new freedoms comes new responsibility, unfortunately.
When the lease is signed, you should know your rent amount and the day rent is due. That will always stay the same -- rent will be due on the same date of every month and it will always be the same amount.
* Thou shalt pay the fee for late rent.
If you are going to be late with the rent -- for whatever reason -- you are going to have to pay the late fee. Maybe there is a very good reason why you can't pay it on time -- but if you don't have the money, you forgot, or you left town without leaving the check, you are going to have to pay the late fee. Write the check for an extra $25 and don't bother the leasing office with excuses.
* Thou shalt not complain too much.
Even though a certain amount of respect is expected from your neighbors, renters should be aware that apartment life goes hand in hand with a certain amount of noise. The walls are thin. Living in a house might help with this some, but if you want to join the masses in apartment complex life, understanding that some noise is part of that life will make things a little easier for everyone.
* Thou shalt clean the apartment when thou moveth out.
Take everything out of the apartment, even furniture and other unwanted items. Make sure that the apartment is in the same condition (to the best of your abilities) as the day you moved in. Clean out the fridge and make sure no food is left in the apartment to rot or to attract bugs.
All of this is probably listed in the lease agreement, along with most of the items above. And it is definitely a necessity to get that all-important security deposit back (give your landlord a written copy of your future address).
* Thou shalt make proper use of the "memo" line on thy check.
Especially important for those subleasing, living in a large complex or not giving the rent directly to a landlord, the address for which the rent is being paid should always be noted on the "memo" line. It will save the people in the leasing office from looking up your name for the apartment number, and save you the headache of having to straighten everything out -- and a possible late fee. The extra 15 seconds will really turn out to be worth it.
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