What is the best way to rent an apartment? What to check before renting an apartment: from the advertisement to the subtleties of the contract. When the apartment owner is a scammer

The housing issue for Russian citizens is particularly acute. Real estate is expensive. Not everyone is able to purchase a home, even with a mortgage. An alternative is to rent real estate daily or for long term. However, not all premises owners and organizations acting as intermediaries conscientiously fulfill their obligations.

Understanding how to rent an apartment without getting scammed, a person must take into account a whole list of different factors. Experts advise studying the types of fraud. This will help a person find out in advance that a dishonest act is planned against him. Then you need to familiarize yourself with a competent scheme for renting residential premises. Especially in order to help tenants prevent violation of their rights, we have prepared a list of tips that will allow you to avoid fraud when drawing up a rental agreement. We’ll talk further about what types of fraud exist, how to properly search through a real estate agency, and what to do to competently rent a room on your own.

Faced with the need to rent housing for a day or for a long period, people usually look for advertisements on Avito or contact a real estate agency. Experts advise using the services of only trusted organizations. Ideally, you should be guided by the advice of friends.

Having drawn up an agreement with a client, a representative of the organization usually performs the following actions:

Finds an apartment that meets the client's requirements.
Coordinates with the owner of the premises the time and date of inspection of the property, as well as other nuances.
Visits the apartment with the client.
Conducts all negotiations if the parties decide to enter into a rental agreement.
Checks the documents provided by the owner of the property confirming the existence of ownership rights.
Concludes the rental agreement and prepares the transfer and acceptance certificate of the property.

The services of agency employees are paid. The citizen will have to pay the specialist 100% of the rent.

What scams can you encounter when renting a home?

When figuring out how to properly rent an apartment for a long period of time, a person must take into account the fact that in the process of performing the action one may encounter fraud. So, the photo of the room may not correspond to reality. If a well-renovated apartment is offered at a low cost, this should alert you.

Photos that show an elite interior, but the apartment is rented at a price below the market price, are usually taken from the Internet. Having seen such an advertisement, a person should understand that he has encountered scammers. When meeting with the client, the landlord may say that the apartment has already been rented. As an alternative, a citizen may be offered other real estate, the quality of which is significantly lower.

However, the above rule is not always followed. In order not to refuse a truly profitable offer due to doubts, experts advise finding out where the pictures were taken from. To do this, you can use the Google Images service.

The apartment can be rented several times. It must be taken into account that persons who rent premises cannot move other people in and charge rent from them. When concluding an agreement with the owner of the premises, it is imperative to ask him to provide documents confirming the existence of ownership rights. There is a fee for inspection. It must be taken into account that no one has the right to demand provision Money only so that the client could view the premises.

The apartment doesn't exist. Experts advise carefully checking the data contained in the contract, even if the realtor himself is involved in its execution. There are cases when the address specified in the contract does not exist. In this case, the client is forced to pay rent without receiving housing.

Such actions are illegal. Finding himself in such a situation, a person has the right to terminate the contract unilaterally. If the acceptance certificate has not been drawn up, the person does not have to worry about paying for the apartment.

Fraudulent realtors who have entered into an agreement with a citizen can charge a fee and then simply provide him with several landlord numbers without intending to accompany the transaction themselves. The citizen who signed the agreement is invited to purchase a customer base. The fraud method is quite new, so the risk increases. It consists in the fact that a person wishing to rent an apartment is offered to buy a database of premises owners. Access to it is provided online.

The realtor usually states that it will be updated daily. However, after the fee is paid, the client will only see a site with outdated information. The client can try to protect himself from unscrupulous realtors. To do this, you must first study reviews about the selected agency. The actions can be performed via the Internet. If an organization has been involved in some kind of fraud for a long time, information about it will most likely be contained on the World Wide Web.

Self-rental apartment

If a person wants to rent a room on his own, he must figure out in advance what he needs to know when renting an apartment from the owner. First of all, you need to carefully study the ad. Then you will have to independently visit all the rooms you like. This method will allow you to save on realtor fees. However, it is necessary to find out in advance what a number of pitfalls are associated with.

