What you need when renting an apartment. What to check before renting an apartment: from the advertisement to the subtleties of the contract. Rent a private room

The need to rent housing arises in different cases. Apartment on long time required for students and newlyweds, as well as people who come to work from another city. Business travelers and tourists are looking for accommodation for a few days. There are a lot of offers from owners and real estate agencies, and the danger of becoming a victim of unscrupulous realtors is very high. We'll figure out how to rent an apartment so that you don't get scammed by scammers, and what to look for when starting to look for housing

Initial information

What do you need to know when renting an apartment? First of all, it would not hurt to study the existing types of leases and familiarize yourself with the articles of the Civil Code, which discuss the conditions for renting living space. This information will be useful for all future tenants.

Types of rental

There are two types of rental housing: long-term and short-term. The first case involves concluding an agreement for a period of six months to several years. In the second case, housing is rented daily. Payment for short-term rental housing is higher than long-term rental. Registration of daily hire is not required.

The legislative framework

The relationship between the parties to the lease agreement is regulated by Chapter 34 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation. The conditions for concluding a short-term agreement can be found in Article 683, and the need to draw up a written lease agreement in two copies is stated in Art. 674 Civil Code of the Russian Federation.

Article 671 of the Civil Code provides for the following conditions for renting housing:

Under a residential lease agreement, one party - the owner of the residential premises or a person authorized by him (the lessor) undertakes to provide the other party (the tenant) with residential premises for a fee for possession and use for living in it.
Legal entities may be provided with possession and (or) use of residential premises on the basis of a lease or other agreement.

In paragraph 2 of Art. 4 122-FZ lists all title documentation for real estate.

Rights to any real estate must be registered. Since 01/01/2017, 218-FZ “On State Registration of Real Estate” has been in force, which confirms ownership.

Methods of fraud

Renting out apartments is a profitable business, but some businessmen seek to gain income through dishonest means, coming up with new ways to make money. To find out how to rent an apartment correctly, so as not to be deceived by dishonest realtors, you can do this by becoming familiar with common fraud schemes in the rental housing market.

Non-existent apartment

On virtual sites with apartments for rent, you often come across fakes. The agent posts information about housing with quite attractive characteristics: budget price, European-quality renovation, decent area, good transport links. But when you call, it turns out that the apartment with the specified conditions simply does not exist. The purpose of such deception is to increase the client base of real estate companies. Then the intermediary will offer available options, and the client can accept or reject his services.

Fake photos

Published photographs of premises rarely correspond to reality. Price rent must be adequate to the interior shown in the photo. Low price Against the backdrop of first-class repairs, I should be wary.

The Google Images service allows you to quickly check whether there are copies of these photos on other sites.

Money for inspection

There are cases when an apartment owner enters into an agreement with a realtor. Then the income from views is divided in half. Therefore, it is important to remember: it is illegal to demand a fee for inspecting an apartment.

Retake

Keep in mind that tenants do not have the right to move other people in without notifying the owner. In order not to fall for this trick of scammers, you cannot sign an agreement, much less give money, without seeing the document on ownership of the apartment.

Selling a customer base

Relatively recently, scammers developed new scheme deception. The realtor offers to buy access to a closed database of owners of apartments offered for rent. He says this is the ideal way to find suitable housing by contacting the owners directly. In fact, the unlucky tenant gives money to view the public site.

How to avoid being deceived

To rent a conveniently located, affordable and comfortable home without wasting your nerves and money, you can act in different ways. If you wish, you can search for an apartment on your own, but most often future tenants prefer to use the services of professionals.

Through an agency

To rent an apartment with the participation of a realtor, you will need a passport and a signed agreement for the provision of services.

The specialist's responsibilities include:

search for an apartment using specified parameters;
accompanying the client when viewing the options they like;
Negotiation;
checking the documents provided by the landlord.

Review of TOP 5 real estate agencies

Professional real estate specialists will select suitable premises for comfortable living. This option is convenient for those who do not have free time.

Top five real estate firms:

Best real estate. It has been working in the housing market since 1992 and occupies a leading position among real estate firms in Moscow. Branches operate in dozens of cities throughout Russia. Practices various real estate transactions. The company's specialists have many years of experience, as well as great amount successfully completed transactions. They will help you rent suitable housing in the shortest possible time.
MGSN. The Moscow City Real Estate Service has been working in the housing market for 20 years. The company is universal. She works with various types real estate and provides professional assistance in any housing transactions. The list of its services: free consultation, accelerated search for current options, qualified drafting of contracts, provision of legal assistance during the transaction.
Miel. This is a holding company founded in 1990. The specialists working here carry out purchase and sale transactions, and also help with the hiring of living space both in Moscow and in other cities of Russia. This is all done taking into account the wishes of the client. The holding has 120 offices in Moscow. It has an extensive property base across the country. Company employees provide assistance in renting housing in any area of the city or suburb. Any transaction is carefully checked by the company's legal service. In addition to standard housing, they also provide elite cottages and luxury apartments.
Incom. This large real estate company has been known for more than a quarter of a century. It occupies a leading position in the Moscow real estate market, provides assistance in mortgage lending, provides expert assessment of properties, and also provides intermediary services. The company recruits highly qualified employees who have experience in the field of real estate services. For the company, the legal purity of the contract is extremely important, so it checks all objects in advance.
Alma. This organization is responsible to each client. Satisfying everyone's needs is of great importance to her. The company's activities are carried out using the most current methods and technologies.

