You have gone through the process of qualifying for affordable housing, and you’ve just signed the lease on your new home. Congratulations — you’ve just crossed two of the largest hurdles in obtaining an affordable place to live. But that’s just the beginning. Once you’ve moved in, you need to set up some good practices to ensure you have a long, pleasant experience in your new home. Whether you’re first-time affordable housing renter or not, the following tips will help you make the most of the opportunity.

Know Your Lease Inside and Out

Your lease agreement is a binding contract between you and the landlord. It details your rights and responsibilities as a tenant. If you violate the terms of the agreement, the landlord has the right to terminate the lease. The lease also gives you recourse if your landlord fails to meet his/her obligations — for example, making timely repairs or making sure the home is safe. Read your lease carefully and make sure you’re okay with the terms before you sign. For more guidance, here are 11 questions you should ask before signing the lease.

When You Move In

For many renters, the move-in process comes with a lot of unnecessary stress. Get off to a good start in your new place by planning ahead, unpacking smartly and pacing yourself. We’ve put together a guide for what to do in the first 24 hours after move-in to help you get settled quickly and easily.

Keeping Safe and Secure

Once you’re settled in your new place, establish a set of practices to keep you and your household safe and secure. Keep doors locked, especially when you leave the apartment. Check your smoke detectors and have an escape plan in case of fire. Take steps to keep safe and warm during the winter months when there’s an increased risk of fire and other hazards. And since your landlord’s insurance doesn’t cover your belongings, make sure you purchase renter’s insurance. You can find more apartment safety tips here.

Watch Your Budget

Even with affordable housing, it’s important to maintain a smart household budget to make sure your rent and other bills get paid on time. There are plenty of cheap ways to decorate your new apartment without putting a strain on your finances, for example. The holiday season can be a real budget buster, so follow these tips to keep your holiday budget in check. The goal of affordable housing is to help you live comfortably without financial strain. A bit of planning can go a long way to keep it that way.

Keep Open Communication with Your Landlord

Bringing home a new pet? Taking on a roommate? Notice signs of mold? These are examples of things that you need to discuss with your landlord right away. Keeping secrets from your landlord can lead to unexpected fines, strained relationships and even termination of your lease. Make sure any maintenance issues are reported right away, and bring your landlord into the loop with any significant changes to your living situation.

By following these tips for affordable housing renters, you can make your new living experience, safe, enjoyable and relatively stress-free. If you’re looking for affordable housing in the Southeastern United States, we can help. Call Olympia Management at 256-894-2382.

We understand the temptation. Once you’ve signed your lease, moved into your new apartment and settled in, all you want to do is get on with life and not do or say anything to “stir the pot.” But open communication with your landlord is key to a long, mutually beneficial relationship, especially when it comes to life changes, safety issues or changes that could affect your lease. Let’s look at six secrets you might be tempted to keep from your landlord — but definitely shouldn’t.

1. Getting a Pet

Different apartment communities have different rules concerning pets, and it’s not usually an arbitrary thing. Some properties house people with allergy issues, for example, while others might not have insurance that covers pet damage. Whatever the case, adopting a furry friend without notifying your landlord could be a violation of your lease, possibly even grounds for eviction. If your lease doesn’t allow pets, feel free to ask. (The worst the landlord can do is say no.) In other cases, the landlord may simply ask for an extra deposit or a few extra dollars of rent, as well as an addendum to the lease. Keep things above board with pets, and save yourself a lot of trouble down the road.

2. Taking on a Roommate

For insurance and liability purposes, most lease agreements require you to specify each resident of the apartment. Other leases have certain rules against subletting. Bringing on a new roommate might help with rent, but it could cause trouble with your lease unless you let someone know about it. Read the terms of your lease to know the rules, and always ask before bringing on anyone who stays longer than a few days.

3. Signs of Water Damage or Mold

Water damage and signs of mold can cause serious health and/or structural issues in the building, including making you and your family sick. It’s the landlord’s responsibility to address such issues, but they can’t if they don’t know and if you don’t tell them. Letting these issues go unaddressed could make your home uninhabitable, so report even small leaks before they turn into big problems.

4. Maintenance Issues

Some tenants don’t report things like leaky faucets or broken appliances because they are afraid it will cause the rent to go up. Sometimes they just don’t want to deal with management entering their apartment for whatever reason, and sometimes they are afraid they will have to foot the bill. In reality, your landlord anticipates some routine maintenance costs, and these calls won’t make your rent go up. You may have to pay for repairs that were directly your fault, but if you allow a small problem to escalate into a big, expensive one, you could be held responsible for not reporting it in a timely manner. Help the landlord take care of the property — after all, it’s your home.

5. Problems with Your Neighbor

No one likes to “rock the boat” when it comes to reporting noisy/inconsiderate neighbors, neighbors who are doing damage or neighbors who make you feel unsafe. But here’s the thing: You don’t have the authority to deal with your neighbor, and your landlord does. Don’t be afraid to get your landlord involved, especially when your comfort and safety are at stake.

6. Moving Out

Failing to notify your landlord of your intent to vacate is a serious breach of your lease. It can result in losing your deposit, along with hefty additional fines and even legal liability in some cases. No matter what circumstances might be forcing you to move out early, it will always go better if you let your landlord know.

At Olympia Management, we encourage open communication with our tenants at all times, whether it’s a life change, a question or a complaint. If you need us, give us a call at 256-894-2382.

Apartment living definitely comes with a set of advantages, such as community amenities, free maintenance and overall affordability. Living in a community with others also comes with a few additional responsibilities — for example, being mindful of noise and taking a few extra steps to maintain safety, both for oneself and one’s neighbors. Safety hazards can come from many different sides, whether from intruders or from careless behavior — and in an apartment setting, your actions can affect the well-being of more people than just you or your family. If you’re moving into an apartment, the following seven apartment safety tips for renters will help ensure a comfortable, safe living experience in your new home.

1. Don’t leave doors unlocked.

The vast majority of burglaries occur simply because doors were left unlocked. No matter how friendly or mindful your neighbors seem to be, thieves always look for the easiest entrances. For additional safety, keep your doors locked even when you’re inside.

2. Leave lights on when you leave.

If you go out for the evening (or for a few days), a light in the window suggests that someone is home. Thieves and burglars don’t like light, and if they think you might be home, they’re more likely to try someplace else.

3. Check carbon monoxide and smoke detectors regularly.

Most cities now require smoke and CO detectors in every unit — and even if not, a good apartment manager should have them installed. Test your smoke/CO detectors at least once a month, and change the batteries at least once a year.

4. Have a “fire escape” plan.

In case of fire, your family and you should have a pre-determined plan of action for getting out of the apartment safely. If you live in a multi-story apartment building, ask your landlord about fire escapes or exit routes.

5. Avoid “daisy chaining” electrical connections.

In today’s age of gadgets and electronics, it seems like there is a constant need for more electrical outlets, and renters get tempted to plug in multiple power strips and extension cords to get electricity where they want it. These “daisy chains” can be fire hazards, however. To stay safe, use only power strips and surge protectors with a high joule rate, and avoid plugging one extension cords or power strip into another. If necessary, talk to your landlord or apartment manager about installing additional outlets.

6. Buy renter’s insurance.

Many landlords require this anyway, but anytime you rent, you should have renter’s insurance. Your apartment community’s insurance won’t cover your belongings in the event of damage or disaster — it only covers the unit itself. Renter’s insurance is typically cheap and it will protect your belongings against theft and damage.

At Olympia Management, we are committed to helping all our tenants live comfortably and safely. To learn more, give us a call at 256-894-2382.