What You Need to Know About Renting in Colorado

Offering various amenities such as skiing and hiking, as well as beautiful scenic vistas, Colorado is fast becoming a preferred destination to those looking to pull up stakes. Because of an influx of those moving into the state, with more than 5.7 million people living in Colorado presently, there are a variety of rental-home choices. The following are some house renting tips for tenants and how you can find the best place to rent in the state.

House Renting Tips for Tenants: Where To Rent

When deciding upon the right property for your needs, and the needs of your family, moving to a new area can be particularly challenging. You want a location that can not only offer a school for arts and academics but excellent doctors and exceptional dental care. This undertaking involves careful planning, as you want to be sure your new rental home meets all of your requirements. Colorado cities have much to offer to every income level. Studies have shown that Craig, Colo., is the most affordable city in the mile-high state. It has small-town appeal while offering all of the outdoor activities that make Colorado so appealing. However, if you’d rather live in a larger city in Colorado, with more readily available conveniences, finding a rental home that meets your price range and budget shouldn’t be too difficult. Be sure to do your research on the city of choice, plus real-estate agents available in that city. These real-estate professionals will help you find the best home that is as close as possible to the parameters that you set, as well as provide valuable house renting tips for tenants. Also, when transferring jobs, make sure the city you choose is close to your new place of employment. If you are looking to move, and haven’t secured employment, make sure there are plenty of job opportunities open to you as well. Employment opportunities in Colorado are plentiful as of 2020, but be sure you have all your ducks in a row.

How to Rent with Credit Cards

For most rental properties you can pay your rent with credit cards. Using a credit card to pay rent holds some advantages. They are faster than a check and much handier. Also, you won’t have to wait for a check to be cashed. Credit cards are also more flexible in this regard. You won’t necessarily have to wait for payday if your rent is due before that. You can simply charge your credit card and replenish the funds as need be. If your rental property won’t accept credit cards, you can always check out a rent payment service. For a fee, these services will facilitate credit card payments. It can be a bit more costly than the alternative, however. Processing fees can also be expensive, should you choose a credit card payment option. But, if the convenience outweighs the fees, then perhaps rental credit-card payments are the best plan of action for you. Check with your landlord and see what payment options are open for you, and you can best take advantage of them going forward. Many rental company professionals offer house renting tips for tenants and will work with you if you have no other means of payment.

When to Rent

If you’re renting a house, this is a good time to save up for a newer car. Even used Escapes for sale at your local Ford dealership can offer some excellent benefits if they’re more recent models. There are plenty of incentives to buy used over new: You’ll save money on car insurance, registration, taxes, and depreciation. Saving money is especially important while you are renting a house. Most often, rents that landlords charge fall between 0.8 and 1.1% of the home’s value. Costs for buying a home are on the rise, this fact coupled with higher mortgage rates has made it much cheaper to rent a home than to buy one. Home rental can allow you to reinvest the savings from renting, thus helping you save costs in the long run. Larger purchases, such as a car, can be handled more easily by renting a home. If you have a good used car, you will save even more money. The popularity of renting a home is on the rise, with so many taking advantage of the benefits of being able to save money and not having to deal with the concerns of homeownership and taking valuable house renting tips for tenants.

On the other hand, you might think that renting will prove too costly, and look for affordable buying options in Colorado. Properties that have been foreclosed on can be cheaper to buy than a new home. Foreclosed properties are usually much cheaper than similar owner-sold homes in Colorado, reports show. Foreclosed properties make up much of the home-buying market, because of the desired price range. However, you can get into a bit of a bind going with a foreclosed property, such as an extensive amount of work that needs to be done. If you are handy around the house, sprucing up a foreclosed property shouldn’t be too much of a chore for you, and could even be a labor of love. Should you decide that owning a property would be too taxing for you, you still have a wide range of options open to you. There are many fix-up rental properties too, where a landlord might knock a little off of your rent for work done around the property, such as landscaping, painting, and snow shoveling. You can even search for the fix-up opportunities via the Internet and other house renting tips for tenants. Again, research and planning are keys to discovering what might be available if you only inquire.