Self-rental rules

Those tenants who prefer not to contact agencies face various kinds of trials. For example, people who cannot pay for the services of a realtor will try to do without outside help. What if they don’t know how to rent a room without getting scammed? , you may lose much more than you planned to save.

How to find a good deal

Often those who want to find a suitable apartment are close to despair: advertisements posted by owners are rare. In most cases, a real estate agent will answer the call. Experts recommend paying attention to specialized sites, which do not necessarily have to be top ones.

Sites focused on searching for housing:

Realt.onliner.by. There is an “Online” service for renting housing, where the owner himself, without intermediaries, submits advertisements.
Avito.ru. There are a lot of advertisements on the site that pretend to be private, but are actually posted by intermediaries. However, you can find publications from the owners. To do this you will need to spend free time for telephone conversations. Remember that advertisements must be looked for in the “private” section. It is possible to receive 100% confirmation that the apartment is being rented out by the owner only through a personal meeting.
Thelocals.ru. This site is a direct rental area. Unfortunately, there are few advertisements posted.
Posrednikovzdes.net. The site is similar to CIAN (owner database) and has a small number of publications.

Owner verification

Before concluding a contract, the tenant should carefully read the owner's documents.

The lessor is required to present the following documents:

certificate of ownership issued in the name of the lessor;
written confirmation of ownership of the apartment (purchase and sale, gift or exchange agreement);
passport;
if the owner of the apartment is absent, the owner’s representative must provide a notarized power of attorney, on the basis of which he has the right to sign the lease agreement.

Consent of all owners

The presence of signatures of all homeowners is an important condition when drawing up a rental agreement. Another option is the signature of an authorized person to whom each owner of a share in the apartment has issued a power of attorney.

Address verification

There is a risk of falling into the clutches of scammers who deliberately take money for someone else’s living space from several clients at the same time. Realtors often act as deceivers. They charge a fee for the information provided - the client receives the landlord's numbers. But completing the deal is not part of their plans. Therefore, you should not pay anyone without verifying the address. It is necessary to personally verify the actual existence of the rented premises at the specified address and examine the supporting documents.

Correct execution of the contract

A person looking for a place to live faces a lot of problems. Such as: incurring unjustified losses, wasted energy and time. Therefore, it is important to always draw up a rental agreement and know its structure.

passport details of the owner and tenant;
monthly rental cost;
conditions for reviewing housing fees;
rental period;
persons living with the tenant;
number of visits by the owner of the living space to inspect the property;
detailed description of the housing: address, number of floors of the house, area and number of rooms;
conditions for termination of the contract.

Inventory of property

A property inventory is an official document that is an annex to the main lease agreement. The inventory indicates the things that are transferred to the tenant for temporary use.

The home owner usually includes all household items in the inventory: kitchen appliances, household appliances, furniture, paintings, home library. Those things that the owner did not include in the inventory of the property cannot be returned.

The preparation of this document must be approached very carefully. The tenant must compare the items described on paper with those located on the premises. If something is overlooked, when leaving, the owner may demand the return of the items indicated in the inventory of the property.

Inspect the equipment (is everything in working order), pipelines, and bathrooms. If the breakdown occurred due to the fault of the residents, they are obliged to compensate for the damage. Therefore, it is so important to indicate the initially broken items in the property inventory, which is signed by each party.

A good option is to take pictures of all the defects found so that they are not attributed to the renters when moving out. It is advisable to attach photographs to the act.

Taking meter readings

On the date of signing the lease agreement, the readings of water, electricity and gas meters are recorded in the presence of the owner of the property.

If there is arrears on utility bills, the procedure for repaying it should also be reflected in the agreement: who exactly and within what time period undertakes to deposit the money into the account of the management company.

When hiring premises, both parties must be careful. The transaction will be as safe as possible if it is concluded in writing.

According to documentation

The fact of renting an apartment is clearly reflected in several documents.

Necessary documents when renting residential premises:

A rental agreement for residential premises, which is drawn up in writing. The parties to the agreement are the landlord and the tenant. The object of the lease agreement is residential premises.
Receipt for cash receipt. Not compiled for non-cash payments.
Certificate of acceptance and transfer of premises. Not an independent document, it is part of the main lease agreement. Drawed up to confirm the fact of transfer of the apartment for use to the tenant.
Inventory of property. This is done to avoid disputes regarding the condition of the apartment and furnishings. It indicates all pieces of furniture and other things located in the room. The inventory is signed by both parties to the transaction.

Disputed housing is a big problem for the tenant. Documents reflecting the method of transferring the apartment into the ownership of the landlord may even warn of possible risks. For example, if the property was recently inherited by the landlord, then the heirs may appear at any time, ready to challenge it.

By negotiations with the owner

You should pay attention to the behavior of the owner. If the landlord is in a hurry and shows excitement when inspecting the premises, this should be alarming. In addition, he suggests not drawing up an agreement and shows copies of real estate papers instead of originals. This is the worst outcome of the negotiations, and the only correct way out of them is to refuse the clearly fraudulent deal.

It is also worth asking the landlord if there are other homeowners. You can order an extract from the Unified State Register of Real Estate, which indicates who is the owner of the property.

Upon payment of deposit and fee

The deposit and monthly payment are best made by non-cash payment. The entire amount is transferred to the owner of the property only after signing the contract.

No one has the right to take money for information services and viewing a home.

Checking information from advertisements

Also find out all the important points for yourself:

availability of furniture, equipment;
working internet;
contract time;
Is it possible with children or animals?

