What advice can anyone give me about finding and moving into an apartment?

I lived with some friends in a rental house for two years after high school, then I bought my own home. However, I am moving so I can continue my education. I have never lived in an apartment, and I need to know what to be aware of when choosing an apartment.What advice can anyone give me about finding and moving into an apartment?
There are so many things you need to look for. First, you want to see what kind of credit you have. This will determine what kind of apartment you will try to get. Decide whether you want to live in a large apartment community or if you want to live in a more private setting.





After you have decided, you want to inspect the apartments the same way you would have inspected your home. Little cracks here and there could be the result of larger damages, so please be sure to address any and every inadequacy you see. This also helps prevent the landlord from saying you are responsible for damages you may have walked into. Look for gaps between the floor and the wall. Check out the windows for drafts. Make sure the stove and refrigerator are in good working condition. Look at the ceilings for stains to find traces of any leaks there may be. If your apartment is carpeted, make sure it is clean and in good condition.





Check out the neighborhood. Things are always peaceful during the day. Drive by at night. Are there people/children running around and making noise at 1am? How do the neighbors seem? Is there trash lying around in the neighborhood? Do you see cops cruising by as much as regular cars? These are all telltale signs and things you should watch for before moving into an apartment.





I made the mistake of renting a cheap apartment, totally unaware of the neighborhood and the landlord. I had to deal with gunshots, loud neighbors, roaches and no extermination, invasion of privacy from the property manager %26amp; his goons and neighborhood blockages from the police for a whole year-until my lease was up. You don't want to make the mistake I made.





You want to make sure you have at least 4 months rent saved up before you move, in case you need an extra deposit or for a rainy day.





Also, when you visit the property, do the current tenants seem pissed or happy to see the landlord and/or property manager? If not, this may be a sign of something. You could even ask tenants you may see in passing how they feel about the apartments you will be moving into. Also apartmentratings.com has some apartments listed with ratings from previous or current tenants.





Good Luck!What advice can anyone give me about finding and moving into an apartment?
I can tell you that it is always a good idea to check out the apartment property at night. Most apartments I've lived in in the past were terrible because of the neighbors. The apartments are nice and quiet during the day when everyone is at work. At night was totally different.





I ended up purchasing my first home because I did not like living in apartments and became a real estate investor.





Good Luck!