Negotiate your Lease

Negotiate your leaseIf everything went smooth, you like the apartment and the landlord likes you, it’s worth trying to negotiate a little bit.
9. Know your landlord
It’s very important to know some basic information about the landlord. If it’s a management company with thousands of apartments for rent it may be harder to negotiate, but if it’s a family and they just need to secure the income each month, you have a green light to close the deal with a small discount.
10. Get your deal
Read the lease carefully and see what applies and what doesn’t. If there are things in the lease you may not need or if you’re willing to take some responsibilities like cutting the lawn or taking deliveries kindly ask the landlord to lower the rent. Another way could be to offer a longer-term lease or a higher security deposit. A very important aspect of negotiating your lease is to be polite and not give ultimatums because you may get a quick negative answer.
Freshome readers probably have more tips to add to these, so why not tell us what you think in the comments below.
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Sensible Burglary Prevention Measures

Sensible Burglary Prevention Measures Start with the Basics(ARA) - It is always a busy season for burglars. According to FBI statistics, the greatest numbers of home burglaries occur in July, with August a close second. In 2004, for instance, burglars entered a house, apartment or condominium every 14.7 seconds, making off with valuables worth an average of $1,607 each time.Art Noparstak, marketing manager for Intermatic, Inc. and spokesperson for the national Burglary Prevention Council, an organization dedicated to the prevention of residential burglaries, states, "Sixty-two percent of all burglaries occur in daylight hours, and almost a third are made without forced entry. Don't make the burglar's job too easy."To prevent burglaries, Noparstak offers the following advice:* Keep all doors, windows and garage doors closed and securely fastened. Doors should have deadbolt locks with at least a 1" throw and reinforced strike plate with 3" screws. All windows should have window locks.* Cut up cartons for TVs, computers, stereos, etc. Tie the pieces together so a burglar going through the garbage does not see any of your highly valuable household items.* Do not leave ladders or tools lying around outside.* Install a wide-angle door viewer (peephole) in your front door so you can see who is at the door.* Don't put your name and residential address on your key ring. If you happen to lose it, a dishonest person could gain entry to your home.* Use timers on lights, radios and TVs. Set light timers to turn on and off and random times of the day and night, making your residence appear occupied.* Keep shrubbery trimmed away from entrances and walkways.* When service or delivery people come to your door, ask for ID. If you're still not sure, call the police first and report the stranger. Next, call the company to confirm.* Make a home inventory list, complete with photos or video. Engrave items with your ID to help the police identify your belongings. Store this list in a safety deposit box.* Post signs in conspicuous locations that clearly indicate that the premises are protected by a burglar alarm."Consumers should also consider installing a burglar alarm around their home," says Noparstak. "It is a myth that burglar alarms need to be high-tech and cost thousands of dollars. There are many affordable options available, including window, door and table top alarms."For apartments in New Jersey go to Raritan Crossing. They are pet friendly apartments and New Brunswick NJ apartments. Rentals near Metropark and apartments in Middlesex county. For apartments in central NJ this is the place for you with Apartments in Middlesex County NJ. Raritan Crossing has apartments near metropark, apartments near Rutgers and apartments near Robert Wood Johnson. Central NJ Apartments

Eviction Process

Before a tenant is physically evicted from his or her apartment, the landlord must go through a court proceeding. The process usually begins when the tenant either fails to pay the rent on time or the tenant breaches a term of the lease. The landlord will serve the tenant with a three-day notice to either pay the rent or quit the premises and cure the breach or quit the premises. A cure or quit notice is usually given after a violation of a term or condition of the lease or rental agreement, such as a no-pets clause. To avoid eviction proceedings, the tenant must "cure" the violation or move.
If the tenant fails to either pay the rent or cure any breaches of the lease during the three-day period and continues to remain in the apartment, the landlord will file an unlawful detainer action against the tenant. The landlord must properly serve the tenant with the court documents called a Summons and Complaint. Proper service can be accomplished by either personally handing the Summons and Complaint to the tenant or anyone over the age of 18 in the apartment, or the landlord may post the documents on the tenant's door and mail a copy to the tenant.
Once served, the tenant then has only five days, not counting the day of receiving the paperwork, to file his response, called an Answer. If the tenant fails to file an answer, a default judgment will be taken against the tenant. The tenant will then be evicted shortly thereafter.
If the tenant files an answer, the tenant will receive a notice of trial from the courthouse in about two to four weeks. Before the trial actually begins, the tenant has the opportunity to negotiate with the landlord for a mutually agreeable settlement.
If the tenant goes to trial and loses, the landlord will be granted a judgment giving him possession of the apartment and money damages, which includes the landlord's attorney's fees and costs of the eviction proceeding. The landlord will then deliver the judgment to the Marshall or sheriff to actually evict the tenant.
The Marshall will post a five-day Notice to Vacate on the tenant's door about 10 to 14 days after the trial. After the five-day notice is posted, it is a good idea to remove all valuables from the apartment, including medications, and store them at a safe place. If the tenant is still on the premises after the five-day period, the tenant will be locked out. The Marshall will physically remove the tenant's belongings from the apartment.
For apartments in New Jersey go to Raritan Crossing. They are pet friendly apartments and New Brunswick NJ apartments. Rentals near Metropark and apartments in Middlesex county. For apartments in central NJ this is the place for you with Apartments in Middlesex County NJ. Raritan Crossing has apartments near metropark, apartments near Rutgers and apartments near Robert Wood Johnson. Central NJ Apartments