The Disadvantages of Renting an Apartment: It Isn’t for Everyone
The disadvantages are necessary to protect the condition of the building and property as well as the appearance of the property and the rights of other community members, but they are still sometimes considered undesirable by those who prefer to own their home. The following information will help you decide if renting an apartment is right for you.
Clean it Up
Having your own home allows you to have the luxury to be lazy is some ways. Keeping up with yard work and home maintenance isn’t for the lazy, but when you own your own home you have the freedom to decide whether or not things outdoors should be put away and when they must be put away. When renting you may be told by apartment personnel that you must not store anything outside in front of your home. This is one of the main disadvantages to renting an apartment.
Recently my son left his bike in front of our townhouse apartment instead of putting it away, and shortly after he left for school there was a knock on my front door. The head maintenance man who had been cleaning up trash on the grounds politely informed me that bikes must be stored in our backyard. Each apartment has a private fenced in area along with a shed, and bikes and other odds and ends can’t be left out front.
At first I was slightly irritated, and although the maintenance man was smiling when he told me, and although I responded politely, after shutting the door I grumbled under my breath, I’ll get right on that. I immediately got dressed and went outside to move my son’s bike to our personal fenced-in area in back of our apartment.
I was aggravated at first because I initially felt as if I had been scolded, even though the man was nice, but then I came to my senses. After thinking about it, I appreciated the fact that the apartment grounds are well cared for, and if everyone left bikes and outdoor toys on the front lawn or on the porch, the apartment community would look cluttered and trashy. I realized if I lived in a house it wouldn’t look so great if bikes and toys were left out front, and my neighbors might not appreciate it, but I could however take my time putting things away if I owned my own home.
Permission Required
Contrary to popular belief, many who rent an apartment are allowed to paint and decorate. Walls don’t have to be stark white. Many renters can even change light fixtures and built-in items – with written permission. I plan on painting the walls in my rented apartment home, and although apartment personnel doesn’t need to approve the colors I choose, I had to sign a paper saying I would return the walls to their former condition upon moving out.
Signing an agreement isn’t an unreasonable request. After all, the colors some people would choose wouldn’t be the colors others would choose, and not everyone is good at painting. When renting a home the colors should be neutral, and I’m happy renters aren’t free to do anything they want and leave the home without restoring it to the condition it was in upon signing their rental agreement or lease. I wouldn’t want to move into a home with lime green walls and woodwork slopped up with drips and paint runs.
If you don’t want to have to take the time to sign an agreement and obtain permission to change the apartment home and restore it to its former condition but insist on having it your way, than renting an apartment isn’t for you. Keep in mind, if you decide you must own your home you might have trouble selling if your color choices and decorating decisions are unusual. You won’t be forced to repaint because it’s yours to do with what you wish, but be prepared to stay or come down on the price when others are put off by your personal preferences and choices.
This is Good Enough?
What may be good enough for a rental unit might not be your idea of good when renting an apartment. Overall I’m very happy with my rented townhouse apartment, but if the apartment were truly mine I’d make a few changes. For example, the bathtub faucet drips, and I brought this problem to the attention of apartment maintenance. A maintenance man did his best to stop the drip, but he said the faucet couldn’t be changed without destroying the ceramic tiles. The job would be a major ordeal, and unless the dripping was a real aggravation, they wouldn’t replace the dripping faucet.
The faucet still drips constantly, but I’m not paying the water bill, so I could care less. Initially I did the right thing by bringing this waste of water to the attention of apartment personnel, and if they don’t mind paying for the extra water, it certainly doesn’t matter to me. The fixtures are obviously original to my rented apartment home, and they probably won’t be replaced until they no longer work.
Some of the fixtures and built-in furnishings in a rented apartment aren’t changed because they’re good enough to keep using, but they aren’t always considered good enough by renter’s standards. This is by far one of the biggest disadvantages of renting an apartment. A rented apartment is a moneymaking business, so if it still works, don’t count on it being replaced while renting. It might be ugly, somewhat faulty, and completely outdated, but it doesn’t matter to a commercial apartment rental business.
This is one of my biggest complaints and one of the worst disadvantages when renting an apartment, but I’ve learned to cover up what I don’t like. A perfect place doesn’t exist whether it’s rented or owned, and unless funds are limitless I’m guessing you can find something in your home that you’d gladly change if you could, whether your renting or not.
Necessary Inconveniences
When renting an apartment you can count on being inconvenienced on a regular basis. Many inconveniences and disadvantages are slight, and they’re entirely necessary when renting, but nonetheless they’re inconveniences just the same. I recently dealt with a major inconvenience over the summer, and although I was put off by having to find a new place to park on a few different occasions, I’m glad I didn’t have to pay for the work that created my temporary inconvenience.
The parking lot needed to be resurfaced, and those parking on one side had to park elsewhere and visa versa until the project was finished. Although this doesn’t seem like one of the worst disadvantages to renting an apartment, it was nearly impossible to find a parking space within the complex since twice the number of vehicles were parking on one side, and I must admit it was very aggravating. The work was necessary, but I had to wonder why residents weren’t notified sooner.
Since notices weren’t posted until approximately a week prior, and signs weren’t placed on the outskirts of the parking lots until just a few mornings before the work was started, some people’s vehicles were towed away at their expense. Can you imagine renting an apartment, going away on a two week vacation, and coming home to find your second vehicle gone? I could see this happening since notifications weren’t made far enough in advance, and this is definitely considered one of the disadvantages of renting an apartment.
This example is just one of many necessary inconveniences and disadvantages those who are renting must face on a regular basis. Unlike those who are renting, homeowners can take their time deciding when work will be done, and they can park wherever they want on their property. Once again, if you don’t the disadvantages of being told what you will and will not do because of work scheduled by apartment personnel, than renting isn’t for you!