How to check an apartment before signing a contract?

Before renting a premises, you need to make sure that it is legally clear.

To do this, you need to ask the owner of the premises for the following documents:

passport;
certificate confirming ownership;
papers on the basis of which ownership rights were transferred to the owner of the premises (for example, a purchase and sale agreement).

If the rental of premises is carried out through a representative of the owner, in addition to the standard list of papers, a power of attorney must be attached. It is certified by a notary. Additionally, you need to make sure that there are no debts for utility services. To do this, you need to check your payment receipts. Actions must be taken before the contract is concluded.

Consent of other apartment owners

If several citizens own the premises, all of them must agree to rent out the apartment. The rule also applies to minors if they are already 14 years old.

The lease agreement must also contain the signatures of all owners of the premises and their representatives.

If a room is rented in a communal apartment, all neighbors must consent to the action. The lessor is responsible for preparing the relevant documentation. It is his responsibility to prepare and provide the citizen with a document regulating the rules for using the apartment. The contract reflects which room is assigned to which owner. All this will allow the tenant to avoid possible conflicts.

Apartment rental agreement: how to draw it up correctly?

When figuring out what to pay attention to when renting an apartment, you first need to correctly draw up a contract. It must be legally correct. All features of the interaction between the landlord and the tenant depend on the provisions of the document. For a document to be considered valid, it must contain a number of mandatory information.

The document must include:

terms of the contract;
the amount of the monthly rent for the apartment;
the period for which the housing is rented;
conditions under which housing fees may be revised;
persons who may live in the apartment together with the tenant;
terms of termination of the contract;
conditions for inspections by the owner of the rented premises.

The contract must indicate the date of execution. The parties to the transaction sign the completed document.

There is no standard form of agreement. It is compiled individually in each specific case.

To make it easier to draw up an agreement, parties to the transaction can use a ready-made document form. It is recommended to fill out the paper based on the sample.

Carrying out an inventory

An inventory of the property should be included as an annex to the rental agreement for an apartment in Moscow or another city. The document records all the things that are transferred to the citizen for temporary use.

The owner of the home has the right to indicate the following property in the inventory:

household appliances;
furniture;
kitchen utensils;
underwear;
carpets;
other things that are provided to tenants.

If the above items are damaged or lost, the citizen renting the apartment will have to restore their value. If this happens to property that was not indicated in the inventory, the owner of the apartment does not have the right to make claims against the citizen.

How to rent an apartment correctly?

To protect yourself as much as possible from possible fraud, you need to rent the premises correctly. It is imperative to check whether the owner has the right to rent out the property. Then you need to familiarize yourself with the documents for the apartment. You need to find out for yourself where you can find the owner in case of unforeseen circumstances. It is imperative to write down his phone number.

If there is no Internet in the apartment, and a citizen wants to connect it, it is imperative to discuss the conditions under which the action will be carried out.

When inspecting the apartment, you need to pay attention to the condition of the plumbing and electrical wiring. You need to make sure that the plugs are not knocked out when turning on the devices. Additionally, you should make sure that there are no insects in the apartment. If a person discovers any problems, but he likes the housing, it is necessary to immediately clarify at whose expense the elimination of existing problems will be carried out. A citizen should not be afraid to ask questions and ask for information of interest. This will allow you to rent an apartment safely and avoid most pitfalls.

The need to rent housing arises in different cases. An apartment is needed for a long time by 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. The low price against the backdrop of first-class repairs should alert you.

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 of 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 database of properties throughout 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 searched in the “private” section. It is possible to receive 100% confirmation that the apartment is being rented 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 property inventory 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

It is best to pay the deposit and monthly payment by bank transfer. 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.

Among the disadvantages is the presence 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 may 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.

