The 5 things you need to know before renting your first apartment

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Being a landlord I see the same basic things happening to my tenants over and over. It doesn’t seem to matter what age they are or education, there are the basics that they just don’t know. To myself and to people who may have rented previously or own your home these maybe silly but it blows my mind how many tenants have no idea these are things you should know.

1. Change your filters- replace that furnace filter once a month or two if its not dirty, this will save you money if you pay your own utilities. The lint in the dryer, clean it out, you clothes will dry faster. Your water filter, just trust me and keep it clean.
2. Your garbage disposal is not for garbage!! So important! This is my most paid bill by tenants who didn’t put anything down there as the plumber is pulling out noodles and dirt. Throw your trash in the trash, scrape your plates in the trash, rinse your dish in the sink.
3. Don’t plan on mounting a TV to the wall unless you want to pay a drywaller to repair it. When you bolt multiple holes into the wall those are there forever. And the more holes and the bigger they are the more expensive it is to fix them.
4. Line your drawers. Not just because it looks cute because do you really want to put your toothbrush next to some past tenants germs. If the place is new you can keep it that way or if its used, trust me you will want to cover up that mess.
5. Don’t burn cheap candles, or any really. The smoke residue goes onto the walls and into your duct work and your breathing all of that in. You have to repaint the walls because the residue stains the walls and with so many alternatives why even use them.

These are the easiest things to do but for some reason people neglect them causing themselves a ton of money. For my tenants the lease tells them all of these things and if it causes a service call for one of these reasons it’s their bill.