The more such nuances are revealed in a telephone conversation, the better for everyone. It is also advisable to inquire whether the ownership documents are issued in the name of the person who answered the call, and whether there are other co-owners.

Advantages and disadvantages

In the end, the tenant must decide for himself which option he is more inclined to: turn to an agency for help or look for living space on his own.

Cooperation with realtors has both positive and negative sides.

Advantages:

saving time;
the service is provided on time;
guarantee of transaction security;
the rental price is fixed;
specialists will select the appropriate option.

The disadvantages are the presence of additional payments and commissions. There is also a risk of running into false realtors.

Renting a home on your own is a very energy-intensive process. You need to understand that you will have to spend a lot of time searching for advertisements from owners. A person is considered to be at great risk when he avoids mediation. But the risk can be worth it if you weigh the pros and cons of renting an apartment independently.

Advantages:

financial savings due to the elimination of intermediaries;
the choice is not limited by the existing base, as in a real estate company;
personal agreement on all the nuances with the owner of the home.

When renting an apartment on your own, you need to be vigilant.

Flaws:

long searches: finding the owner without an intermediary can be very difficult;
scam: people rent out living space that is not theirs and charge rent before the lease is signed and the tenant moves in.

Video

In this video, a real estate professional talks about the main methods used by scammers.

The search for advertisements for renting apartments and rooms in the capital is replete with various options. Among the huge number of offers, fueled by serious demand, you can find both decent options outside the Moscow Ring Road and a good one-room apartment in the city center at an attractive price. The author of the "Security Council" program on Igor Shvytkin will talk about how to properly rent an apartment in Moscow, why you should study the history of the apartment in advance and how not to fall for the bait of scammers.

Removal rules

Those who have decided to look for rental housing should pay attention not only to the attractive low cost of the property. Keep in mind that if you call a number that is listed in open sources (the Internet or a newspaper), then in most cases you will immediately get to a realtor. If the ad contains photographs of the apartment, check whether they correspond to the apartment for rent.

Often, such photos are placed to make advertisements attractive or as an ordinary advertising splash screen for real estate services. In addition to clarifying the cost, ask whether the realtor is familiar with this or that apartment and what information he has about it.

If you like the apartment for rent, be sure to ask to bring a document of ownership to the showing. In addition, ask that the owner of the apartment himself be present at the transaction (at the time of signing the contract). This will allow you to check the owner’s details with those indicated in the documents for the apartment.

We study the history and owners of the apartment

It will not be amiss if you check the history of the apartment and make sure that tomorrow the new owners will not show up there and ask you to urgently pack your things. To do this, it is better to independently study the history of the apartment.

First of all, you need to carefully read the documents on the ownership of the property. It is important to know that recently they have begun to save on the protection of these documents, namely on paper with holograms and watermarks. Nowadays, the certificate is an ordinary A4 sheet with a stamp. Accordingly, it is clear that it is not difficult for fraudsters to forge this document.

Therefore, in order to establish the real owner, as well as their number, a potential tenant needs to go to the registration chamber and, according to the address of the apartment, take an extract from the Unified State Register of Rights. You need to ask the realtor for an extract from the house register in order to understand the number of citizens registered in it.

Then, ideally, it is necessary to invite all registered members of the rental property to the transaction. Very often, divorced spouses rent out living space in secret from each other, which is fraught with unpleasant surprises for the tenants. I draw the attention of readers that, in principle, all this work to collect this information should be carried out by a realtor.

But, alas, as practice shows, he only confines himself to being present at the transaction, and then, having received his commission, disappears. The tenant will fight all possible legal problems alone. Therefore, I advise you to carry out or duplicate this work yourself.

Checking the realtor

Did you know that officially in our country such a profession as “realtor” simply does not exist. They are not trained anywhere, they are not taught in advanced training courses. In a word, today anyone who decides to make good money from the extremely pressing housing issue can become a realtor.

In general, a modern metropolitan realtor is an ordinary intermediary between a buyer and a seller of services in the real estate market. These people often use information from open sources or information bases located in real estate agencies.

Then they simply competently and skillfully sell it, posting information about apartments on free bulletin boards. It should be taken into account that although realtors guarantee the legal purity of the transaction, in fact, in 95 percent of cases they are not lawyers at all, and therefore cannot guarantee anything.

Alexey Petropolsky, CEO legal company "Yurvista":

“Indeed, realtors have experience in drawing up standard rental or sale agreements. But if something goes wrong, they will not bear any responsibility. If you decide to use the services of a realtor, then it is better to contact large and proven time of the company. But even in this case, it is necessary to remember that any realtor acting on behalf of a well-known company should be checked for affiliation with this company.

I know of cases where an apartment was rented illegally or with violations, and then some kind of legal proceedings begin, then realtors simply remain on the sidelines. Later it turns out that this or that intermediary was only hiding behind the name of a well-known company, but in reality acted alone."

Very often, fraudulent realtors make fake forms and stamps of large real estate agencies. In such cases, both the landlord and the tenant think that the realtor who has such documents in hand is an employee of a large company, and therefore, without going into details, they sign, in fact, a fake agreement.

Therefore, when concluding contracts, you must make a copy of the realtor’s passport in order to somehow identify him later. If a person, under various pretexts, avoids providing his documents, then it is better to completely refuse a transaction in which he acts as an ordinary intermediary. In addition, it doesn’t hurt to call the real estate agency and find out whether an employee with such and such a last name is listed there or not.