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Carry out a thorough inspection - the presence of repairs and their compliance with the specifications stated over the phone or on the website, the condition of the plumbing and household appliances, the strength of the Internet connection, if any. Check the doors and drawers of each cabinet, open and close the windows, sit on chairs. Pay special attention to double-glazed windows - if there is blowing from the cracks of the window, then winter time this will become a problem. Correcting loose windows costs 3,000 rubles per frame.

If you have a friend who does apartment renovations, be sure to take him with you. Craftsmen have a keen eye for defects in repairs, crookedly installed doors, outdated plumbing, leaking ceilings, swollen laminate flooring.

Based on such an inspection, with due persistence, you can achieve a discount. Ask your neighbors and the concierge. Find out who lived in the apartment before you, and whether tenants change often. Do not hesitate to look at the housing office to clarify the name of the owner of the property you are interested in. If you are happy with everything, proceed to concluding a contract.

If you find any problems - a skewed door, a film from sunlight stuck on the glass - ask the owner to write a receipt in which he undertakes to correct all the defects within a specified period.

Draw up a detailed agreement

How to rent an apartment correctly without intermediaries, without risk? With a detailed contract. You can take examples from the Internet as a guide; the landlord may also have such paper at the ready. But experts recommend adjusting the contract to suit you, reflecting all the nuances that could cause strife. Rely on ch. 35 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation.

What should be in the lease agreement:

passport details of both parties;
description of the apartment with address, square footage, condition and inventory of contents;
rental period;
the price of rent per month, the procedure for paying it (if you plan to pay by bank transfer, be sure to indicate the number of the bank account to which the funds will go);
rent review terms, early termination contracts;
information about those who have the right to live with you in the apartment (if this is assumed, for example, wife/husband).

Never give money on your word of honor - take a receipt; in case of attempted deception or other misunderstandings, it will be the only proof that you paid for housing.

If the owner wants to charge you for the first and last month immediately (common practice) or several months in advance, also reflect this in the contract. Specify the rights and obligations of the parties, the amount of fines and penalties for violations of clauses of the agreement and the procedure for their payment. We recommend indicating the number and order of visits to the property by the owner for inspection, entering into the document the meter readings at the time of concluding the contract, and agreeing in writing who pays for what utilities and how. If you have an Internet cable, check the Internet payment procedure.

Check the owner’s contacts (phone number, address), find out where to look for him in the event of force majeure. It is worth asking for the contact information of the owner’s closest relatives, in case he turns out to be unavailable for several days.

Contract - how to draw it up correctly when renting an apartment on your own for a daily or long-term basis? Remember: if the apartment has several owners, the agreement must contain the signatures of each of them (or their representatives), indicating their agreement to rent out this property. We are talking only about owners who have reached the age of 14. If the owners include children under 14 years of age, then permission to rent out the apartment from the guardianship authorities must be attached to the agreement.

If the landlord has provided his documents and papers for the apartment and they are in order, the contract can be concluded right on the spot; it is not necessary to notarize it. But such registration with a lawyer will protect you from illegal actions, plus the notary will conduct an additional check for the presence of encumbrances on the real estate you are interested in. You decide.

You can go to inspect apartments with an already prepared contract with all the data about you, in which you just need to enter information about the landlord and the housing itself.

Separately about the inventory of property

Do not neglect this clause of the contract. Indicate in detail what kind of furniture and appliances are in the apartment you want to rent, and what condition they are in; this is the right approach, especially if you plan to live in it for a long time. Prudence in inventory will protect you from possible fraud with accusations of theft of something that did not exist. You can also obtain written permission from the owner for cosmetic changes (nailing a shelf, hanging a picture). We recommend indicating that the elimination of current faults lies with the owner, and not with you (leaking taps/plumbing), or that such work will be carried out at his expense. For example, such expenses can be deducted from the monthly rent.

Pay special attention detailed description the shortcomings of the apartment you are renting: where things are cracked, coming off or not working, point by point.

With an agency or without intermediaries?

