Monthly Archives: August 2015

On the Town

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Hey there all you renters, landlords, property owners and property managers! This week on the rant, we don’t feel like cooking, and if you’ve been working all day, you probably don’t either, so we’re talking about eating (and maybe even drinking) out!

Any good neighborhood should have at least one place to eat, though hopefully there are more than that. Good close restaurants are absolutely something to be considered when searching for a rental property,  and if you’re a landlord or property manager who is advertising a house, apartment condo or duplex, you might want to mention in your classified if your property is close to restaurants and bars. As much as they care about the rental property itself, people are often sold on a neighborhood.

 

As a tenant,  part of the fun of moving to a new neighborhood is checking out the places to eat, so in your first few weeks you should make it a goal to get out and sample the local cuisine.  Check out online reviews, or maybe ask your neighbors when you introduce yourself. It’s a good conversation starter at the least, and could also yield important local information. Who’s got the best burger in town? Which pizza joint delivers the latest?  Which hole in the wall taqueria to hit up, and which to avoid. These are all important questions, and knowing the answers is what separates the out of towers from the true locals.

Hungry yet? It’s about time you got out of your house, apartment or condominium and grabbed a bite to eat. Find your favorite place and become a regular.

 Do you have rental questions of your own? Comments? Concerns? Love letters? Hate mail? We eat it up: Hometownrant@hometownrent.com

The Sit Down

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Hey there all you renters, landlords, property owners and property managers. Are you sitting down? Good, because this week, we’re talking about what you’re sitting on.

Seating arrangements in rental properties are one of those things that you shouldn’t really notice–there should just be places to sit where and when you want them. Unfortunately,  this isn’t always the case, and sometimes when it’s up to you to furnish the rooms of your house, apartment,  condo or duplex, you might realize that it’s a little harder than it seems.

As a landlord or property manager, you probably won’t be in charge of furnishing your properties,  and if you are, it might be a situation where you’re putting the same basic items in multiple apartments throughout a building. If this is the case, you’ll want to think about an easily replicable layout that can be modified if need be. If you need help, check out our handy guide on Feng Shui for some ideas.

As a tenant, you’ll probably be supplying your own chairs and couches, but you’ll have to choose wisely. The number one question is, is it comfortable? If not, we’re not really sure what you’re doing with it. Life is short, don’t waste it sitting on uncomfortable furniture. Aesthetics are also important–consider the colors and styles you’ve already got going on, and when picking a new couch or chair, try to envision it amongst your other belongings. Does it look good? Good.

Another important and oft-overlooked aspect of furnishing, particularly with couches, is the logistics of actually getting it into your rental property. If you’re on a fourth floor apartment, or live in an older house with doors that aren’t as wide, you may not be able to actually get that giant leather love seat inside. You know what they say–measure twice, couch once. Or something like that…

Do you have rental questions of your own? Comments? Concerns? Love letters? Hate mail? Sit down with us: Hometownrant@hometownrent.com

Rental Mail

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Hey there all you renters, landlords, property owners and property managers! This week on the rant, we’re mailing it in. It’s 2015 and at this point of social media saturation, email almost seems archaic, but there are still times when good old fashioned snail mail is just the only thing that’ll do. That’s why it’s important for you to check out the Hometown Rant’s handy guide to letters, parcels and packages.

As a landlord or a property owner or manager, you’re probably going to be the one who’s in charge of making sure there’s a mailbox, or a series of mailboxes if you own or manage an apartment complex. You’ll also want to make sure that the address or addresses are clearly visible, and in the case of an apartment, that names are displayed on the boxes as well. This will go a long way toward making sure that all the mail coming to your rental property goes to the right person.

As a tenant, it’s your job to make sure your mailbox situation is in good working order, and to notify your landlord or property manager if those kids from down the street come and smash it up with baseball bat again. Also, check your mail regularly. It’s probably mostly bills, but that’s all the more reason to check and get those paid off as quickly as possible–they’ll only grow if you ignore them.

Another important thing for tenants to do when moving between houses, apartments, condos or duplexes is to make sure that you let people know about the switch. Maybe send out an email to the people you know who might be snail-mailing you, so they’ll know where to reach you. Also, change your autofill settings in your browser. There’s nothing worse than ordering something and having it accidentally shipped to your old address.

Most people who’ve rented have also probably gotten mail from long gone tenants, usually promotional junk, but every once in a while, something that looks important. If this happens, hold on to whatever it is but don’t open it. Not only is it illegal, but it’s a total dick move, even if it was their fault for sending it to the wrong place. Try and contact your landlord if you’re receiving a lot of mail for people you don’t know, since they might have a forwarding address. If not, notify the post office that the person they’re trying to deliver to no longer lives there.

If you don’t have space for a mailbox, or you want a different address for some reason (don’t worry, we won’t ask) you could always consider a P.O. Box. They’re not too expensive, and they’re a good way to have a constant address, especially if you’re on the go a lot.

 

 Do you have rental questions of your own? Comments? Concerns? Love letters? Hate mail? Ship it on over: Hometownrant@hometownrent.com

 

Gorgeous Storage

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Hey there all you renters, landlords, property owners and property managers. This week on the rant, we’re talking stuff. Where do you put stuff? Well, that all depends on what kind of stuff it is. Duh. Still, storage is a big issue in just about every house, apartment, condo, or duplex, especially in those rental properties that aren’t as spacious, and figuring out how to elegantly and efficiently store things will make your life that much easier, and it’ll do wonders for your rental’s general aesthetic of cleanliness. What’s not to like about that?

Landlords, property owners and property managers should always take storage into consideration, especially during renovations. Is there enough cabinet space in your kitchen area? What about some sort of linen closet? Are there any places where you could install shelving that could be selling points for potential tenants? The main caveat here is not to put in things that could limit the usefulness of a room. Make sure, for instance, that if you install a shelf, it’s in a logical place, and doesn’t stand out too much–the best storage solutions are natural, and don’t call too much attention to themselves.

For all you tenants out there, most of the storage solutions will be up to you. After all, it’s your stuff. One thing we’ve learned in our time is that you can never really go wrong with some of these guys. You can get them in different sizes and colors, and the simple boxes look good storing just about anything, from books, to DVDs, to plants, to random odds and ends. For closets, hanging shelves can be a nice alternative to a large, cumbersome dresser as a way to store your clothes in an organized fashion. There are also tons of different plastic storage drawers, carts and boxes that won’t break the bank, and that are great for offices or other work spaces.

Of course, sometimes the solution is simpler than you think–just get rid of some stuff. Check out our earlier post on modern asceticism for your house, apartment, condo or duplex, that is, if you’re feeling overwhelmed by it all.

Now get out there and put everything where it goes!

Do you have rental questions of your own? Comments? Concerns? Hate mail? Love letters? We’ll file them away:  Hometownrant@hometownrent.com