Hour or payment details

Very often, if we're talking about about renting an apartment for long term, landlords ask to pay for accommodation six months or a year in advance. It's better not to do this. It is unknown how your relationship with the landlord will develop and whether you will be able to get your money back in case of unforeseen circumstances.

It is better to try to agree on payment for the first and last month residence, as well as guarantee a stable monthly payment on a certain day. It is best to make monthly payments for accommodation by bank transfer.

For example, by transfer to the owner’s card. An alternative option is to pay in cash, but always confirm the fact of payment with a receipt. This, by the way, will save you from problems with taxation. After all, the owner is obliged to pay 13 percent of income to the state.

In the event of litigation, well, for example, if the owner is surrendered by neighbors, no questions will arise for you - you honestly paid money for housing, and you don’t even know how the landlord managed it.

Fraud mechanism

As a rule, a fraudulent realtor rents an apartment from someone and then simply rents it out several times. He offers a good apartment at a price much lower than the market price. Colorful photographs of a cozy nest in the city center will be posted on the Internet at an attractive price.

The attacker then negotiates with potential tenants for an urgent viewing, and then rushes them to sign contracts. To do this, he can produce at least ten keys to apartments and draw up several standard agreements and powers of attorney from the owners.

The emphasis is on the urgency of the transaction, due to the super attractive price of the property, which is about to go to someone else. That is why many tenants do not even have the opportunity to check the legal side of the issue. They are afraid of missing out on their chance to rent a home at such a low price. This is what scammers take advantage of!

People give money to scammers, and the very next day several families can meet at the same door with the same keys to such a treasured apartment.

Renting residential premises is paid transfer of an apartment, house or separate room to the tenant for possession and use under a contract.

It should be noted that the owner of the property can be either an individual or a legal entity. The tenant is only an individual.

When concluding an agreement with a realtor, you should ensure that payment in full was carried out only after signing the lease agreement. Paying an advance for an agent's services delays the search for housing.

Most people looking for standard apartments trying to save money and organize premises for rent.

This can be done today through the Internet, which greatly simplifies the process.

For example, the largest website AVITO presents housing from all regions of the country.

By comparing prices and analyzing photographs in , future tenants select several premises that meet their ideas of comfortable living.

It will not be superfluous to find out, using a map, which objects of the social structure are nearby. A metro station, a park or other recreation area, or sports centers can be very useful for a tenant.

Large warehouses, car depots, industrial enterprises, nightlife establishments or 24-hour gas stations located next to rental housing can become source of unpleasant noise, preventing the employer from fully resting.

Conversation with the owner

What to ask when renting an apartment? How to check the owner? When suitable options have been selected, you can proceed to the next stage. You need to call and chat with the owner to discuss rental terms in advance.

A potential employer should immediately provide information about yourself: age, marital status, whether you have pets.

Many owners do not want to rent apartments to families with children or animals, so you should not waste your time on fruitless negotiations.

Also worth clarifying, whether the contract will be drawn up, for what period, for what period it is necessary to make an advance payment. You should not agree to rent a contract or with an advance payment for more than 2 months.

If the parties are satisfied with everything, then you can decide on the time for inspection of the apartment.

Inspection

What does a home inspection involve? The owner himself will be interested in demonstrating the apartment faster.

The future employer should carefully inspect all property and rooms for malfunctions, damage and other deficiencies.

If the faucet is leaking, the door handles are broken, or the refrigerator is faulty, then you should seriously think about finding another place to live.

Renting is a business. When the apartment is presented in this "non-commercial" form, then the owner does not particularly care about his tenants. There is a high probability that it will take a very long time for all the shortcomings to be eliminated after moving in.

Conduct inspections in the evening hours. This will allow you to find out if there are any noisy or unpleasant people among your neighbors.

Don't be afraid to bargain. Especially in cases where any information contained in the ad was not confirmed upon inspection. The price will be set through negotiations, so any shortcoming of the apartment will allow the tenant to save cash.

Paperwork

How to rent an apartment? What do you need to know? What are the essential conditions for renting residential premises between individuals? If the apartment owner and the tenant have reached a consensus on the terms and cost of rent, then you can start signing the contract.

An owner who is constantly engaged in renting out housing probably has own standard document. Separate articles are devoted to the details of the agreement and it. Here we will dwell on some points.

When concluding an agreement, you should ask the owner for a passport and a title document on the basis of which he owns the apartment. You should also contact Rosreestr to obtain an extract from the Unified State Register.

The above steps will help determine whether a citizen is truly has every right to rent out the apartment for rent. There are often cases when several persons own real estate in different shares. In this case, it is necessary to obtain the consent of all owners.

Right on the day the contract is concluded, the tenant of the apartment must ask the owner to show a fresh statement from your personal account. Such a document will give the employer information about the debt for services rendered. public utilities, as well as about people registered at this address.

The apartment must be debt-free and without registered citizens.

Special attention attention should be paid to the rights and responsibilities of both .

In particular, you should set control visit regime of a rented apartment by its owner.

The key question is. It is imperative to indicate who is responsible for paying utility bills, telephone communication, Internet and other services (you can find out about that in our article).

Any transfer of money. There is an opinion that the requirement of such a document can be regarded as lack of trust on the part of the employer. But distrust of a stranger, to whom the money is transferred is quite understandable.

To confirm that the agreement has entered into force, the parties sign. This document must contain information that the tenant was given the residential premises for use, and he accepted it, having no complaints. From now on all responsibility for the safety of the apartment and property in it falls on the tenant.