We agree that it is better to buy and rent an apartment, both daily and long-term, with the help of real estate offices. Transactions with the participation of professionals are safer, the base is wider. An example is our filter: a huge selection of real estate from trusted developers, convenient sorting, professional advice:

When contacting a realtor, indicate what kind of housing you are looking for, what budget and time frame you expect. Any organization will provide you with a review of options, transaction support, help you draw up a competent contract, and check the documents of both the landlord and his apartment. Professional companies will help you get what you want faster and will cut off offers from unreliable landlords. When choosing an organization, pay attention to its reputation and time in the industry. Ask your friends what companies they used. Give preference to an office that takes a fee upon the client’s check-in into the rented living space. All organizations asking for advance payment for their services are scammers!

Cooperation with several realtors at once will not bring the desired results. Most real estate companies use the same real estate database. “Chasing” several people around the city using one source is pointless.

Never give advance payment for services - there is a high chance of running into scammers who will either give you an outdated or random database, charging a fee for “informing”, or take a reward for a certain period of work, for which “for some reason” there is no suitable option for you. If a company has its own legal department, this is a good sign. When contacting the office, ask for a certificate of state registration of the company. If you want to rent an apartment yourself, be prepared to figure out how to negotiate correctly, as well as study the Civil Code of the Russian Federation and study the nuances of the rental market. It's labor-intensive, but doable. But even in this case, we recommend that you consult a lawyer when drawing up a contract.

When collaborating with a realtor, do not name the maximum amount you are willing to pay per month for housing, otherwise you most likely will not receive cheaper offers at all.

Be careful and confident. Landlords interpret the wording “renovated” and “in good condition” to their advantage. Find out when the repairs were made, what they were, and what is meant by “good condition” of the property. This way you will weed out unsuitable options even at the stage of calling or corresponding online. If the ad indicates the possibility of bargaining, start lowering the price over the phone, so you will immediately know whether the person is really ready to give a discount or if this is a trick.

Be carefull. If you are renting an apartment yourself and for the first time, before you sign the contract, do not take money with you - come to inspect the apartment without it and, preferably, not alone. There are cases of theft and extortion - a group of marginal racketeers may be waiting for a person anticipating a successful deal and the imminent move-in of a person at the facility.

First, you should carefully inspect the property, discuss all the nuances with the owner, and calculate the exact amount required to sign the contract. Ask the homeowner to wait so you can go to the nearest ATM and withdraw money. Act calmly - if you do not have any suspicions about the reliability of the owner, then feel free to return and pay the rent. When signing the contract and paying, it is better to have a witness on your side.

How to rent cheaper: what you can profit from

Renting housing on the top and first floors in real estate in the middle price segment is cheaper, since the demand for it is lower.

Take a closer look at the first floor. In old houses everyone avoids it. In new homes, the habit and stereotype persists. But in new houses, the first floor, on the contrary, is a very good solution. You can jump as much as you like, there is no one below.

If you have limited funds, look for unfurnished options in residential areas Leningrad region.

By choosing a format with sharing with the owners, you will spend 2-4 times less than on separate housing.

Don’t be capricious over trifles, weeding out “borderline” options right away - you risk stretching out your search for housing for many weeks or months. Taking a long time to decide after viewing an apartment, especially if the cost is low, you may miss your chance. But the landlord can manipulate this, keep your sanity. Do not give money in advance under any circumstances, no matter how tempting the offer may be. If you are considering the most popular segment - one-room apartments at an average market price - try to get into the first line of viewing, such options are snapped up quickly.

How to properly research the apartment you want to rent:

do not hesitate to look in closets and under mattresses (for bedbugs, ants and cockroaches);
feel free to arrange test drives of plumbing fixtures and household appliances - you will use them, and after signing the contract, non-working owners are not very willing to undertake repairs to the equipment;
check to see if the plugs will blow out if you turn on the number of electrical devices you need (this happens);
inspect the windows and balcony for cracks.

When you sign the contract, you will be given keys - do not hesitate to check directly with the landlord whether they fit the door and how the locks work.

