Apartment Showings

[AdminAssistant]

Most places have at least one apartment that is empty if they are actively seeking renters.

Large apartment complexes do, which is great if you like paying too much for rent and having terrible neighbors.

[jackfaire]

Large apartment complexes do, which is great if you like paying too much for rent and having terrible neighbors.

Around here that includes small apartment complexes on the only showing empty apartments.

[AdminAssistant]

Still a complex. I'll happily walk through someone else's space if it means getting an awesome 4-plex/duplex/condo. Like my old apartment in a 4-plex, yes, I walked through someone else's home. They were away on a vacation, and had made arrangements with the owner that their place would be cleaned up and available to show. I'm sure if the owner had an empty unit she would show that first, but ideally she never has one.

[jackfaire]

I have never seen anything here, house, duplex, etc where there was someone living there when I was looking to rent.

The only exception was when looking to buy.

I don't like being a vulture. If the person is still there while the complex, duplex whatever is looking to rent it out chances are the person is being rushed out and I am the asshole taking advantage of their misfortune.

[telecom_goddess]

That and most property management companies are just assholes. You're almost better off renting from a private landlord. I mean, you have the convenience of on-call maintenance people and someone always there to take a complaint when you rent from a big company, but they can be SO nosy, so rude, so demanding, treat you like you're just money in their pocket, etc.

Blas you are SO correct on this. I've dealt with property management companies and they have always sucked. Now I'm in a place that's owned and managed by a private landlord and it's so much better. I haven't had to deal with yearly inspections or a bunch of really dumb corporate rules. And I still have the convenience of an on call person for maintenance if I need it cause I have the cell number to the owner's son

[flybye023]

I don't know...maybe it's a regional thing or a city vs smaller town thing but my experiences are like jackfaire's. No matter how big or small, private or company-owned, I was never shown an occupied apartment.

As for the other experiences, when I was looking the company apartments were about the same price as private ones--they had to compete. And, when I rented from private landlords it was a horrible experience both times. Maintenance requests were ignored, they would come in without notice and just shrug it off if we complained. One time my roomate and I were blamed for our apartment flooding when the sprinkler outside our apartment broke (it was an automated system that only the landlord had control of).

Management companies on the other hand, usually were there within 15 minutes to a half day of when we called and they were always polite and professional.

I don't mean to say I don't believe the other happens, I do, but this is just the reality I personally dealt with.

[HYHYBT]

A vacant apartment that is for rent is one thing; a model apartment, *kept* vacant to show off, seems to me to be quite another. I wouldn't trust the model apartment to be representative.

And I'm glad to see an exception for when you're buying. Although many people do move out of a house before selling it, it's a huge expense to expect.

One other thing... I'd have thought having stuff in there would make it *easier* to see how things fit. Your bed or sofa may not look like theirs, but chances are it's about the same size.

[SongsOfDragons]

The flats I live at have a management company, yet we rent from a private landlord who are using an estate agent to do stuff for them (for instance, our washing machine is misbehaving, we called the estate agent to arrange for a service). The management company looks after the grounds, the bin/bike stores, the parking, the outdoor lights.

We've caught them a few times and they're lovely, but they can't do anything about the fucktrumpet who STILL is parking his penis extender in places where it shouldn't be. In others' spaces, on the grass/gravel, in front of the bin shed...

We live next door to what was the 'show flat', which is the only flat in the 37-strong complex to come furnished, but is now rented out just like all the others. Thing is it's NOT representitive of the other flats, cookie-cutter though they are, because it's a middle flat - three (or two, sometimes) flats share a hall, and the flats on the outside have long corridors connecting all the rooms and cupboards simply to fit them into the block, but the middle flat's corridor is literally a 2mx1mx1m rectangle and makes the flat look titchy.

When we snapped this place up (gave the agent the deposit cheque there and then ) there were people living there, they kept their bikes in the long corridor and their stuff was around, but we were able to snatch a conversation with them and see the size of the flat. It was even bigger when we took a day off to sign the contact; we went straight to our new home to bask in the awesome ^^ and I was ferrying things in my backpack all week before the big move. I know we were really lucky to get this place, it's cheap and big and we've only had a few minor problems.

