Are you considering moving into the East Village? If so, you are making a great choice. This is a wonderful area and full of fun, culture and history. There are many available apartments in the East Village for sale or rent, but before you move in, you will want to make sure that you are doing your research and asking the right questions. Never rent or buy apartments East Village without asking the following:
Know What You Will Pay
It doesn’t matter if you want to buy or rent, you will need to talk about money at some point, so it may just be best to get it out of the way from the start. If you are renting, for instance, you will want to talk about the rent as well as any deposit that you will be expected to put down. Typically you will need to have your first and last month’s rent as a deposit. When buying, you will generally have to put money down, so you will have to have that, as well.
Ask About Utilities
Another thing that you will want to make sure to ask when moving into an apartment building or condo is who will pay for utilities. Sometimes a landlord or building management company will pay for all utilities, sometimes they will pay for some and sometimes they will pay nothing. If you have to pay your own, it can add several hundred dollars to your monthly financial obligations, so make sure that you are able to handle that before moving into your new home.
Talk About References and Background Check
Generally a landlord will want some references from you and you may require a background check. You may also have to pay for this, though typically it isn’t astronomically expensive. You should try to give references from people who know you well and know how you live. The best reference will be a former landlord. If that isn’t possible, neighbors may work as well. As for the background check, you can expect them to look for any criminal charges as well as your financial situation. Make sure, before the background check is done, that you are honest about your history. It could be the difference between getting your apartment and losing it because you look like a liar.