How to rent an apartment: to summarize

Finding rental housing is not a problem; renting it competently and safely is where the main difficulty lies. To save time, nerves and protect yourself from scammers, we recommend contacting trusted real estate companies that provide legal support for transactions. If you still decide to rent on your own, check everything carefully, consult with a lawyer before signing the contract, so as not to be left without money and without housing. Be careful, attentive and patient. Good luck searching!

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The concept of renting residential premises. Renting housing is considered to be the case when one person is ready to live for a certain fee in the apartment of another person who is the full owner (Article 671 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation). The parties in this case are called:

The landlord is the owner of the rented apartment (who the landlord or lessor is, as well as his rights and obligations are described in).
Tenant – a person renting an apartment.

By law, renting an apartment must be registered with the tax service.. According to Article 674 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation, if it is concluded on short term(less than one year), then its registration with the tax service is not necessary (short-term rental agreements are described in). But if the contract is long-term, then it must be submitted for registration within one month from the date of signing.

Article 674 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation. Residential tenancy agreement form

The rental agreement for residential premises is concluded in writing.
A restriction (encumbrance) on the right of ownership of residential premises arising on the basis of a lease agreement for such residential premises concluded for a period of at least a year is subject to state registration in the manner established by the law on registration of rights to real estate and transactions with it.

Is it worth filming?

Usually housing is rented when hopeless situations arise.

Most often, such situations are those when there is no home of one’s own or there is one, but the person does not want to live with other people.
Or when a student moves to a foreign city, but there is no hostel there.
Or when the children grew up and decided to move away from their parents.

It is worth renting an apartment if a person is aware that he will not only have to live in this place, but also pay for rent and, possibly, utilities.

You need to be prepared that in case of the slightest delay, you will be asked to move out immediately.

What is better: renting a home or taking out a mortgage?

What is more profitable to rent an apartment or take out a mortgage?:

On the one hand, it’s better to take out a mortgage loan and even if you pay money, and not a small one, at least for housing, the rightful owner of which you will later become! The mortgage amount will not be small, but in the end you will be left with an apartment.
On the other hand, taking out a mortgage loan automatically obliges you to be more attentive and careful with your work, and if any unforeseen situations arise related to the apartment, you as the owner will have to deal with it.

Therefore, many people want to avoid a large burden of responsibility, both moral and financial, by choosing to rent an apartment for many years. But in this case, it is worth remembering that you are paying a stranger, and after everything you will be left with nothing.

At what age can you become a renter?

At what age can you rent an apartment? The employer has the right to enter into contracts strictly from the age of eighteen. Of course, there are cases when a citizen officially assumes full legal capacity until adulthood.

Usually the exception is marriage before the age of eighteen. In this case, the teenager can be fully capable and enter into any contracts (Article 21 of the Civil Code).

Article 21 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation. Citizen's capacity

The ability of a citizen, through his actions, to acquire and exercise civil rights, to create civil responsibilities for himself and to fulfill them (civil capacity) arises in full with the onset of adulthood, that is, upon reaching the age of eighteen.
In cases where the law allows marriage before the age of eighteen, a citizen under eighteen years of age acquires full legal capacity from the time of marriage.
The legal capacity acquired as a result of marriage is retained in full even in the event of divorce before reaching the age of eighteen.
If a marriage is declared invalid, the court may decide that the minor spouse loses full legal capacity from the moment determined by the court.

detailed instructions

How to find your angle that suits you?

What should you pay attention to?

What you need to know when renting an apartment and what to pay attention to:

Pay attention to why the previous tenants moved out of the apartment. Perhaps they simply found a better option or bought their own home, but it may happen that the landlord is a terrible brawler!
Status of utility payments. Large debts can lead to power outages.
On the condition of electrical appliances and household appliances if it is available in the apartment. You need to check it together with the owner. Since landlords often like to blame minor repairs on the tenants.
Local area and view from the window. If there is a bright nightclub sign or a lantern shining opposite the window, most likely you will feel a little uneasy living in the spotlight.

