Jacksonville is a great city to move to. It has a laid-back culture, and people who are crazy for football. And if that’s not enticing enough, the beaches in this city are pretty grand too. Looking for a place to stay isn’t even much of a hassle because the city offers wide array of apartments to choose from.
Renting an apartment is like a rite of passage that everyone has to go through to move on with their lives. And just like any other rite of passage, it is not easy and you would have to use your head  so you won’t have any future regrets. Bigger responsibilities await in the form of bills, maintenance, and—most of the time— dealing with the landlord. Thus, you should always make the right decisions to ensure that there is no wastage of time, money, and energy. Here are few vital tips on how you can make sure that in every debacle you encounter with your landlord, you get out of it the victor:
Give negotiating a whirl
Strictly speaking, rent is rarely negotiated. It seems discouraging because rent prices, especially those shown on the advertising signs, are not always endearing. But if you really want to maximize your savings, there is a way in which you can slice a chunk off your lease rate. Do this by planning your coming year with an extra month. That is, you negotiate with the landlord by ensuring him an extra month or two in your lease in exchange for a lesser rent. This can sometimes work because landlords prefer longer-term tenants over short-term renters.
Ask around
If you want to gain a good insight of how it would feel living in the apartment you currently have your eyes on, the simple act of asking around can be very effective. It may not be for the shy, but a fare effort should be given to ensure lesser regrets in the future. Simple inquiries such as asking about living qualities, the landlord’s service and request responsiveness, noise level, and asking if there are questionable activities in and around the premises can go a long way.
A good time to do the inquiry is during after-work hours because the people who live in the  apartments in Jacksonville will most likely be within the apartment premises at the time. If you are uncomfortable to go door-to-door, leaving a note to ask for a callback might work just fine.
Get smart with the contract
Before everything else—before signing anything—Make sure that you read the lease and that you agree with the terms and conditions. Paying for a place to live in, such as renting an apartment, is not like paying for food in a store where you simply hand a person some money and you’re free to do whatever with your purchase. Renting is an agreement which requires the involved parties to have a mutual agreement of everything involved in the matter at hand. So if you find that there are certain statements in the contract that puts you in an unfavorable situation, ask for the lease to be edited. If you find the need to add something in the lease, insist on it. All problems that occur between the tenant and the landlord can be reconciled in the lease. Thus, before agreeing to such, make sure it is to your favor.
Make sure that you remember to do these easy yet crucial actions before signing off a lease because this will give you an assurance of a peaceful stay in your apartment.
