Things to look for while renting a townhome

After having done a thorough research, you finally have narrowed down on that beautiful piece of real estate. You have the finances to back you up and at the same time, everything that might be needed to comfortably settle in. But before you do that, have you asked the following question to the landlord before you go ahead and sign the lease agreement.

Ask about the townhome association rules and regulations. Townhouse are built on a community based system which means that there are a number of common rules and regulations which apply to each and every resident in the gated community. There might also be restrictions on types of pets allowed or in some case no pets allowed inside the community. Check with the people who are already living there, since the owner might just forget to mention some of the byelaws. The association will also have guidelines for any townhome upgrades, for which permission has to be obtained.

Check with the owner and association for that matter, how much will be the monthly additional fees that will be incurred for maintenance and other purposes apart from the rent you have agreed to pay. This includes a number of items right from grounds maintenance, exterior maintenance, water, sewer services, road maintenance, snow ploughing, trash pickup and other amenities within the township.

Paying for maintenance is just one aspect, find out exactly who is responsible for the work which needs to be carried out. Talk to the owner and confirm who are the people responsible, ask around with the neighbors if proper repairs and maintenance are carried out on a regular basis.

Check with the owner and association firsthand about parking spaces, number of spaces allotted and whether there is any guest parking facility available. You don’t want to be stranded in the middle of the road, wondering where to park your expensive ride. Ensure the right people provide you with the proper permits, to avoid future hassles.

The community will have plans for expansion and additional work which will be carried out. Find out who is in charge of the main complex and will be overseeing the expansion plans. This will be beneficial since maybe down the line you might actually plan to buy a townhome property after trying it out for some time. Having prior knowledge of the community and making the right contacts will enable you to gain the upper hand.