Apartment Hunting: Red flags you should never ignore
The easiest and best way to learn is from experience, but it is okay to learn from others and avoid suffering or going through the same thing as them.
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Shelter is one of the basic needs of life; it is a place that offers comfort, which is all the more reason why we must be careful and observant when choosing a house to live in.
I never cared so much about these requirements until the last apartment I rented almost took my life, and after everything I went through there, I make sure to inspect and find out the necessary things before renting my new apartment.
Here are my deal breakers when hunting for an apartment to rent.
This is my number 1 deal breaker. I cannot, for any reason, rent an apartment infested with mold. Even if the rent is the cheapest, I won't compromise because I wouldn't want to pay for an apartment that can get me killed... Mold is a killer... Last year till april of this year was so messy for me, no week pass by without me falling sick, it is from headache to hot temperature to fatigue and sometimes it becomes so extreme that I got bedridden, I can't even count how many times I was sick, I kept treating malaria and typhoid and within few weeks, I feel sick again and it got to an extent I started to wonder if it was time to leave planet earth and go see my father in heaven, don't overthink, I am a candidate of heaven not the other one.
I have never fainted in my life, but this happened to me this year, and the lack of ventilation in my apartment contributed to it. I still remember that night, how I was grasping for breath, trying to open the door was the last thing I remember. I didn't know I had already fainted until I was revived.
It was a self-contained room, and the room only had 1 window, and the space between the window and the fence was so small, which caused a lack of ventilation. The reason why I was able to stay long in that apartment was the 24/7 light, cos whenever they take the electricity, it feels like I am in an oven, hence I got a rechargeable fan... This is another thing I would always consider when renting an apartment, so history won't repeat itself.
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Gosh! I have never been so frustrated in my life. None of my network works whenever I am inside my apartment. I tried different networks ranging from Spectranet, MTN, MTN 4G, Airtel, yet all were the same. There was a good network outside the apartment, so I had to put my MTN 4G router outside whenever I wanted to use the internet... There was a night I lost 700 dollars because of a network and service issue. People tried my number, but it was unreachable, and my line was on. It was when I woke up and came online that I saw what I missed, it was so painful.
So before you make a payment for an apartment, make sure to check the network. There are some codes you can dial to know how good the network is. In my current apartment, the moment I entered the place, I brought out my iPhone and saw 5G on it, which is enough confirmation that the network is stable there.
Be sure to confirm the house is not owing Electricity debt, don't ask the agent for such information because they would never tell you the truth, the funniest part is they don't even know the answer yet they will tell you all is good, Agent are one of the most dishonest people so do not trust them for the right information.
Be sure to confirm there is no debt on their prepaid meter or any means of connection they are using to get electricity to avoid paying for the light you didn't use, some new tenants end up meeting a debt of 500k which was left by the former tenant, it could even be the reason the former tenants left the building.
As a Landlord too, I don't like tenants with many children especially children they can't control, I am planning to give one of my tenant a quick notice because of the information I am hearing about her eldest child, the woman is not always at home and the boy is always bringing his friends home to bath, that is not my concern in a way because the apartment belongs to them the moment they paid for it but then, bringing people home to bath and waste water is also my concern because this could lead to the soakaway getting full on time, Her little kids also tear the window net and it is just a year they moved into the apartment, I plan to call her to order but if I see no changes, Quick notice await!
The other kind of tenants I don't like are those who rear pets; not everyone likes pets, some are allergic to dogs, cats, and the like. So as a tenant, it is not right to rare pet in an apartment that is not yours, cos you may be inconveniencing other tenants in the building.
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Network is one thing that shouldn't be ignored; it is very important. I can remember my family was staying in an apartment where, whenever we wanted to make a call, we would have to walk outside a little before seeing service on our phone.
At all, It is one of the things I checked now if I want to rent an apartment .
Hahaha 😂 who wants to be paying electricity debt owed by previous tenants? That can be frustrating, especially if you’re not told about it. Some agents and landlords can deceive ehn. Sorry you had to go through those tough moments this year. I have never come across mold in my life and I don’t think I can recognize it if I see one. Lol
Network is another problem. When I first moved in here, MTN was so bad but now, it’s working perfectly. I can’t imagine staying in an apartment where network is bad. Eii.. how do I cope online? Lol
This is a mold picture, it is the greenish and blackish thing you see on walls, it usually happens when the wall is wet or there is a leakage somewhere...
I almost died.
I managed, but I would never go for a bad network apartment ever again.
Guy, the points you itemized are truly non negotiable because these are basic things that enhance life in the modern age. Ventilation, electric debt, hmmm
they ain't things we can ignore, cos they will end up becomiing a big problem for us when we move in.
You're right
I can relate to the lack of ventilation part. And it gets worse if mosquitoes also comes in. I remember one night the atmosphere was very hot, they took light, because of the heat and mosquitoes I couldn't sleep again till morning. It's almost an unendurable experience, one would be glad to see the streaks of daylight. It's better to look for red flags when renting a house so as not to waste resources or regret ever moving in there.
No doubt you can relate, there are even sometimes I will be forced to go outside in the midnight when I can no longer bear the heat.
Firstly , what do u mean by mold?
Again, the points u mentioned here are valid , honestly , one factor u ignore can make life uncomfortable for u in the next one yr
Landlord burl, u don rent out that ur house ?
Mold is caused by a wet wall or damp areas. For example, if there is a leakage from the toilet upstairs in a building, it will affect the wall of the downstairs, thereby causing mold... mold is those greenish and blackish things you see on walls
This is a picture, you must have seen it somewhere.
Lol yea I am now a landlord with three tenants.
Oh..that greenish disgusting things..lol
I.hate it with passion oo😃
Wow...u are doing well
Congrats
It is not just disgusting, it is also a killer lol
thanks akonam❣️
Hmmm! This is an eye opener for me. Some of these things listed above is real. When you get a house without good ventilation, no network and the rest. That is where problems will start especially now that we need network to survive.
Thanks for sharing
especially that mold, always make sure to check out every corner of the apartment, once you notice it, don't rent it cos it is also hard to eradicate...
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STOPOmo! I'm taking this seriously for future use, indeed it's okay to learn from others' experiences. I can't even imagine how bad it must have been for you with the mold and poor ventilation.
Good network and electricity are important to check, omo! To pay blls wey you nor owe fit choke o. 😂
I almost died lol
You see that NEPA bills, very important to check for outstanding debt xd
Hehe. I think I am reading the post for the second time 😅. Hehe. It's because once you share your thoughts about it🙂.
!LUV
I really enjoyed your post and your recommendations, which are very useful for anyone who is currently looking to rent a house or for anyone looking for one. Thank you for the tips.
I have been seeing alot of educative and awareness videos about this mold lately, it's so unfortunate that most people have been through this without knowing that their killer is in the place they feel safe.
It's very also very important to ask about electricity debt before taking an apartment, this is a major cause of issues between neighbors and landlords.