With the credit crisis hitting the US with full force and a record number of foreclosures damaging people’s long term credit health, more and more people are now searching for places to live with poor or even terrible credit. Luckily, having terrible credit doesn’t mean that you are doomed to never rent again. Here are some options available to apartment hunters who have poor credit ratings.

First, not every apartment application you fill out will run your credit. If you’re afraid to rent from a corporate run apartment complex or building, you can always look to rent from individuals. Renting out of a home is very common in large cities with big suburban populations. It may seem a bit odd to live in the same private home as other people, but it sure beats not being able to find a place at all.

Subletting is another option available to most people who wish to bypass the typical credit check that comes with corporate renting. Often times when you sublet, you only sign a contract or lease with the person you are subletting from, not from the building managers who run the building you live in. Rules vary from state to state, so make sure you aren’t breaking any laws by subletting in your area.

Finally, you can always ask if the building or apartment complex you want to apply to runs credit or not. These days, fewer and fewer places actually bother with running credit since so many people come up short on a regular basis.

One of the rituals of apartment hunting that we all go through is we take a look at an apartment or two that is a bit out of our reach financially just so we can see what a really nice place is like in hopes that we can live there once we start earning more money, but what if even the most basic apartment is simply out of reach on your own? Here are a few tips for folks who wish to live on their own but may not be able to afford it.

Tens of thousands of adults from coast to coast have roommates, and there are entire online communities where you can meet people with similar interests to match up with so that you can find someone who you will get along with. The idea of living with a complete stranger is a bit odd to some people, however, as long as there is honest communication on both sides and both parties involved are mature about handing any problems that arise, having a roommate is no big deal.

Some cities offer apartment complexes that are rent controlled. Ask any resident of Manhattan about rent control and they will gladly tell you it is the only way they are able to live in the city. Call the local housing office in your city for a list of rent controlled apartments that you might qualify to live in. They can be the difference between living at home with your parents and living on your own.

When you arrive for the first time on the doorstep of what could possibly be your home for the next year, the office manager at the apartment complex is going to do everything he or she can to sell you this property. They will gush about the units, crow about the amenities and rave about the location. It is up to you to ask questions and look for things that might reveal that this place isn’t all its cracked up to be. Here are a few key things to look for when you are touring your next apartment complex or building.

Maintenance is absolutely the most important part of your new apartment complex. Ensuring that things get fixed in a timely manner is very much connected to the overall enjoyment and satisfaction of the place you live, so if you’re driving around or walking to an empty suite and you notice garbage on the ground, burnt out light bulbs and a general feeling that the place is unkempt, you probably want to keep looking.

The same goes for when you get inside your unit. Don’t just look for how clean the empty suite is, but also at the quality of the paint, carpet, the state of the fixtures and everything else. If something seems out of place, ask and then you can judge the quality of the answers. Remember, once you sign a lease, you belong to that apartment and that apartment complex. This is your only chance to ask tough questions.

Apartment hunting is easily one of life’s least pleasurable activities, so it is no wonder that every year, people all across the country and around the world sign leases that aren’t in their best interest. Once we find a place that’s tolerable, many of us can’t wait to get our John Hancock on a lease just so that we don’t have to look any more. Before you put pen to paper, here are a few essential tips you should keep in mind.

Not only will the amount of gas you use be determined by the length of your commute to and from work, but so will your insurance rates, and in case you haven’t noticed, they are going up just as fast as gas prices. Granted, if you work in an industrial or business park that isn’t near anything, you probably don’t want to live next door, but don’t forget to take your commute time into account before you sign a lease.

There is more to a good apartment than the square footage and rent price you get. Amenities can make a simple apartment feel like a place you want to stay at for years. Many top apartment complexes offer pools, workout centers and so much more. Don’t settle for a place that has nothing to offer but a place to sleep unless you’re certain that you won’t ever use it.

Finally, being able to clearly communicate with your rental manager or landlord is a big deal. Getting things fixed on time and other such things are important, so if you are having problems getting your point across in an interview, imagine what it will be like at 3 in the morning when you are having an emergency.

When it comes to renting that finding the perfect apartment, very few of us want a studio apartment, or an apartment that is essentially one room total. However, with the rising price of rent, many of us don’t have a choice and simply hope for the largest space possible to live in. Here are a few helpful tips for those folks who are living in a one room apartment.

Futons are a great way to save space since they double as a couch or sofa and a bed to sleep on. You can get the same versatility out of a sofa bed, however, most people would agree that a futon is much more comfortable to sleep on than a sofa bed. With a little extra padding thrown on for good measure, you can have quite the comfortable night sleep on a high end futon.

Don’t be afraid to store some of your belongings at a third party site since storage at your unit will be quite limited. It can be a bit of a hassle trucking belongings back and forth to a storage area, but as long as you keep, say, all of your winter clothes at one place and your summer clothes at another, you won’t have to make too many trips.

