o Credit is very important! Click here to learn more.
o Live up to the terms of your lease.
- This is especially important in terms of the number of people living at your home.
- There are legal limits as to how many people are going to live at your home (for safety reasons).
- If you are bringing in extra people, it can help to offer extra money
- Communication is vital. Honesty is the best policy. Bring an interpreter with you if need be
- Pay your bills
- Take care of your property. In this area, people take pride in their properties and how it looks in the neighborhood. You need to respect that. This is an important part of our culture.
- Keep the yard clean.
- Put trash out for pickup
- No underage drinking or drug use.
– There are laws in Ohio that do not allow landlords to discriminate. However, if you have bad references because you did not take care of your last property or did not pay your rent on time, the landlords can say no to renting to you.
Rental process
– To find a place – for rent ads in the Daily Standard; signs in the yards;
– Call the number in the ad and make an appointment to take a look at the house or apartment. (You can ask questions on the phone – how many bedrooms? How big is the apartment?)
– Show up on time for the appointment. Have someone with you who can translate if you can’t speak English.
o Here are some of the questions you should ask:
- You will need first month’s rent, first month’s rent for deposit, utility deposits ($200 for electric, water & sewer – soon to go up to $300 in Celina)
- Cable?
- Natural gas?
- What is the typical heat/cooling bill?
- Check the windows and doors to be sure they open and close properly.
- Are appliances like stoves and refrigerators included?
- Washer-drier hookup?
– You will probably need to fill out an application with your name, current address and other information. You may need to supply references, who are people who can speak up for you that you are a good and responsible person. The application may also ask for the name and number of your former landlord. It is fine to share all this information with your potential landlord, including your social security number. They can request $25 to run a credit check. A credit check will reveal if you owe a lot of money to other people.
o It is okay to fill out applications with more than one landlord. Landlords may be showing the apartment to many people, and you might not get your first choice.
– Typical rent in our area is $500 and up. When you are moving to a new place, you will need about $1600 to cover rent and deposits.
– Most landlords keep an eye on their property so they will know if you are damaging your property, if there’s trash in the yard, etc.
– Usually, rent is due on the first of the month. Your landlord may charge an extra fee if your rent is late. If you’re having trouble meeting your rent, you might suggest to the landlord that you pay on a weekly basis. It’s easier to budget that way.