Look at the various listing platforms, and you’ll see many apartments for rent in Accra, you’ll find many excellent options vying for your attention – and cash. But before you go in for one, here are five factors to consider.
Furnishing options
Are you renting the apartment furnished or unfurnished? Or rather, is the landlord offering the apartments for rent as furnished or unfurnished? And what do you prefer? There’s no wrong option, but your choice will depend on some factors. The first will be your budget, as furnished apartments for rent in Accra cost more than unfurnished units.
Does it make sense to top up your budget and go for the furnished option? Will you enjoy more savings by doing your own furnishing? These questions should feature high on your list of factors as you consider an apartment for rent in Accra.
You can also look at the furnishing provided and if they’re enough/suit your tastes. Most importantly, ask about your liabilities/indemnities regarding the furnishings upfront. It’ll save you many nasty surprises down the line.
You might like:: Furnished one-bedroom apartment for rent at Cantonments, Accra.
Service charges
Rental apartment units come with many maintenance issues that often involve money. In many of the apartments for rent in Accra, there’s a service charge component to address those issues when they come up.
Some landlords include their service charges in their asking rent. Others ask for the service charge separately from the rent you pay. They’re all means to a common goal – for you to enjoy your stay in the rented apartment.
But before you rent/lease that space, you must know what’s the deal with the service charge and what it explicitly covers. You don’t want to pay your rent only to receive news you need to make extra payments to fix a fault with the water pump. Nor do you want some other surprises to spring up when you thought you’d handled everything related to service charges and extra payments.
Policy on parking and common area usage
Usually, the room sizes and utility spaces grab all the attention in rental discussions. But out of your room, there’s some business worth your attention. Before renting an apartment, you need clarity on the parking and other common area usage policies.
For example, find out how many parking spaces your unit comes with. And also about the common areas like communal swimming pools and gyms, get some clarity on how things will run. While it may not change much in terms of your rent or service charge payments, knowing your rights and responsibilities can help you put other tenants right when they’re wrong. And it will also give you peace of mind.
Natural light, views, and ventilation considerations
These days, the buzz in multi-family houses like apartments center around shiny lighting and air-conditioning. While there’s a place for that, there’s also enough room for natural light and ventilation considerations. Depending on how long you expect to spend in your space daily, you should aim to enjoy some natural light in your apartment. It’s great for your health.
That’s a factor you should look out for as you pick from the many apartments for rent in Accra.
Ditto for views and natural ventilation options. These little factors may not seem like much at face value. But depending on how long your lease runs, they add up or take away from how much you enjoy your space.
You might like: Furnished three-bedroom apartment for rent at Cantonments, Accra.
Term flexibility
Some landlords are bent on longer-term leases only. Others are flexible with short-term options with rent-escalation clauses. Others want every penny paid upfront, while others are more flexible with rent payments. Still, some landlords want nothing to do with refunding your outstanding rent balance to you should you move out before your term.
Given the uncertainties that surround life, you want to get these details sorted before you opt for your apartment for rent in Accra. Knowing where you stand from the start will save you lots of stress later.
To conclude: There’s more to the shiny apartments for rent
There’ll always be more to any apartment for rent than what meets the eye. And as a prospective tenant, it’s time to look beyond the shiny apartment building and slick marketing that attracted you. Some crucial points will always have a say in how well you enjoy your time in a rented apartment. I hope these factors help.
