Once you found the place you'll
call home, there's a few more
hoops you need to jump through
as a renter. The landlord will
want to check up on you. The
landlord is going to want to
review your references,
possibly call your employer to
double check you still work
there and maybe even run a
credit check. Well, in today's
video, we're going to be going
over everything you need to
know as a renter completing a
home rental application.
Including what kind of
questions you need to ask the
landlord and how you can
protect yourself and your
belongings as a renter.
But we're gonna take a step
back and before you complete
this application, the landlord
is going to want to do a
telephone screening. They're
going to want to find out how
many people is in your group
that is going to be living in
this rental units, if you have
any pets, who your employer is
and so on. After you pass the
telephone screening, you can
view the property. And if this
is the property you'd like to
rent, it's then time to
complete the home rental
application.
Each state or province will
have outlines and guidelines
for the types of questions
landlords are allowed to ask
you, but these questions cannot
infringe on your rights.
And so we're going to be going
over what the landlord is
allowed to ask you and what
they aren't, so you know how
you can protect yourself as a
renter. So the landlord would
be able to ask where you work,
your annual income, if they'll
be others living with you and
their names, if you smoke or
if you have pets and if you
grant permission for a credit
check and the references.
The landlord cannot ask about
your religion or ethnic
background, if you have planned
or what your marital status is,
if you plan to have any more
kids, your sexual
preference, and if any family
members will be visiting.
It's important to know what the
landlord can and cannot ask as
this may come up during the
home rental application, and
it's important for you to know
how to answer and the rights
you have as a renter.
And there are some questions
the landlord is allowed to ask
your employer and then will
review these here. So your
landlord can ask what your
annual salary is, what your
position is, whether you work
full or part time and whether
you're still engaged in working
there. You'll also need to
provide two to three references
to your landlord. And
generally, these references are
previous landlords you've had a
relationship with. The new
landlord will be allowed to ask
the previous references, the
following questions.
Were they late paying rent, did
they have any pets, did they
damage the home beyond
reasonable wear and tear,
did they give proper notice
when moving out and would you
rent to them again?
All provincial and state
government bodies will have
samples of the various forms
that you'll need to fill out,
such as the home rental
application as well as the
residential rental agreement.
You'll want to read through
these samples so you can
familiarize yourself and be
prepared when you discuss with
the landlord. And like I
mentioned before, it's a good
idea to check out the
provincial or state government
body websites to understand
your rights as a renter.
Similarly, you can check out a
recent video we did and where
we discussed renters rights.
So once you and the landlord
have gone over the rental
application and you both have
asked your respective questions
to each party, you'll want to
start thinking about how you
can protect yourself and your
belongings if you were to move
into this unit. And a great way
to do that is with renter's
insurance. So how will renters
insurance help you? Well, I'm
going to discuss a few points
here quickly. One instance
could be if you have a faulty
toaster and that caught fire
and ultimately caught fire to
your unit and possibly
neighboring units, you may be
responsible for the damages
that were caused. In an
instance like this, renters
insurance may help protect you
through liability coverage.
Now that you know what
landlords can and cannot ask
you and the types of questions
they're going to ask your
employer and references, you'll
know your rights as a renter
and you'll feel confident when
you go to have that
conversation with the landlord
and complete that home rental
application. And so if you're
looking to protect your
belongings when you move into
your new rental unit, you can
get a renter's insurance quote
at Squareoneinsurance.com