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Houston Home Renting - Top Ten Tips & Guide

Many factors must work together to create a successful home renting experience.  The Top Ten Tips address those most critical and most often overlooked. 

1. Commit to the Process

· Renting a home, townhome or condo is a major undertaking. However, many want to treat it like shopping for new clothes - drop by the mall on your lunch hour, get excited about the suit in the window, put it on your credit card. What may work for your wardrobe is often a disaster when leasing a home.
· The smart tenant makes a conscious decision and commitment to move, plans carefully, deals with credit issues first, allocates adequate time off from work to look, keeps emotions in check, and listens to the advice of a professional.

2. Hire a Tenant's Agent to Represent You

· Just a few years ago there was only one type of real estate professional serving the general public. They were Landlord's Agents or Sub-Agents of the Landlord's Agent. Although they worked intimately with the prospective tenant they were bound by contract to do everything possible to protect the landlord and obtain the most favorable lease rate and terms for the him.
· Today, tenants can and should be represented by their own agent - A Tenant's Agent - who is bound by contract to do everything possible to protect the Tenant's interests. Only with a Tenant's Agent can the tenant be assured of getting the best service and counseling thorough out the leasing process. To be represented by a Tenant's Agent requires a written agreement. Visit the Renter's Page for further information on how to choose a Tenant's Agent

3. Check Your Credit - First

· When a landlord receives an offer to rent there is one primary factor that is always considered immediately - Does the tenant have good credit?  After all, a landlord has no other way to know how reliable you may be. In every case a landlord will be more willing to negotiate price and/or other terms if the prospective tenant's credit is OK.
· When prospective tenants make the effort up front to get credit problems resolved it puts them in the strongest possible negotiating position with all landlords.

4. Choose the Neighborhood

· After resolving the credit requirement, the infamous "location" issue is the next thing that should be considered as the home search process is begun. Most people should decide on neighborhood factors like schools, distance from work, distance to shopping or hospitals, general appearance and relative affordability before running out to start "looking inside" various homes for lease.  The worst thing you can do is "Fall in Love" with a home in an unsuitable or unaffordable area.

5. Be Realistic About Needs and Wants

· There is no reason that a rental home search should take more than a few days in a normal market. But, everyone has heard about someone who looked at over 100 homes during the course of 6 months utilizing the services of 3 RealtorsÒ before finally finding that "just right" home. This only happens when the tenant has not come to terms with what they really need, want and can afford to lease.
· Everyone needs and wants enough bedrooms and bathrooms to serve their family adequately. Everyone needs and wants a nice kitchen, comfortable living area, and sufficient storage. Everyone would like the home to be in relatively good condition. But, the prospective tenant who just can't live without the three car garage, the brand new carpet and appliances, and the right to keep 3 hunting dogs in the yard is usually in for great disappointment.

6. Make the Right Offer

· Once credit is verified, the Tenant's Agent is hired, the neighborhood is determined and the home is selected a lease offer has to be made. It needs to be the right offer. To be successful one should listen closely to the advice of the Tenant's Agent.
· A rule of thumb is that Landlords usually determine the basic conditions of the lease and the monthly rent.  These conditions are spelled out in the listing information available in MLS or from the Landlord's Agent. Monthly rent and conditions of the lease such as security deposit, length of lease, penalties for late payment of rent, etc. are usually not too negotiable.
· Other things may be more easily attained. For example, someone with excellent credit and rental history might be able to get the Landlord to do some extra "fixing up" or provide needed appliances (refrigerator or washer/dryer) for a slightly increased rent or longer length of lease.

7. Be Flexible Regarding Pets

· The home is clean and well maintained, the rent is within your budget, the location is great and you would just love to live there with your five cats. Guess what, the landlord does not allow pets.  What to do?
· There is an obvious reason that many landlords do not allow pets.  Pet owners often allow their pets to destroy or cause serious damage to the property.  In the landlord's eyes pets are a problem waiting to happen.
· Solutions might include:  Increased security deposit; A "pet interview" by the landlord (she might think Muffie is just as cute and well mannered as you do); Reduce the number of pets to just one.  Ask your Tenant's Agent what to do - BEFORE YOU START LOOKING.

8. Get the Timing Right

· Nothing is worse than letting everything go till the last minute.  If your present lease is up at the end of July, don't wait till mid June to start cleaning up your credit and saving up your money for the security deposit.
· By contrast, a landlord probably won't want to commit to a lease with you in January so that you can move in smoothly at the end of June. He won't want to hold the home vacant waiting for you unless he is compensated in some way.

9. Get Realistic About Roommates

· It sounds great.  Your new boyfriend or girlfriend and you want to move in together into a larger more expensive home. Between the two of you you can easily pay the higher rent so cost is no object.
· The fact is that both of you will be asked to sign the lease.  Should one or the other elect to move out early the remaining tenant will be expected to continue paying the full rent till the end of the lease.

10. Be Pro-Active

This may seem to be a given to most people but it is truly amazing how many tenants think that all they have to do is sign a Tenant Representation Agreement and everything else will magically occur without their participation. The fact is that there are many details that only the tenant can resolve to assure a timely, trouble free move-in. The Tenant's Agent will counsel and assist throughout the process but the tenant will have the best overall result by being fully aware of all aspects of the process and asking as many questions as possible along the way.

Revised: 9/17/2001

This is only the beginning.  If you want to know more just ask! 

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