Apartment Showings

[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.

[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.

[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

[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.

[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]

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]

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]

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.

I refuse to walk into someone else's home to see if I want to rent it. For one that makes it harder to judge. I can't get a sense of space if there is a bunch of things in it and it's harder to mentally place my own stuff in the apartment. That being said in the 5 years I rented from my old place, month to month, they never ever showed an occupied apartment. They wanted it empty and clean before showing to new renters.

[AdminAssistant]

It was never even suggested that I be shown an occupied apartment and as a renter I was never asked.

Some smaller complexes or private renters may not have an unoccupied 'model' apartment to show off. Most of the apartments I saw last time I looked were occupied, and most of those had the tenants in them. Of course, in two cases, I couldn't actually *see* the apartment because the floor was so covered in garbage and dirty laundry that I couldn't walk around.

[wolfie]

So, we get to April, and it's time for showings. Ya know legally you need 24 hour's notice of someone entering your apartment?

It may be splitting hairs here, but they'd call me at 2, 3, 4 pm to tell me that the NEXT DAY at 10, 11, 12, etc that there was a showing.

No. The owner's idiot son, who is now in charge of the damn place it seems, the very first time there was a showing while I was here sleeping......puts the key in the door and opens it, and starts pounding on it until I wake up, and then yells "HELLO!!!! HELLO?!! HELLO?! CAN WE COME IN?!"

Proper answers:

- When they call you at 2 in the afternoon to tell you that there will be a showing the next day at noon (I'm being generous, giving the longest lead time possible from the call/showing times you listed), tell them "No, there will not be a showing, since you are legally required to give 24 hours notice of someone entering my home, and you have only given 22 hours notice"

- When "idiot boy" does that, tell him "No, you have failed to provide the legally required 24 hours notice to enter my home - and the fact that this apartment has only one entry door has specific legal meaning".

What is the legal meaning of only having one entry door? Simple - if you're in a "duty to retreat" jurisdiction (as opposed to a "stand your ground" jurisdiction), someone coming in through that door has BLOCKED YOUR AVENUE OF RETREAT, so that if you are afraid that they will cause you physical harm (understandable since they have come in under circumstances other than allowed by law, and you have explicitly refused permission), you are unable to retreat from them, and therefore have no option (other than allowing them to harm you, which is a non-starter) but to defend yourself.

[flybye023]

Huh. Your experience is really wierd to me. Where I live the only experiences I had when apartment hunting was the property would have a model apartment that they would take you to and basically say "this is what they look like." The other was to be shown an already empty apartment--the exact same one I would potentially be renting.

It was never even suggested that I be shown an occupied apartment and as a renter I was never asked.

[blas87]

Probably just another convenient way for them to see what all you have, make sure you don't have anything you aren't supposed to (because they do show closets, to show how much space there is, cupboards, etc).

Because there are laws preventing random entrance into your place, they really have no way of knowing you may be stashing a pet, another person, or stupid shit here like candles, drain cleaner, automatic shower cleaners, pictures on the walls, etc.

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.

[HYHYBT]

Why would they want you not to be there anyway?

[blas87]

I think they depend on people not knowing they are allowed to be there.

I never thought of theives before, but after someone at work brought it up, I didn't really get paranoid, but thought it'd be a good reason to use as to why I'm not leaving, and staying there no matter who is there.

Of course, the more they just show the place for 10 seconds, is probably why no one has booked this place yet for after I leave.

[siead_lietrathua]

i never let them show our old apartment when i wasn't home. like hell i'm gonna risk someone taking the electronics or something. (we were living in basically a stoner-building, so not the best people came touring through.)