In addition, the transfer deed includes the property that is provided along with the housing.

A signed agreement, which involves renting out housing for 12 months or more, follows in Rosreestr.

Although the responsibility to do this lies with the property owner, the tenant should also ensure that this formality is completed.

The premises cannot be sold, exchanged or mortgaged while the rental agreement is in force. are not subject to registration.

The contract is legal document. Therefore, each change in the terms of employment should be formalized accordingly. Most often the owner of the apartment and the tenant sign the housing agreement, preserving the remaining conditions.

More detailed information You can read about the design in a special section.

Significance of the agreement

Is it possible to rent an apartment? without an agreement?

Tenants often believe that signing an agreement and processing other documents is just bureaucratic red tape that makes no sense for the average person.

In most cases, this is true, because the relationship between the owner and the tenant proceeds without conflict. However, the legal registration of housing rental is carried out to protect the interests of the parties in case of disagreement.

For example, a homeowner wants break the lease housing because he has found new tenants or wants to use the premises himself. Or the owner decided significantly increase rent due to changed economic conditions.

How to protect yourself in such a situation, to the employer, if there is no contract? What are the dangers of not having a contract? How to return the advance for the next month or the deposit amount if there are no corresponding receipts? You should think about these questions before problems arise, because then it will be too late.

Signing the contract and related documents will relieve the tenant of the property from many problems in the future. In the registration procedure itself, if you look at it, there is nothing complicated.

Completing Recruitment

Rental ends apartments due to the expiration of the contract or this agreement.

At the end of the rental relationship, the owner of the apartment must return the deposit, if any was paid.

The parties must also sign acceptance certificate premises from the tenant to its owner. This will ensure complete fulfillment of mutual obligations and the absence of claims.

Special cases

Repair against payment

Is it possible to rent for repairs? There are rental offers on the real estate market. illiquid housing without repair.

People who are in a cramped financial situation agree to such options, hoping save money.

How to apply? In such a situation one should conclude additional agreement to the rental agreement, which would stipulate what kind of repairs should be made and within what time frame. It is also advisable to agree on the approximate cost of such work.

Tenants should be prepared for the fact that the owner of the residential premises will not be prepared for the entire cost of repairs and materials. take into account when charging.

Some of the finishing may seem too expensive to the apartment owner, and the price for the labor of hired builders may seem unreasonably high. In addition, a renovated apartment can be rented out at a much higher price, so the tenant should take into account possible eviction.

To avoid problems, you must spell out in detail conditions for carrying out repairs and calculating their cost. The lease agreement should be concluded for the maximum possible period.

It’s worth thinking about whether it makes any sense to live in an apartment and pay for it when the premises are constantly being renovated.

Rent a private room

You should find out who owns the rest of the area. If the apartment is owned by one person, then you can follow the algorithm previously proposed.

In the case where the property is divided into shares owned by several persons, it is necessary to make sure that the room is designed as a separate living space.

If this does not happen, then when drawing up the contract it will be necessary obtain consent all people who have shares in such an apartment.

The consent of other residents is not required.

Not all homeowners have a positive attitude towards having a tenant young children.

They rightly believe that a growing child will inevitably ruin the wallpaper, damage the furniture, and that in the end it will be necessary correct the owner at his own expense.

Employers with children should be sensitive to this problem. When agreeing on rental terms, it is recommended tell the owner honestly about a small child.

The homeowner's fears will be allayed posted bail for damage to property and the provision of the contract on the obligation of tenants to pay in full for damage caused during their stay to the decoration of the apartment, furniture and household appliances (read about what it means when renting an apartment).

What to look for?

Let's highlight a few main points that will help you do right choice when renting housing:

Location. Explore the area adjacent to your house, the infrastructure, and talk to neighbors, if possible.
Condition of the premises. The rented apartment must be clean, have working windows, doors, plumbing and furniture.
Owner. Make sure the person negotiating the lease has the authority to do so. Check your passport, power of attorney (if you are dealing with the owner’s representative), read the title documents, request an extract about the owner of the apartment from the Unified State Register.
Agreement. Do not agree to give money until the relevant documents are signed.
Pay. Carefully discuss what the tenant pays for, write down in the contract the cost of one month of accommodation and the procedure for changing it.

Money should be transferred only upon receipt of a document confirming payment (receipt).

Additional agreements. Any change in the terms of the agreement, whether it be the amount of payment or the duration of the lease, must be in writing.

Renting housing is not as complicated as it might seem at first glance.

This section presents comprehensive information, which a potential tenant will need.

If any provisions remain unclear, you can always ask a question using the field at the bottom of the page.

Hello to everyone who visited the website of the popular business magazine HeatherBeaver! This is the permanent author of the resource - Denis Kuderin.

The topic of the new publication is rental housing. If you want to rent an apartment, a dorm room, a mansion on the seashore or other real estate, then our article will help you do this as quickly as possible and at minimal cost.

Today you will learn:

How to rent a one-room apartment or room without intermediaries, so as not to be deceived?
Is it possible to rent an apartment for a day, hour or night?
How is the contract concluded if I rent an apartment daily from the owner?

An additional bonus for those who read the article to the end is an overview of the most reliable and inexpensive real estate offices that will help you solve your housing problem competently, quickly and safely.