You can fix the problem with thick curtains, but you are unlikely to be able to sleep with an open window near a nightclub.

The procedure for mandatory inspection when renting housing

What should you check when renting an apartment? Be sure to check at the accommodation:

The presence of traces of chalk on the floor, baseboards, behind pipes may indicate living creatures such as cockroaches, ants, woodlice, bedbugs and others.
If there is an automatic air freshener at the entrance to the apartment, you should turn it off and listen to the smells of the apartment. It happens that owners try to mask the smell of dampness or sewage.
The presence of cracks in frames and doors if ordinary wooden windows or poorly installed double-glazed windows are installed. In winter, all the heat will escape through these cracks, causing the apartment to become draughty.
In the case where the apartment is corner, check the joints between the walls, they must be dry. Otherwise, the heat will also blow out, and in winter this corner will also get wet because it does not dry out.
Water pressure. It happens that in old houses the upper floors do not have enough good pressure.

How to control the owner?

How to check the owner of the apartment? In order to establish whether this citizen is really the rightful owner of the apartment that you are going to rent, you need to ask him to provide the relevant documents. What should you do with these papers?:

These papers must indicate on the basis of which the person became the owner of the apartment (legal establishing documents are a purchase and sale agreement, a gift agreement, a court decision, a will, and so on).
Check your passport and compare the details on the title deed. All information from the passport number and series to registration must be identical.
Ask to provide ownership of the property or an extract from the Unified State Register.

Important! Everything needs to be checked more carefully when you are looking for an apartment on your own, as there are many scammers.

It is much safer to contact a trusted real estate agency, where lawyers will check the authenticity and correctness of the documents.

What are the essential questions to ask?

What questions to ask when renting an apartment:

cost of rent;
in what time frame it is carried out;
conditions of the apartment (if the conversation is on the phone);
neighbors surrounding the apartment;
state of repair;
present furniture and household appliances;
apartment delivery deadline.

All other questions are asked when inspecting the apartment, for example, why the former tenants moved out.

And find out how many owners the apartment has. If there is not one owner, but several, then ask if other owners are ready to rent out the apartment. Ask questions about how long in advance you must notify the owner of the apartment about your decision to move out of his living space.

Will he visit the apartment monthly and inspect it, is it possible to delay payment for several days due to certain circumstances, and is the landlord ready to make some concessions on payment (for example, agree on a deferred payment under certain life circumstances).

Important! If the landlord speaks unflatteringly about former tenants and behaves rudely and arrogantly with every question, then such a person can subsequently slander you (even if all the requirements for maintaining and paying for the apartment have been met) when you move out of his apartment!

Legal regulation of rental of residential premises between individuals

The rental of an apartment must be in writing only. This will guarantee that the landlord will not rent it out to you or other third parties.

And also to ensure serious intentions on the part of the tenant about the intention to rent this living space. When renting an apartment, a contract is drawn up in writing, it stipulates how to behave in certain situations, for example, if there is a flood or fire or other circumstances.

If the agreement between the parties occurs orally, it is possible that misunderstandings may arise or that someone simply forgot about something or another.

Is it possible to do without a contract?

It is possible to rent an apartment without a contract, but it is not advisable, since each party will not know their rights and obligations, for example, if the contract states that the owner of the apartment has the right to inspect the apartment no more than once a month, then this will be the case.

And with a verbal agreement, you can say one thing, but in reality it will turn out that he will disturb the employer with his presence on a weekly basis.

Features of housing with and without renovation

So, rental apartments without renovation are usually in new buildings where there is only rough finishing. When inspecting such real estate, you should feel free to ask for a discount for living conditions if the amount is the same as for apartments being renovated.

Usually, owners who want to make money out of nothing don’t agree at first, but after renting out the apartment drags on for months, they willingly make concessions.

When when an apartment requires repairs, you can agree to rent it to pay for the repairs. At the same time, discuss what kind of repairs are required from him and when they will be completed and the rent will resume as usual.

