Any moms on here rent their homes through the owners? What questions would you guys suggest asking the landlord? I found a home we can afford + I love love love but I’ve never rented a house before!
We rent directly through the owners in the house we just moved into. We have rented quite a few houses over the years and this is the second time renting directly through the owner. One of the biggest differences between renting directly through and owner vs going through a property management company is that we have more upkeep responsibility and there isn’t a middle man to get things done. With a rental company, they handle all repair, etc and send people out. With the owners, we find people to do repairs and such and then they pay for it depending on how large the issue is and if we were at fault. I would recommend reviewing the lease agreement and checking rental laws in your state and also requesting a move in and move out inspection sheet. You need to make sure all expectations you have to meet upon moving out are met when you moved in. Also do a walkthrough with the owner and take pics of every inch of the property before moving in. Ask about your responsibilities with repairs. We had one house that required we pay for first $50 on any major repair issues. The owner never actually made us pay but had that in there as an incentive to treat their property well.
I believe he is, he’s sent me a lot of data on the house and sent me the county number to call and verify it’s his home, he offered to send us a copy of a certificate of occupancy, he said we could talk details about a contract.. We just started talking yesterday so I’m just gathering questions to make sure everything is on the up & up👍🏼 (I also low key google stalked him and found some info on him and his past residences and the rental is one of them I found listed a bunch lol)
All the places we have rented we have rented directly from the owner. I would ask about having item on the walls, paint if that’s something your wanting to do, about pest control (if you do it or him), if there is a late fee for paying rent late if so how much (some landlords even have a grace period you have to pay by the 5th of the month or so). Does he replace the appliances if they go bad?, do you mow the yard yourself?,
Definitley ask what utilities are included, if any. What would you would be required to upkeep such as lawn care, snow removal, etc. I would also ask what appliances will be provided. You may or may not need to buy a washer/dryer. It's a little different than renting an apartment just because depending on lease you may actually have some responsibilities regarding the care of the property.
Thanks a bunch! I hadn’t even thought of appliances. Yeah I’ve never had to deal with responsibilities like that. And lol snow removal in Waco, Tx.. I wish 🙃
@teresanatalia Of course. Usually they'll provide most appliances but I would never assume. We provide everything but washer/dryer to our renters. Just be totally honest! Things are a bit more flexible when writing up a lease to rent a house so feel free to ask about options. He may not usually provide lawn care but you may be able to just ask if you could pay a little extra per month to have that provided. I didn't even realize you were in TX lolol!
ask what utilities it has, about front/back yard maintenance, rules about pets and what to do if the fridge or stove stop working, if there’s a leak or if the AC/heat stops working.
Renting a house isn’t much different from renting an apartment. So just contact them to make sure it is still available. Ask to view it and then go from there