Renting a home in Tomball, Spring, Magolia, Cypress, Northwest Houston & The Woodlands

These days in the Northwest Houston area there are many homes or apartments for lease. The rental inventory has been added to by homeowners who have not been successful in getting their property sold and are now resorting to the rental option.

If you would like to be set up for an automatic lease search please click here and I will set it up for you.

Why people rent!

Increasing foreclosures and short sales leave displaced households still needing a place to live.
People wanting to buy are unable to qualify for a mortgage.
People moving to the area are opting to rent as they watch to see how the present economic condition plays out.
Divorce.
Temporary relocation.

Terms you will encounter in the rental home market:

The owner will be called the landlord or lessor.

The person renting is the tenant or lessee

Bits and pieces you should know about renting a home and your rental contract

First off this is a legally binding contract. If you sign your lease for a year then you need to plan on living there for a year. I have heard of times where a landlord has let a tenant break a lease but it is the rare occurrence.

When renting a house or an apartment, the landlord will request a rental application that will ask for references. Your authorization will also be requested so that a credit check can be made. If your application is accepted a security/deposit will be requested. This will usually be 1 month rent.

The lease options should also be discussed. Some landlords will do a month-to-month rental however the norm is for a one year lease. Occasionally you will find 6 month leases but they are few and far between. These days, because of the present housing market many homes are on the market as lease or sell. Should you decide to buy this home the landlord will typically give you the first right. If you are thinking of doing a lease/option you will need to get an attorney involved.

If you intend to paint the apartment or are considering making any type of improvement you must consult the landlord.

The landlord should provide you with disclosures. If the house was built prior to 1978, you should get a lead disclosure. Make sure that there are also fire and carbon monoxide detectors present.

It is important to discuss upfront who pays for utlities as well as what maintenace will be provided by the landlord. This should all be written into the agreement. Typically for a home the tenant will pay all utilities and take care of the yard maintenance.

You should also be told what the penalty is for being late with the rent, returned checks, as will as how the termination of lease will be handled.

Before moving in you should walk through with the landlord to note any problems, such as broken windows, damage to walls etc. It might be a good idea to take a before picture or video to cover yourself.

Keep in mind the landlord's insurance will not cover your personal property so it is a good idea to get your own renter's insurance.

One major concern for many looking for a rental is finding a house or apartment that is pet friendly. There is a place on our MLS that will let you know if this landlord is allowing pets. If you have a pet it is best to only look at homes that have pets on a case by case basis checked.

If you would like to be set up for an automatic lease search please click here and I will set it up for you.