10 things to avoid when renting a room for the medium term

Renting a room for university or for a period of work away from home can seem like a simple and fun activity.

Be careful though! There are many elements to be considered consciously to avoid transforming a pleasant university or work adventure into a real nightmare.

• Avoid peripheral or poorly served locations. As Uncle Sam said … “location, location, location!” When you rent a room for a medium period (from 1 to 18 months), try to focus first on choosing the best location for you. your faculty and place of work, you will have a double problem: first of all, reaching the center could cost you more, both in economic terms (public transport passes, taxis, “stolen” bicycles), and in terms of time. Furthermore, the peripheral areas of cities are not always so welcoming …
• Avoid generic advertisements on the internet. Especially if you book the room without being able to see it, do not trust generic announcements, such as “I offer a room in a furnished apartment”. An ad must contain as much information as possible. Make sure that all the essential amenities are well described (a desk? The washing machine? A terrace? The bike storage?).
• Don’t trust unprofessional photos. The photo shoot accompanying the announcement must be accurate and professional. This is certainly one of the very first signs of seriousness of the home owner, who in this way proves to have invested time and money even before hosting his tenant.
• #nograndmafurniture. Avoid the case with “grandmother” furniture. Do you think that you will have to spend many months, and that in the evening, when you return to a house, you will want to find a nice and comfortable environment. Not to mention the fact that it is a bad sign from the owner not to invest in new furniture. Otherwise, what are IKEA and Mondo Convenienza used for?
• Avoid contracts with joint and several liability between all tenants. It is of fundamental importance to ensure that the parties to the contract are you (and only you) and the owner, and that the subject of the contract is your room and the use of the common parts. Then establish the contract for the single room with the use of common parts such as the kitchen and bathroom, at the price reserved for you. Avoid signing contracts with multiple requests, with a single fee for the whole house to be divided among all, otherwise you will risk, in the event that one of the tenants has to withdraw, leave or simply not to pay, which we need proquota to the total fee!
• Avoid too expensive security deposits. The three-month security deposit is frankly too long. Generally, the security deposit should be of one or at most 2 months. If the deposit is not negotiable, make sure at least that the deposit return clause is clearly written and protects you. Without the charge of a whole grass a bundle, often the owners take advantage of it and hold a significant amount confirmed by asserting the presence of damages (non-existent, not verifiable or quantifiable, or that perhaps have not found these facts), or the need to repaint everything the apartment, or generic expenses not better identified.
• Avoid too long notice of withdrawal. We live in a world of rapid change. You may have the need to move to another city, or the will to end your university or business adventure. If the notice of withdrawal is too long (for example 6 months), you risk having to pay in vain for many months of rent, before finally getting rid of the contractual obligation.
• Avoid registering the utilities. Give preference to all-inclusive fees, that is to say that all utilities, condominium fees, tari, and maybe internet wifi are already included in the fee. Paying the utilities involves the risk of having to pay adjustments or “hidden” expenses that are unpredictable and not at all appreciated.
• Avoid unregistered contracts. Which means, avoid paying black! Always ask for the registration of the contract to have a contract perfectly in order with the financial administration. You could face painful penalties.
• Avoid improvised owners. The world of the web is full of “do it yourself” ads and owners. Contact an agency or professional managers. They will help you enter into correct contracts that will protect you. They will follow you through the registration procedures and help you in case of problems with the owner and the other tenants.