3 Things Students Should Do Before Renting Summer Housing

Summer is coming!

Whether you're going on vacation or going to summer school, you'll need a place to live. Do you pay for expensive on campus housing? Do you sublet from a friend? Are you from out of state, and are not familiar with the area?

Here are three things students should do before renting summer housing:

1. Make Sure They Are Allowed To Rent To You

Are the people promising to sublet their apartment to you even allowed to do so?

No Subletting

Sometimes landlords don't allow their tenants to sublet. You do not want to get into the middle of that fight. Save yourself the headache. Ask the person renting the apartment if they're a tenant or the actual owner. If you're planning on subletting, you may want to check with the landlord to see if it's ok.

Rental Scams

Beware of any listing that sounds too good to be true. Some scammers are listing homes and apartments for rent, but they don't even own the place!

To spot rental scams, look out for these signs:

• They want you to send a deposit and first month's rent before you even see the property.
• The owner is "out of town," and can't show you the property until the day you wanted to move in.
• The price is significantly lower than surrounding listings.

2. Background Check The Neighborhood

Are you from out of town or out of state? Do you know the area you're renting in? Is it a safe neighborhood, or is there a lot of crime to look out for?

Background check the neighborhood before you commit to live there for the next three months. Most states will have sex offender registries. Check to see if any are living in your area. Also, check the crime rate for your neighborhood. Websites like www.familywatchdog.us and www.crimemapping.com make this easy to do.

3. Learn The Parking Rules

Do you have a car? Check the parking regulations in your area before you settle on a place.

Is there street sweeping on certain days? Are you only allowed to park in a certain spot for a certain amount of time? Do you need a permit to park on a particular street? Is it hard to find parking? Are you going to find yourself walking three blocks alone at night because you couldn't find closer parking?

These may sound like petty first world worries, but if you're not careful, the amount you pay for parking tickets may exceed your rent. It can happen.

If you do run into legal issues with your summer student housing, an experienced landlord-tenant attorney will be able to help.

Related Resources:

• Browse Landlord-Tenant Lawyers by Location (FindLaw's Lawyer Directory)
• Landlords' Duties Regarding Repairs, Maintenance, and to Provide Notice to Tenants for Entry (FindLaw's Learn About The Law)
• Do Landlords Have to Provide Air Conditioning? (FindLaw's Law and Daily Life)
• Top 5 Airbnb Home-Rental Horror Stories (FindLaw's Law and Daily Life)