<p>Anyone have specific advice for students before they sign the lease? Thanks!</p>
<p>Find someone you trust to help you evaluate the lease. Your first time, you don’t want to be getting screwed by a shady landlord making up an insanely restrictive or exploitative lease. I will note that most landlords are just fine – it’s just a precaution.</p>
<p>In Berkeley, the rental market is ridiculously competitive. If you find a place you like, be prepared to fill out an application <em>at</em> the open house, and pay the app fee ($20-30 for the credit check) and have any co-signers you will need (likely, as a student; this would be a parent).</p>
<p>Move-in is often 3x rent (first, last and one month’s security). </p>
<p>Be sure you know: where laundry is/how much; what utilities, if any, are included in rent; the contact information of 24-hour maintenance/security, if applicable; their policy on security deposits (ie, do you have to pay when you sign, do they take installments, etc.); when your lease starts AND when it ends.</p>
<p>Good luck! Berkeley apartment hunting is a jungle.</p>
<p>“Find someone you trust to help you evaluate the lease.”</p>
<p>Who should look over our lease? Does it have to be someone who is familiar with the laws of tenants and such?</p>
<p>Someone who has experience with leases is all you need. If you have a parent or another such trusted adult, they would be ideal. It’s not so much to look at all the loopholes and legalese that may appear (though if you have access to someone who can, it wouldn’t hurt) – it’s just because they’ll have familiarity with what’s reasonable to deal with in a lease and what might be out of the ordinary.</p>
<p>Off the top of my head, the biggest contenders for problem areas in leases has to do with move-out and the terms for releasing your deposit. To be honest, though, Berkeley is under rent control and has a pretty strong tenants’ board. The renter is fairly well protected as long as they have a lease (and if the lease is wrong according to the rent agreements, the renter has great recourse).</p>