[ExRetailDrone]

If I am looking to rent a place they better have an empty apartment to show me. Most places have at least one apartment that is empty if they are actively seeking renters.

Simply not possible in all situations. When my old roommate and I were looking for apartments in my old college town, most of the ones we looked at were occupied at the time of our showing. Why? Because they were converted houses. There simply was no other apartment to show us because none of the apartments were the same. Each one was laid out differently due to it not being an actual apartment complex. And it's not always a bad thing when the people who are moving out are still there when you look at the place...you get to maybe ask them some questions and get more of a feel for the place from someone who actually has lived there.

[blas87]

Well, one of the excuses I was given was that this year, the "demand" is so much higher. Every time I get the call (I mean, voicemail), it usually says they still have so many empty places here (or people that are moving out the same time as me) and they HAVE to show them.

I really don't care. Just don't fucking wake me up like that. I really won't notice if you just use your key, come in quietly, show the place, and leave.

Don't yell, wake me up, then make the potential renters feel like assholes and have them apologize when it wasn't their fault, it was yours.

Edit to add: No kidding, the last two times, the potential tenants actually apologized to me for waking me up. It wasn't their fault. I felt absolutely horrible that they felt they had to apologize for something the asshole son of the owner did. It was documented that it was fine to come in. You're already using your key, so fucking come in and get it overwith. I sleep through a baby screaming all day and doors being slammed downstairs, I can sleep over quiet talking. Don't freaking yell at me and wake me up and ask if it's ok to come in when you're clearly coming in anyway.

[NoMoreRetail]

Whenever we were looking at apartments, we were never shown an apartment the was occupied. As the tenant I would have a shit fit if they tried to show off my apartment while I was still living in it, whether I was there or not. You never know what people are capable of doing. I would also really be creeped out if I was asleep and strangers came in to check on my apartment.

And at every apartment I have lived at they have always re painted the walls and replaced the carpet before new people move in.

[blas87]

They said that I've kept it good enough where the carpets just need their routine post-move clean, and they won't need to repaint, because I haven't put anything on the walls.

Having said that, I was told I need to clean the walls.

[bainsidhe]

Do you have a chain on the door? I'd be tempted to put up the chain and "forget" to remove it when I went to bed.

And I agree with another poster demanding a full 24hr window before the visit.

I just had an inspection, where landlord came & inspected the fire alarms. Let me just say I suffer great anxiety at the idea of strangers walking around my apartment, even more so when I'm not at home. They said they were going to come last Monday and I thought they did. Imagine my surprise when I came home today (Thursday) and I suddenly have a new Carbon Monoxide detector that wasn't there before. Grrr.

[blas87]

I only have a deadbolt, and they have obviously, a copy of my key they use to get in.

The other day, they attempted to book a showing the next day around the time I get ready for work. I called back and said that time would not work for me. They tried to ask me to get up earlier.

No.

They already booked a showing that morning for when I go to bed. I wasn't bending over backwards twice in one day.

They told me they "cannot say no", that this apartment MUST be rented out by the time I move out.

I fibbed and said I was not allowed to be late to work anymore, and that I was running low on PTO because of all of these showings that I've had to be late for work (ok, sort of a lie, but I had to make it sound good).

They said "Oh, we don't want you to be late for work or get in trouble, BUT we HAVE to turn these apartments over." Oh, and this person could ONLY come at that time that next day. Tough titty.

And I've lived here 5 years, don't even get to stay the entire month of May (have to be out the 25th), still had to pay a full month's rent, and you think you can just monopolize my time here.

[Jetfire]

Ugh; most of the apartment companies up here will plan on having an apartment vacant for a month or so between tenants. Then again, the companies around here (Killiam and Colpitts) tend to refresh the apartment when people move out; a thorough cleaning, replacing carpets, repainting, repairing appliances, bathrooms, windows, etc...

Frankly, as a renter, I wouldn't want to move into an apartment that hadn't had such a refreashing between tenants; especially if I'm replacing a long term tenant.

You've done all you've needed to do; once the time you paid to rent the place is up next week, it doesn't matter how long it takes them to find a new tenant. Hopefully the coming week won't be too stressful for you.