What is the best way to rent an apartment - through a real estate agency or on your own?
How to find an apartment without intermediaries - 4 proven methods
- Method 1. Via the Internet
- Method 2. Using newspapers and magazines
- Method 3. Through ads
- Method 4. Among friends and acquaintances
How to rent an apartment from the owner - step-by-step instruction for newbies
- Step 1. Looking for suitable options
- Step 2. Contact the author of the ad
- Step 3. We arrange a meeting and inspect the property
- Step 4. Conclude a lease agreement
- Step 5. Record the meter readings at the time of conclusion of the contract
Who will help remove nice apartment– review of TOP 5 real estate agencies
How to avoid becoming a victim of scammers - 4 useful tips for renters
- Tip 1. Be sure to check the availability of documents for the apartment
- Tip 2. Cooperate with the landlord only through an agreement
- Tip 3. Don’t pay a deposit before the transaction is completed
- Tip 4. When collaborating with an agency, be sure to check it
Conclusion

1. What is the best way to rent an apartment - through a real estate agency or on your own?

Almost every adult has rented an apartment at least once in their life. Personally, I did this four times before I got my own place. Twice I rented living space on my own and twice through intermediaries. Both options have their advantages and disadvantages.

The main advice I can give to beginners is that if you need to rent an apartment urgently (for example, the owners ask you to move out of your previous living space within a few days), go through an agency.

No matter how many sites you crawl, how many newspapers with advertisements you read from cover to cover, companies still have a larger database, and most importantly, their information is systematized.

But if the deadlines are not tight, and you can start searching efficiently and carefully, look for housing yourself. The only condition is that you must have at least minimal experience in matters of this kind. There are a lot of scammers in the housing market, as well as those who simply want to push stale or substandard goods to dummies.

The rental process has many nuances. Only an experienced, sensible and reasonable person can take them all into account. The average tenant does not always fit this definition. Therefore, he often overpays rather than renting housing to benefit his own budget.

Example

Each property owner understands phrases like “apartment in good condition” or “apartment after renovation” in his own way.

For some, a good condition is the absence of leaks in the plumbing system and holes in the ceiling, and such little things as the lack of sockets, a faulty shower and wooden windows with cracks in the finger can not be taken into account. Some people believe that the “after repair” period lasts 5-10 years. Or vice versa, the work has just been completed, and the new residents will have to do the cleaning.

Therefore, each apartment needs to be worked out at the “telephone” stage. Otherwise, all your time will be spent exploring options that will seriously damage your faith in humanity, human reason and justice.

However, cooperation with an agency does not always guarantee the highest quality. Real estate offices are different. They should be chosen carefully and wisely as a future life partner. There are companies for which client satisfaction is a matter of prestige, and there are those that don’t care where and how you will live, the main thing is to get a percentage for intermediary services.

The best way to rent an apartment is to rent living space from people you have known for a long time, but this opportunity is not always available and not everyone has it.

I will voice three main criteria when choosing rental housing: comfort, safety, clear terms of the rental agreement. If you are able to get such an object without involving intermediaries, good luck.

If you doubt your abilities, look for a reliable, decent, proven realtor. Don’t smile skeptically after reading the last phrase - such specialists really exist, you just need to know where they live.

Read a detailed article on the topic of choosing an intermediary - “Real Estate Agency”.

In the table, the main pros and cons of housing search methods are presented in visual form:

A few words about short-term rentals. Today at major cities There are practically no aunties and grandmothers offering inexpensive housing at train stations to visitors and out-of-towners. This niche has been completely occupied by real estate offices.

True, there is a way for the advanced - short-term rental of private apartments via the Internet. On a special website, you book accommodation in advance for a specified period, pay a fee and arrive at the place at the appointed time. The apartment can be rented for weeks, days, hours.

Sometimes such issues are dealt with by professional private realtors. You can easily find the specialist you need online. Just first check the qualifications of this person through all possible channels.

2. How to find an apartment without intermediaries - 4 proven methods

If you have chosen the “lone gunman” path and do not need helpers, first decide how you will search for the object you need.

There are 4 proven methods - I will describe each of them in detail.

Method 1. Via the Internet

Almost everyone today has a computer or smartphone with Internet access. The network has a sufficient number of free resources on which everyone can publish their advertisements for the sale, purchase and rental of housing of any size, type and price category.

You need to study the offers and choose the appropriate options. True, it is necessary first to separate the “wheat from the chaff” - to exclude advertisements from intermediaries.

To do this, after selecting an offer, use the option “other apartments of this user.” If the system gives you another 10-20 options, it means that you are dealing with a typical intermediary.

Other methods to distinguish the intermediary from the owner:

Owners usually list in detail the requirements for tenants - how many people and what nationalities can live in the apartment, whether they can have children or pets. Agents are not interested in such nuances - the main thing for them is to quickly rent out housing to anyone.
Owners prefer to rent out apartments for a long term.
The owners know exactly what condition their apartments are in, where the windows in the kitchen face, how long ago the renovation was done, and the names of the neighbors on the site.
When you first call, agents are usually interested in your personal information - they need to expand their client base.

More details about the principles of work of intermediaries can be found in the article “Real estate services”.

Method 2. Using newspapers and magazines

Not everyone has switched to digital format yet, but paper newspapers and magazines are still popular among certain categories of the population. Older or conservative homeowners often advertise in paper newspapers and newsletters.

Method 3. Through ads

If you are looking for housing in a certain area or even in a specific house, it is worth wandering around and reading advertisements at special stands, stops, or even directly at the entrances. This method takes a lot of time, but sometimes it helps to find really inexpensive housing in the area you are interested in.

