Renting an Apartment in Washington DC? Here's What to Look For
It’s completely normal to feel lost when you’re apartment hunting in Washington DC, every state has different prices and rules when it comes to tenants. The first thing that might be on your mind is that this state is probably expensive and not the most economic space to live in, which means that your rent will be a bit expensive. Well, that’s only partially true because there are in fact affordable apartments that you can find there, you might not even need a roommate to split the cost of rent with.
If you think you don’t have enough information about apartments there, then maybe you should check out this list.
Decrease your Rent
You probably don’t hear this a lot, but you get to ask your landlord to decrease the rent. How great is that? Here’s how it works, if you’ve already moved in and you haven’t been in that apartment for more than a year and your landlord increases the rent then you can do certain things to decrease it. For instance, you can contact the D.C office of the Tenant Advocate and report the sudden change in price. You should also know that there is a rent-stabilization law in D.C which clearly states that landlords cannot increase the rent price before the 12-month mark. So, you could confront your landlord and tell him that it’s illegal so that he might back off.
Low-Cost Apartments
One of the things that might be weighing on your head is how you’re going to afford a place in D.C. You have the right to be concerned, but you might be less worried when you learn that there are a lot of affordable apartments in Washington DC that are not located in bad neighborhoods. There are a lot of websites that you can check out when you’re looking for a cheap apartment and the best thing is that your affordable apartment can become even cheaper when you find a roommate!
The Do’s and Don’t List
Finally, there are a bunch of things you should know before moving into your new place. One, your landlord isn’t allowed to ask you to leave when your lease expires; you’re welcomed to stay so long as you’re paying rent. Two, if you were to be evicted then your landlord must give you 30 days to fix the problem and if it’s not fixed by then, then he can ask you to leave. Finally, you need to know that you’ll be paying for parking space and lock changes alongside the rent money.
All in all, moving can be a stressful situation, especially when you’re in a new place. However, you should know that there are a lot of perks that come with living in D.C. The apartments there are known to be very clean and special. They almost always have a view that you can gaze at as much as you’d like. There are also plenty of affordable apartments, so you don’t need to worry about spending a lot of money on rent.