What Amenities to Look For

If your car needs a water pump replacement or breaks down, having the funds to be able to have it repaired are easily obtainable when renting a home. However, make sure you look for a home that is complete with the amenities you are searching for. A large yard, ample driveway space, and an attached garage are some of the most sought after qualities when looking for a home. If you do secure a home with a garage, odds are you may have to worry about critters holing up there, or along the outside. Wasps are common and love to build their nests alongside garages or areas where they won’t be disturbed. Bee extermination might be a concern as well. Bees live in the walls and can create a network. Wasps prefer to attach to external structures, like eaves, to build their nests. With bees, you can’t exterminate them, you have to call a professional bee removal service. You can exterminate wasps, however, should they become an issue on your rental property. Other amenities include a fenced-in, a quiet neighborhood, near a grocery store or other conveniences, near schools, and a great commute. Research home renting on the Internet as well, you will be able to find valuable house renting tips for tenants before you even take the plunge into home rental-ship.

What Services to Look For

Some additional house renting tips for tenants include knowing what services to look for when renting a home. Residential garden irrigation systems and tree removal service are just two of the services you might want to have contact information for when renting. With competent tree removal specialists, you can be sure your yard stays free and clear of dead branches and other debris following a storm, or in general. Also if you have a tree that looks like it has a tree disease, is dying or just a safety hazard, a tree removal company can come and remove the tree at an affordable cost. Ask your landlord if this type of maintenance will be covered before signing a leasing agreement. Landlords typically make the upkeep of the home your responsibility, although they can provide maintenance work if need be on washer and dryer units and other areas of the home. Yard work is primarily the responsibility of the tenants, so you want to be sure that you are taking care of the yard to the best of your ability. This not only helps you to take pride in your home, but it also provides peace of mind knowing that there are no safety hazards or potential health risks in your yard. Should you need immediate tree removal in your yard, contact your landlord and ask what can be done, and how long the removal will take. If it’s not an immediate concern, a landlord might wait to make a move. Keep an eye on any possible changes in the tree, and alert the landlord if you feel the tree is a potential hazard to you or neighborhood residents.

What Repairs to Look For

Landlords are responsible for the livability of your home, and it can be difficult to handle serious repairs with multiple tenants. Should there be the need for urgent roof repairs, that is, if the roof’s condition means that the property is no longer safe to live in, it is ultimately the landlord’s responsibility to replace the roof. If it isn’t replaced, you can file a complaint with housing authorities as a result. If the roof leaks, it will likely need to get replaced or fixed. A leaky roof could lead to mold and mildew issues, which can be a serious health hazard, especially black mold. If there is structural damage to a roof, it needs to be repaired immediately before it becomes a danger. If a roof is just old, it might not need to be replaced immediately. Many times, a landlord might wait until the lease is up and then complete repairs needed before signing another lease. A roof only needs to be replaced immediately if its condition makes the home inhabitable. Insurance companies will cover damages if a roof has experienced a recent assault. Landlords typically have a “Landlord’s Policy” to help with insurance costs. Some insurance coverage might pay for the tenants to secure temporary housing while repairs are completed on the property. Also, insurance companies can help cover lost rent from roof repairs and offer house renting tips for tenants. Renters should always have renters insurance, however, in the event of the personal property becoming damaged. If a roof does need to be replaced, your landlord will notify you and let you know what temporary arrangements have been made for you. If insurance won’t cover costs, a landlord will sometimes pay out of pocket while the repairs or replacement are completed. Once all the necessary work is, the lease may resume. If repairs should take a long time, you may want to consider asking to opt-out of the lease.

Replacing or repairing a roof is no easy task, but repairs don’t have to take a long time. Regular maintenance of the roof usually solves the issue of large costs or repairs later down the road. Also when renting a home, think about obtaining adequate fencing. There are a lot of fencing solutions available for properties. Fences can provide protection, keep pets and children secure, and provide curb appeal. Should you rent a property without adequate fencing, you might want to ask your landlord if they would consider adding a fence to enhance the appearance and safety of their rental property, and also raise property value. Choosing the right size and style isn’t always easy. Research is required on the landlord’s part to choose the best fencing for the property. Most single-family rentals do have fencing, both for privacy and safety concerns. But a landlord weighs many options before deciding on whether to put fencing and what type of fencing is needed. Sometimes, temporary fencing will get the job done without a huge investment on the part of the landlord.

Renting a home in Colorado has never been easier. With sound house renting tips for tenants available from multiple sources, you should come out on top and discover a home you love while being able to save money. A home rental can mark a huge step in your adult life and will allow you to feel secure in your new state.