Philadelphia Weekly

REAL ESTATE

Pitfalls of renting apartment sight unseen

Once lease is signed, resolving unsatisfactory living conditions can be a challenge

By Inman News Feed

Add Comment | Comments: 0 | Posted Feb. 10, 2012

Higher-than-normal turnover of tenants or above-average vacancy would also be a catalyst for the property owner to visit the property and make changes, up to and including, a new manager.

I think your best strategy is to make your concerns known and see what positive changes can be made over the next several months.

If there are insufficient improvements, then you should give notice and not renew your lease. Chalk this up to a lesson learned, as you will be certain to carefully scrutinize all aspects of your next place of residence before signing a long-term lease!

This column on issues confronting tenants and landlords is written by property manager Robert Griswold, author of "Property Management for Dummies" and "Property Management Kit for Dummies" and co-author of "Real Estate Investing for Dummies."

Email your questions to Rental Q&A at rgriswold.inman@retodayradio.com. Questions should be brief and cannot be answered individually.