Looking For New Apartment in Penang? Beware Of These Red Flags

Finding the perfect Penang apartment can be frustrating. For that reason, you may be tempted to take whichever one you come across without a thought. However, you should be more cautious, as the apartment you decide to take might be considered inhabitable or even illegal. To avoid this, you should do your own inspection and research about the apartment before putting a down payment. This is advisable to anyone who is searching physically or online for an apartment. You should look out for the following red flags to help you find and settle in the right apartment.

1 | An Owner Who Seems Too Eager

Many apartment owners or managers insist on having certain information about their potential tenants or buyers. Therefore, it is common for them to conduct credit checks to ensure that the tenant is able to pay the rent as agreed. Some may even insist on doing a background check with the local law enforcement. If you find one that is willing to forego these checks or seems too much in a hurry to sell, rent or lease, you should be cautious. No-lease apartments should be a red flag. If the owner is not keen on drawing up a lease, readily accepts payment in cash or demands a month-to-month contract, you should be suspicious. It may be that the owner is just a happy fellow. However, it is highly likely that the owner may be afraid that a potential deal may fail if you notice the problems in the building.

2 | Poor Maintenance

Several things may give you an idea that the apartment you are about to rent is in poor condition. Any sign of mold should give you enough warning. It could be a sign of a serious infestation that could threaten the foundation of the entire building. In addition, mold can cause major health issues. Beside mold infestation, the apartment could be infested with rats, bedbugs or termites. To determine the possibility of such infestations, you could look for leaking pipes and cracks along the walls. If you ignore such warning signs, you may end up spending a lot of money fixing up the place during your stay.

3 | Too Cheap?

It is advisable to do research to establish the market pricing. In this way, you will be able to know if an apartment owner is charging to cheaply or expensively. If it is too cheap, or if the owner does not mind amending the rates too much, you should ask yourself why. Cheap things sometimes tend to be substandard. The building might be harboring problems that might not be easy to notice at first glance or upon careful scrutiny.

4 | Reluctance To Show Some Areas

Before you commit to rent an apartment, you should inspect every room in it to ensure everything is fine. On the outside, everything might seem perfect. In fact, all the rooms might look impeccable even at close inspection; that is, except one or two places that may be locked or have a blockade. If the owner or realtor seems reluctant to open these places even after you insist, that could signal something you are not supposed to see, and which the fear might make you change your mind. If the apartment is in good condition or if there were nothing illegal, the owner would be eager to show you every place.

5 | Stains On The Wall

Look for stains that may indicate water damage. It could indicate that there was a leakage, which could still be there and, thus, pose a health risk.

6 | Fresh Paint

To increase the possibility of a sale, a realtor may ask the owner to do some paint job. This is not necessarily wrong, except when they have something to cover up. Fresh paint can make a building look new and in good condition. Paint can be an extra expense, which is why many may avoid doing it. However, some may choose to paint a specific wall while leaving leave others. If this is the case, it could be that painting was used to hide a problem. You should examine that specific wall as closely as possible to identify things such as cracks.

7 | Beware Of Certain Terminologies

If you are looking online for an apartment, you might read some terminologies that the owners may use to describe their homes. Words such as "attic" or "basement" should give you a warning. Owners or realtors that use these words may be trying to describe apartments with very few exits.

Owners may also advertize an apartment as having rooms that are "sunny". Usually, owners or realtors use such terms to describe rooms with very small windows, such as a basement or basement, which could be illegal.

Words such as "interesting" or "unique" to describe the apartment may be a red flag for an odd layout of the apartment. For example, you might find inappropriate installations in the wrong spaces or rooms.

8 | On-Going Building or Renovation Projects

If you want to rent or buy an apartment in an unfinished building, it is possible that the projects could go on for a long time. This could cause much disturbance during your stay. It could also be dangerous to you and other occupants. You should consider whether you could live with the annoyance before you commit.

9 | Location Or Address

An owner or realtor should give the exact address of the apartment for rent or on sale. If they are reluctant to do this, they could be hiding the fact that it is illegal or in an unpopular location. If mail cannot be delivered directly to the apartment, then the apartment could be illegal. Many owners of such apartments would ask you to get a separate mailbox, as this would not require disclosing an address.

*****************************************

In the excitement of getting a new place to stay, you may be in a hurry to sign the papers and move in immediately without bothering to ask questions. However, you should not rush, especially if you notice some issues. Some of the issues may need you to trust your instincts while others may be glaring you in the face. These tips can help you avoid the pitfalls that many other renters have ignored and lived to regret. You do not want to have to start looking for another apartment within a short period after getting one.