Finally, when decorating a one room apartment, concentrate on comfort and relaxation. This space, albeit a small one, is your refuge from the world and needs to convey a sense of relaxation and even luxury. Don’t skimp on furnishings if you can.

It is a struggle we all face when it comes time to hunt for a new place to live: how can we move into the nicest place possible but still be able to afford rent every month? We all have our own particular preferences when it comes to finding the perfect apartment: some of us want extra space while others want a swimming pool or a workout room. No matter what makes a great apartment to you, we all want as much as we can get for our dollar, so here are a few budget stretching tips we can all use to get the most out of our next move.

One of the great things about apartment living is how popular it is. Since every apartment complex that has vacancies has to compete against every other complex, many offer incentives that can lure you and other prospective renters to them. What many people don’t know is that incentives like a month’s free rent can actually be stretched out and used over the life of your lease, lowering your rent each and every month. Not every complex will do this, so make sure you check before you sign on the dotted line.

If you make below a certain amount of money each year, there are apartment complexes that you can apply to live in that others can’t, and often times, these complexes are quite nice. Contact your city or local housing office to find out the complexes in your area that qualify.

Even if you live in the best part of town and in one of the most exclusive apartment complexes in your area, you likely think about security on a fairly regular basis. If you are like most of us and live in a normal area, you think about security on a daily basis. Regardless of where you live, we all wonder if our locks and behaviors are enough to ward off the specter of crime. Here are a few common sense things you can do to ensure your personal safety.

Many of us come home at night from work to a dark apartment. You can help brighten things up a little by making sure that any outdoor lighting leading up to your apartment is always lit and on. If a bulb burns out, report it immediately. If it isn’t fixed right away, keep complaining until it is.

Some apartment complexes will allow you to install a second set of locks on your door as long as you give your landlord or rental office a copy of the key if they need to get into your place for an emergency. Short of that, many will let you install a chain if there already isn’t one installed.

Finally, if your door doesn’t have a peephole in it, some cities have ordinances requiring them. All you have to do is request that one be installed and your complex must comply in a certain period of time. Check the laws in your area to see if you qualify.

So, you’ve finally moved in the final box into your brand new apartment and you’re ready to start unpacking and settling in. Before you open that first box, you should take a look around and decide on a few big decorating decisions so you don’t have to move everything around twice. Here are some essential questions you should ask yourself before you get going.

First, take a few minutes and decide where you want to put the television. This may seem like a no-brainer at first, but you likely have more options than you think. The most common choice is a corner slant so that the screen faces out into the entire living room. This can be a good choice if you have room to waste, but most of us don’t. Cornering anything in your apartment wastes huge amounts of space, so try to avoid it at all costs. Also, make sure you take into account window glare before you plunk the television down in one particular area.

Next, try to imagine the foot traffic in your apartment and how difficult it will be for everyone to get around. You don’t want people having to stumble around to get to where they need to go, so make sure you take walking paths into consideration before you unpack.

Finally, if you live in a building made of concrete and not wood, you may not be able to pound nails in every wall, so make sure you have alternate methods of hanging pictures or other art from the walls instead of nails.

For many of us, the idea of renting an apartment is seen as a transition between living at home and eventually owning a home of our own, but for a growing number of people, apartment living is proving to be a more favorable way of doing things. Let’s take a look at the advantages of apartment living as opposed to owning your own home.

If you’re anything like me, the idea of facing a home emergency where things need to be fixed, and fast, is absolutely terrifying. On the other hand, if you rent an apartment and a pipe breaks, all you have to do is pick up the phone and it will be fixed for you right away, free of charge. It is a luxury worth its weight in gold and any homeowner who has found themselves with a money pit will tell you that you’ve made the right decision.

People always tell you that owning your own home is quieter way of living, but it really depends on the apartment you rent and the location of the home you bought. A simple thing like a change in flight routes in your area can destroy the peace and quiet of your neighborhood while the apartment on the other side of town is as quiet as a church mouse. Many different factors come into play when you consider things like noise, so buying a house just for peace and quiet isn’t a very good idea.

With the possible exception of a credit card, a lease is likely the first truly serious legal agreement most people enter into after high school or college, and unfortunately, the average person knows next to nothing about renter’s rights in their state or area. Luckily, thanks to the Internet, there are plenty of resources available now to the average person so that they can figure out when they have a legitimate beef against their landlord and when they don’t. Let’s take a look at a few common scenarios.

In most states, your landlord must give you significant notice before they enter your apartment. In addition, most states require that written notice must be given before a landlord can enter a tenants’ apartment. If you believe that your landlord has been entering into your space without notice and without informing you, you do have a legitimate complaint. You can either call the police to find out what your rights are if you feel that your safety is in danger or the local apartment rights coalition in your city.

If you have complained to your landlord about certain items needing repair and he or she has been less than speedy in getting those repairs done, you do not have a legal case against your landlord. However, if the repairs that need to be done involve basic amenities like the heat during winter time or hot water, than you might have a legal right to withhold rent until those repairs are done. Check the rules in your state or area to find out for sure.