How to protect yourself as a tenant?

The issue of rental housing is complex one actually for both apartment owners and tenants. But today we will talk specifically about the safety of the second ones. Since we search for housing for employees of international companies, so we can be sure of their decency, but the decency of some landlords is under challenge sometimes.

So the search for apartment begins with an ad on the Internet. It's worth paying attention to the description. Often we can notice immediately, that something was wrong in the description of the object. For example, a price is too low for housing in an elite area, or with excellent repairs and the most modern equipment. Also you should proceed with caution if the rental conditions are too ideal, without commission from a real estate agency, without a security deposit, short-term lease is possible (1-2 months), registration, accommodation with animals is possible, etc. You must be vigilant already at this stage of the search!

Basically, owners turn to the services of real estate agents who advertise an apartment on different sites. Therefore, you can fall into the realtor-scammer's trap. It's worth knowing and remembering that payment for agency services is carried out only after the signing of the lease agreement. You shouldn't sign any preliminary agreements for viewing of apartments, etc. Also it would be advisable to find out how long the agent has been working in this sphere, about the decency of his agency and their reputation in the market as well. Remember the fact that realtors aren't responsible for anything. Their main task is just to bring the landlord and the tenant together and receive a payment in the form of commissions. So you shouldn't rely on their help in case of any trouble with the landlord.

If you like the apartment, you are satisfied with the rental cost and other points, then it comes to agreeing on the lease terms. We come to the most important stage, it's a request for documents proving the identity of the landlord and the ownership documents. Here you need to keep eyes open and not to miss any details. Therefore, our qualified lawyers always carefully check whether the so-called lessor is really the owner or whether his/her representative has the authority to sign a lease agreement (acts on the basis of a power of attorney with the right to rent housing), how many owners has this apartment and, if there are several owners, we have to find out whether others agree to rent, etc. The stage of checking all documents is very meaningful, all data of ownership documents, additional powers of attorney and passport data along with the place of registration and taxpayer ID number must be included into the lease agreement. These data are necessary so that in case of violation of the agreement by the lessor, you can fully protect your interests through judicial procedures.

And in the end, it's necessary to sign the act of acceptance to the main agreement, which clearly compiles the list of fixtures and fittings with their condition and necessary comments. Our consultant will make a detailed photo fixation and will store these photos in our computer records as well. It will help to protect you in the case of a conflict with the landlord during the process of move out.

As you may have noticed, the search for housing and the signing of a lease agreement is a very major issue, which has a many traps and pitfalls in fact. If you have never had to rent an apartment before, then it will be quite difficult to take in the situation, especially if it's an unfamiliar city for you. It's nice that our team is always ready to advise you, help with all housing matters and accompany you to the point of the day you return to your hometown. You are always safe with us at ABEA.