Method 4. Among friends and acquaintances

A good option for those who have many friends and acquaintances. Renting living space from those with whom you are constantly in contact is a nice thing. I myself rented an apartment from friends, and it was easy, pleasant and cheap. But I want to warn you – you shouldn’t abuse your friendliness: pay on time and monitor the condition of your home.

3. How to rent an apartment from the owner - step-by-step instructions for beginners

And now - step by step guide for those who have never rented a home on their own in their life or have forgotten how to do it.

Step 1. Looking for suitable options

I talked above about how and where to look. Here I would like to note that potential tenants need to decide in advance which apartment and in which areas of the city they would like to live, and look for offers according to the intended parameters. This will reduce the number of unnecessary calls and search time.

Step 2. Contact the author of the ad

In a telephone conversation, please clarify important points, if they were not in the text of the ad: what is the condition of the housing, is there internet, who will pay for the utilities, what furniture and equipment is in the apartment, what kind of tenants do the owners want to find, for how long will the living space be rented out.

It’s okay if you seem like a bore to the owner - the more details are clarified during the telephone conversation, the better. It is also advisable to immediately find out whether the person who is talking to you has documents confirming ownership.

Step 3. We arrange a meeting and inspect the property

Inspecting the apartment is the most important stage of the process. Don’t be shy - look into all corners and ask questions: you live here, and you pay for it.

Check how the plumbing works - you can even ask permission to use the toilet and find out if the toilet is working properly.

Check if the kitchen stove, refrigerator and other appliances are working. If they are faulty, immediately indicate this fact to the owner, or better yet, include it in the lease agreement.

Step 4. Conclude a lease agreement

The culmination of the procedure. Surprisingly, a huge number of adults sign the lease document without reading it. This is a fundamentally wrong position. It is imperative to read the agreement – and not diagonally, but point by point. Ideally, the contract should be shown to a qualified lawyer, but this payable service, and not all tenants have extra money.

Therefore, I will tell you what you should pay attention to in the document:

items relating to prepayment, deposit and payment - how much, on what date, to whom, in what way;
clauses regarding late rent - insist that you will be responsible for late payment only if it was your fault;
points regarding the responsibilities of the parties - it is always useful to know who is responsible for what;
items regarding living conditions;
clauses on payment of utilities;
clauses on early termination of the contract.

Negotiate in advance the procedure for increasing the rent if you are renting for a long time. For example, the owner has the right to increase the rent no more than once a year and by no more than 10%.

Even if you rent an apartment from the owner for a few days, an agreement is needed - to pay exactly as much as you intend and not be responsible for what you should not be responsible for.

Read about the specific features of renting luxury housing in the relevant publication.

Step 5. Record the meter readings at the time of conclusion of the contract

Be sure to record the electricity and water meter readings at the time of signing the contract. You don’t want to pay off the debts of past tenants, do you?

If there is a utility debt, the contract must indicate the amount that the owner undertakes to pay out of his own pocket.

If some points are unclear to you, you should clarify them in advance. To do this, take advantage of free legal consultations on the website Pravoved.ru. Thousands of professional lawyers, including specialists in housing issues, cooperate with this resource.

You can contact them directly through the website or at the numbers listed below.

You can get qualified legal support right now - the Pravoved.ru resource operates around the clock. To order services that go beyond the scope of consultation, choose paid legal assistance from the company’s specialists.

If you do not want to rent, but rather quickly sell an apartment, it is useful for you to read the article “Repurchase of real estate”.

4. Who can help you rent a good apartment - review of the TOP 5 real estate agencies

If you don’t have time to search on your own, professional real estate agents will do it for you.

We have selected the five best real estate companies with an impeccable reputation and favorable terms of cooperation.

The Best-Real Estate group of companies has been operating in the housing market since 1992. This is one of the leaders among real estate agencies in the capital. The company has branches in dozens of cities in the Russian Federation and is engaged in any real estate transactions, including renting out apartments to individuals for any period of time.

The company employs only experienced agents with big amount successfully closed transactions. Our specialists will help you quickly find the right accommodation on your terms. The agency's database contains hundreds of options in all areas of Moscow or the city in which you live.

The Moscow City Real Estate Service has 20 years of experience in the housing market. This is a universal agency that works with all types of real estate and provides qualified intermediary services in any housing transactions.

Do you want to rent an apartment for a day, six months, 5 years? At your service are free consultations, quick selection of current options, professional preparation of a lease agreement, and legal support of the transaction at all stages.

The Miel holding was founded in 1990. It is the oldest real estate company in Russia. The organization’s employees will help you rent, buy and sell living space in Moscow and other cities of the Russian Federation on the most favorable terms for the client. The company has the largest real estate database in the country and 120 offices in the capital alone.

Agents will help you rent an apartment in the city, suburb, or in any area. Each transaction is reviewed by the company's internal legal department. In addition to ordinary apartments, the office's database includes luxury housing, cottages, and VIP apartments.

4) Inkom

The largest real estate company in the Russian Federation with more than a quarter of a century of experience. Leader of the Moscow real estate market. In addition to intermediary services, it provides assistance in expert assessment of properties and mortgage lending. The staff consists of exclusively professional agents, each of whom specializes in a specific area of real estate services.

Those wishing to rent housing through Inkom do not have to worry about fraud or pitfalls: the company works only with “clean” properties and closely monitors the legal integrity of the rental agreement.

The basic principle of the organization is responsibility to each client and full satisfaction of his requests. In its activities, the company uses the most current methods and technologies. Each Alma employee is well versed in current trends in the real estate market and has more than one successfully closed transaction to his credit.