Provided that during the repair work the tenant will also pay for all utilities. Most often, landlords agree to such deals because they can independently make repairs in an apartment where the owner himself does not live for an expensive and long time, but here there is free labor who pays for utilities and makes repairs.

All these aspects should also be written down in the contract from the start of the repair work to its completion and the approximate amount spent, with subsequent sales receipts attached.

With kids

When renting an apartment with small children, it is worthwhile to include clauses in the contract about whether the tenant will compensate for damage to wallpaper or flooring (for example, if the children drew or stuck plasticine, after removing which greasy stains remained).

In any case, the lessor must take into account that renting out an apartment to a family with children, renovations in the apartment may be ruined. Will he be lenient when this factor is discovered or will he ask for compensation for the damage caused?

As for adult children, as a rule, little attention is paid to this, since they can give an account of their actions.

Choosing an agency

When choosing the agency itself, you need to pay attention to both the seriousness of the company and the housing it offers. How to choose agents:

Usually, in order to rent an apartment through an agency, you must first draw up an agreement on the provision of services for the selection of real estate with a realtor, indicate in it the preferences and wishes of the tenant, as well as the amount and period of selection.
After this, the agent selects apartments that suit you and after you agree to rent this or that living space, payment for the agency’s services is given.
Next, a rental agreement is concluded. If the company that selects housing is official, then there will not be any difficulties.

As a rule, serious companies are engaged not only in the selection of housing for rent, but also in sales, as well as other services related to real estate.

Key points

The main key points when renting an apartment:

The amount of rent, who pays for utilities, payment terms (read about the procedure for paying for an apartment under a lease agreement, and how to document rent issues and draw up a payment schedule is described).
Drawing up a rental agreement.
Availability and condition of household appliances and furniture.
The general condition of the apartment and the house as a whole.
Surrounded by neighbors.
Distance of the area from the metro and/or city center.
Presence or absence developed infrastructure(shops, hospitals, schools, kindergartens, etc.).
Availability of connected utilities(autonomous or central heating, hot, cold water, sewerage, Internet, television, home telephone).
Is it possible to rent an apartment with animals/children?

Video on the topic

You can also watch this video on how to rent an apartment correctly:

Conclusion

If essential conditions are met, you can rent housing with comfort for yourself and the owners of the apartment, be calm about your future well-being and not be afraid to come to a house where things are exposed to the street.

How often do we hear stories when someone, trying to rent an apartment, finds an excellent description with colorful photographs, but upon arriving at the place, they discover shabby walls and a “killed” bathroom in a house located half an hour from the metro.

Many people have friends or friends of friends who were simply scammed into renting: they showed the apartment, took a deposit and rent for the first and last month, even gave them the keys. However, upon returning to the apartment, it was discovered that the key no longer fit and the door was tightly closed. The owner with the money evaporates, and the tenant is left almost literally with nothing.

We often hear stories from TV screens about unscrupulous realtors who, promising to find an apartment, take an advance payment from the client, show him several options that absolutely do not correspond to the description and then declare that the terms of the contract have been fulfilled and continue to search for a suitable apartment, and even more so, return no one is collecting money.

No matter how much is said about standard schemes of deception and fraud, Russians continue to get into trouble with enviable consistency. AiF.ru is once again trying to help its readers with advice on how to avoid getting into trouble when renting an apartment. For help, we turned to experts from companies who have been conscientiously helping tenants and landlords find each other for several years now.

Treaty as a panacea

All experts noted the importance of the apartment rental agreement, which is often drawn up incorrectly, and in some cases it is even neglected, relying on the good faith of the owner of the living space.

