pets. Pets often mean more liability for
a landlord, and some complex-owners
choose to avoid problems by simply not
allowing pets. Overall, however, quite
a few places in Austin are pet-friendly.
Some places have restrictions on species,
size, and breed. Breeds that are considered aggressive, like pit bulls, for example,
are restricted from many otherwise
pet-friendly buildings. If you come across
an apartment that does not allow pets, try
offering to get pet liability insurance. The
landlord may change his or her mind.
Having a restricted budget can also make
an apartment search difficult, particularly in a market with as much demand
as Austin. You may be tempted to rush
into a commitment to secure a great deal
before someone else snatches it up. As
anyone who has surfed Craigslist apartment listings in any city will know, deals
that are too good to be true, usually are.
The fastest, easiest, and safest way to find
the perfect apartment in your budget is to
get help from a local — and Austin has a
lot of apartment locating resources.
Many apartment hunters from other cities
don’t think they need an apartment locator
to help them find a great place. The Austin
market is a very different beast, however.
While new apartment buildings seem to
pop up daily, there’s also a lot of demand
for them. Somewhere between 94% and
98% of Austin apartments are occupied at
any given time, so finding an open place is
tough. “What you look at today will probably be gone within 24 hours,” says Reeh.
INSURANCE, REGULATIONS,
AND TENANT RIGHTS
While finding an apartment in Austin may
be difficult, actually securing it can be even
harder. Once you’ve found the perfect apartment, you’ll want to snatch it up. It’s a
renter’s market, here in Austin, so taking a lot
of time to haggle over price or look at renter’s
insurance before signing a contract might be
a huge mistake. Be prepared to take the next
step by understanding Austin’s housing regulations, renters insurance options, and your
rights as a tenant — before your hunt for the
perfect apartment even starts.
Renter’s Insurance: All landlords are
required by the city of Austin to have
insurance for their building. This won’t
however, protect your personal items in
the event that they are stolen or damaged.
In Austin, housing laws allow landlords
to require tenants to get renters insurance,
and a landlord can specify a minimum
limit for your policy. It’s a good idea to
speak with an insurance agent before even
beginning apartment hunting, to speed up
the renting process. Create a list of what
you own and each item’s value, and make
sure you buy enough to cover it all.
In addition to covering your personal
property, renters insurance can cover loss
of use and personal liability. Loss of use
insurance covers living expenses, such as
food and rent, if you need to temporarily
move out of your apartment. Personal
liability insurance protects you against
personal injury claims or lawsuits in the
event that someone is injured in your
apartment. Look closely at your policy,
however, because it may list events or
circumstances your policy doesn’t cover,
like flood damage, for example. Policies
that cover every type of loss (except what
is specifically mentioned in the policy) are
called “all-risk” policies. Policies that only
cover specific events listed in the policy
are called “named-perils” policies.
Some types of renter’s insurance also
include pet liability insurance. Your landlord may require this type of insurance
if you have a pet, as well as specify a
minimum liability limit. It’s a good idea
to have this insurance when living in close
quarters with other people and pets, even if
your landlord doesn’t require it. Read the
fine print in your policy, however, because
it may exclude “aggressive” breeds, like
pit bulls or rottweilers, and only certain
events may apply, like dog bites.
Regulations, Fire Codes, and Grilling:
Before signing a lease, make sure you
understand what you can do at your apartment, and what you can’t. Austin fire code
prevents residents from having charcoal
or gas grills on their patios or balconies,
for example. Storing your grill (or even