Company advantages:

extensive database of objects;
mandatory consideration of the interests and wishes of clients;
support of transactions at all stages;
instant acceptance of the application;
guarantee of results.

The site contains detailed material about the methods and principles of real estate agencies.

5. How to avoid becoming a victim of scammers - 4 useful tips for renters

It doesn’t matter which way you look for an apartment - on your own or with an intermediary - you are not immune from deception. There is a lot of money in the housing sector, which means there are more than enough people who want to make money at someone else’s expense.

Some useful tips those who care about their own financial security.

Tip 1. Be sure to check the availability of documents for the apartment

The advice is obvious, but for some reason many people neglect it.

And then it turns out that the person who rented the apartment to you and received money for it is not the owner of the apartment at all, but his second cousin. Or a complete stranger who somehow gained access to the object.

Tip 2. Cooperate with the landlord only through an agreement

Any real estate transactions are documented. Even if you rent housing for just a week or a day, this must be recorded in an official document.

If the agent or apartment owner delays drawing up the contract, citing unclear reasons, look for another landlord.

No contract - no transaction, prepayment, advance payment and depositing funds into someone else's deposit. No verbal agreements, no “let’s pay now and sign next week.”

The keys must be handed over to you directly at the site. At the same time, immediately check whether these keys fit the locks.

Tip 4. When collaborating with an agency, be sure to check it

The nicest looking person - even if it's a pretty young girl who smiles at every word you say - may turn out to be a fraud.

If you work with an agent, be sure to check him out - call the office he represents and ask directly if they have such and such an employee on their staff. It's better to be safe than to become a victim of a scam.

To consolidate the material, watch a short video on the topic of the article.

6. Conclusion

Let's summarize. Renting an apartment is not as easy as it might seem at first glance. To rent a property on favorable conditions, you need to study all the nuances and features of the procedure in advance. And if you don’t have the experience, time, or desire to do this yourself, hire an experienced and reliable agent.

The team of our magazine wishes our readers success in any real estate transactions! We would be grateful if you rate and comment on this article. See you again!

Fresh renovation, cleanliness, a smiling and friendly owner and, most importantly, a very attractive price - all this is by no means a reason for a tenant looking for housing to immediately move into an apartment, much less pay a deposit three months in advance. The RIA Real Estate website has collected five expert tips that will allow you to learn about the intricacies of renting and not be left with your nose, and what’s more, on the street.

Check the documents for the apartment

There are several types of fraudulent activities on the part of landlords that all those who are looking for rental housing should be aware of.

For example, says Maria Baskova, head of the rental department of the ABC Zhilya company, in rental relations there is such a thing as subleasing of housing - when the tenant rents out the apartment to third parties, of course, without informing the owner. According to the agency's interlocutor, in this case the fraudster rents an apartment by the day, say, for seven days. During this time, he manages to resell it to several employers at a price significantly lower than the market price, but, having received an advance payment for several months, goes into hiding. Failed apartment tenants are left without money and without housing.

The means of “self-defense” in this case are quite banal and simple. In order not to fall for a scammer, before paying money, make sure that the apartment belongs to the owner, insists Vadim Cherdantsev, senior lawyer of the Land. Real Estate. Construction practice of the Cliff law firm. "Such information can be obtained on the basis of an extract from the Unified State Register of Rights to Real Estate. To obtain it, you need to submit a corresponding request to the territorial division of the Office of the Federal Service for State Registration, Cadastre and Cartography or (Rosreestr), pay 200 rubles of state duty and wait only 5 days. In Moscow, you can also contact a multifunctional center; any citizen can request an extract,” explains the lawyer.

When renting an apartment, the tenant also has the right to demand a passport from the owner, and, after checking the documents for the apartment, enter into a rental agreement with the owner of the apartment, which must specify the main wishes, requirements and responsibilities of the parties, adds Baskova. And, of course, you only need to give money against a receipt, she emphasizes.

How to properly draw up a rental agreement. Advice >>>

Specify the rental period in the contract

“In the spring-summer period, with the appearance of seasonal apartments on the rental market, there are owners who give out the rental of their seasonal apartment for an apartment that is rented for a long time. As a result, the tenant is forced, after a few months, to look for housing again and move,” leads Baskov is another example of a tenant being deceived.

In order to avoid such an unpleasant situation, you must immediately insist on concluding a written contract indicating the terms of hire.

By the way, Cherdantsev notes, if the term is not reflected in the rental agreement, it is considered to be concluded for five years. After the conclusion of the contract, the owner will no longer be able to simply kick out the tenant and terminate the contract. In case of any disagreement between the parties, the contract is terminated only in court, the lawyer clarifies.

Don't go to view an apartment alone

Be friendly, but keep your distance from the owner

As for the behavior of the employer, according to Baskova, there is no need to invent anything or specially adapt to the landlord, the main thing is to be calm and friendly. “Never react violently to possible changes in the price or rental terms; if you structure the conversation correctly and calmly, the result, as a rule, will be in your favor,” Baskova is convinced.

Gutsu advises the employer to treat rented apartment, as if it were your own, don’t be afraid to nail down a shelf or call a plumber again. But what exactly is not needed, in her opinion, is excessive attention, tea parties and gifts to the owner of the apartment. As in any business, in rental relations it is important to show yourself as responsible, diligent, with a good memory, but at the same time “keep your distance,” the realtor notes.