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.

When it comes to decorating, it is safe to say that two people seldom see eye to eye on what make a space beautiful. It is for that reason, and a million more, that most leases have a clause or two on what you can decorate and what you can’t, however, what if your lease is mum on decorating or if you are renting via a handshake agreement? Here are a few general tips to ensure that feelings, and security deposits, aren’t hurt.

When it comes to decorating an apartment, the smart crowd follows the golden rule: if you aren’t sure you can do it, ask your landlord. Some landlords don’t mind if you paint the walls in your new apartment since they will automatically paint them back when you leave, while others will ask you to paint the walls back yourself if you change their color while you live there, and still others simply forbid you from painting at all.

The same goes for putting small holes in the wall to hang things. Some landlords expressly forbid this practice and it is clearly spelled out in the lease, while others may not mention this at all in the lease and still others may approve it as long as you patch the holes before you leave.

An important note, if your landlord decides to change their mind about something in the lease, make sure you get it in writing from them so there isn’t an issue later on.

No matter how perfect you get along with your roommate, there are going to be times when a good heart to heart is needed. It could be because one of you is a neat freak and the other is messy or it could be a noise related issue, but regardless of the issue, making sure you approach your heart to heart in the right way can make all of the difference. Here are a few tips.

First, make sure that you aren’t sitting your roommate down for a serious talk after every first offence. Often times, people are simply clumsy or inconsiderate by accident and they may do something once that they will never do again, or at least not on a regular basis. Having 4 serious talks a week can build up a lot of resentment between two people and that can lead to its own set of problems. Try to make your serious talks only about serious things.

Above all else, make sure you stay calm. The last thing either of you needs is a shouting match and a permanent break of your friendship and living arrangement. It’s safe to say that we all have enough drama in our lives without going through new roommates every few weeks. Keep your cool and talk things out like adults.

Finally, don’t be afraid to use an arbitrator for serious problems that the two of you can’t get over. Many landlords would be more than happy to help solve a problem instead of having to look for new tenants.