“Drawing up a lease agreement is an important stage of the transaction. Without this document, all agreements will remain in words, and there is no protection against the tricks of unscrupulous partners. It is extremely important to draw up the rental agreement correctly, in which case the client will have a document that will allow him to defend his interests. In the rental market, this is a very important condition - in the network of unscrupulous partners there are people who decided to save money on this service and did not enter into an agreement (or entered into one with violations). A striking example: a person rents an apartment without checking whether the person who introduced himself as the owner of the apartment has the right to rent it out. For example, if children, wanting to take revenge on their parents, offer housing for rent, or these are people who have nothing to do with the apartment being rented,” I’m sure Svetlana Birina, head of the city real estate and rental department of the NDV-Real Estate company.

On the Internet you can find a large number of standard apartment rental agreements, which are often used by the tenant and the owner of the apartment when concluding a transaction. Experts advise checking such an agreement in any case. AiF.ru told readers about what must be reflected in the document Kirill Kokorin, legal consultant of the apartment rental department "INCOM-Real Estate":

“In order for the rental agreement signed by the parties to be recognized as valid, it must indicate the essential conditions:

1. The name of the residential premises being leased, its characteristics and exact address.

2. Accurate passport details of the tenant and the lessor.

3. Data from documents confirming the ownership rights of the lessor.

4. The amount of rent for an apartment, the procedure and terms of payment.

5. Duration of the rental agreement. If the rental period is not specified, the contract will be considered concluded for 5 years.

6. Data of citizens who will live with the employer.

7. Signatures of the parties to the rental agreement.

However, it is necessary to provide for other equally important conditions of this document, such as the procedure and grounds for early termination of the contract at the initiative or fault of any of the parties; rights and obligations of the parties; liability of the parties both for defects and for damage caused; penalties for the tenant and the lessor; procedure and grounds for settling damage caused to the owner’s property; payments and payment procedure for housing and communal services; guarantees of the parties; the procedure for notifying the parties indicating the addresses for notification; possibility of keeping pets; responsibility and procedure for resolving damage caused to neighbors; prohibition or right for a tenant to rent out an apartment under a sublease agreement to third parties; procedure for resolving disputes and some others.”

Cheap means cheerful

Also when independent search Apartments for rent, experts advise paying attention to the cost of rent. In most cases, unjustified low price is fraught with some kind of catch.

“If you choose an apartment on your own, carefully study the price situation on the market. An attractively cheap offer is usually just a lure. When viewing the apartment and concluding the deal, relax, do not be nervous, focus as much as possible on the documents and the lease agreement, and carefully inspect the apartment for any defects. Do not react to the state of nervousness artificially created by many owners and unscrupulous agents, thanks to which the client will quickly inspect everything and give the money,” advises Managing Director of the MIEL-Arenda company Natalya Sivko.

“Obviously, housing that is rented out at low rates has certain disadvantages. For example, the poor quality of the property (old house, lack of renovation, furniture or household appliances) or poor location (far from a metro station, near a train station or market). Also, the cost reduction is facilitated by the condition of prepayment for a long period (six months, a year) or a short rental period (housing is often rented out for the summer). You need to focus on average rates, the description of the property in the ad, try to find out the details in a telephone conversation and only then go for viewing,” confirms Galina Kiseleva, director of the apartment rental department at INCOM-Real Estate.

Keys in the morning, money in the evening

Experts advise not to pay realtors in advance, but to pay the apartment owner only after the apartment has been thoroughly inspected and all the disadvantages have been recorded on paper and signed by the owner.

“There are cases when the tenant looks at the apartment, pays a deposit to book the apartment, and sets a date for the transaction, but the landlord disappears or refuses to return the deposit, but does not go through with the deal. But by working with an agent, you can save yourself from such situations: the company takes on all the hassle. It is best to contact large agencies that have successfully proven themselves in the market and can offer a full range of services,” explains Svetlana Birina.

The safest thing, all experts say, is to work with a realtor. But even among them there are unscrupulous ones.

“The main rule that a tenant working with a realtor needs to remember is not to pay money up front. Payment for a realtor’s services for a completed transaction always occurs after, and not before, the start of work, that is, when he has fulfilled his obligations to the client,” advises Natalya Sivko.

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