Boston Realty Net rental agents will work diligently and listen
carefully to your needs. We aim to save you time in your apartment
search by providing as much information as possible prior to coming
into our office for an appointment. On this page, we will provide an
overview of the rental process.
- When should I begin my apartment search?
- Where do I want to live?
- Information you should have for your rental application
- Types of Apartments
- What can I afford to pay?
- How do I take an apartment off the market?
- Rental Application Approval
- Apartment Rental Fees
- What should I expect to pay prior to move-in?
- Rental Incentives
- Utility Costs
- Pet Policies
- "Sight Unseen" Rentals
- Types of Leases
- Preparing for move-in
The date an apartment is listed is often dependent upon the time of
year. On average, apartments are listed anywhere from 30 days to 60
days prior to the move-in date, give or take a few weeks. Most leases
in Boston end on a date between June 1 and September 1, so the most
inventory is typically available between March and September. Student
apartment listings for September 1 are listed as early as January or
February. September 1 apartment listings for professional tenants are
usually not listed until May at the earliest. Apartments for June 1 may
also be listed as early as March. Regardless of your particular
situation, it is never too early to contact us about your intention to
move and need for an apartment rental! Please fill out our online
questionnaire and we will respond in a timely manner!
Please view our page of Boston Neighborhoods for an overview of the areas in which we have apartment listings.
We recommend obtaining the following information in a timely matter
so as not to interfere with the approval of your rental application:
- Landlord contact information and/or references for current landlord and previous landlord, if applicable.
- Offer Letter or Confirmation of Current Employment, including
confirmation of salary, start date or term of employment and position
- Pay Stub from current job
- Pet references from previous landlords, if applicable.
We handle all types of apartments, including brownstone apartments,
full-service high-rise apartments, apartments in gated complexes, new
construction apartments, loft apartments and entire townhouses for
rent.
High-rise apartments frequently offer views and countless amenities,
including concierge services, garage parking (usually for an additional
cost), central air conditioning, private balconies, on-site health
clubs, community rooms, in-unit laundry or laundry facilities on each
floor, and on-site management. High-rise apartments may be found in
areas as diverse as the Back Bay, Financial District, Waterfront,
Midtown/Boston Common area, West End and Cambridge.
Many brownstone buildings were originally built as single
family homes and often feature hardwood floors, high ceilings, bay
windows, fireplaces, woodwork and moldings and much original detail and
old-world craftsmanship. Outdoor parking is sometimes available behind
the buildings. Brownstone apartments are located in residential areas
such as the Back Bay, Bay Village, South End, Beacon Hill, North End,
Fenway, South Boston, Brookline and Cambridge.
Loft apartments offer flexible floorplans and may be found in
many different types of buildings, including new converted factories,
churches and schoolhouses and new construction buildings. Many lofts do
not have separate bedrooms and are open spaces with no divisions. Some
buildings consist primarily of artists and the lofts are designated as
“live/work” spaces. Loft apartments are most often found in commercial
or industrial areas such as the Seaport District/Fort Point Channel
area, Leather District, South End and South Boston.
Landlords and management companies frequently base their approval of
a tenant on a simple formula: The tenant’s monthly income should be no
less than three times to four times the monthly rental price. Another
way of calculating this is to take your yearly income and plan on
spending no more than 25% to 33% of it per year on rent.
As soon as we receive a completed rental application and a deposit
equal to one month’s rent, we will notify the landlord and all agents
in our office will stop showing the apartment. Because many of the same
apartment listings are shown by multiple agencies, we will be as
expedient as possible in our communication with the landlord or
management company. In many cases, we will go over a lease and have you
sign a lease the same day submit your application and deposit.
Landlords base their approval of a rental application on many
different factors, including your credit history, employment and
salary, and current and previous landlord references. All tenants over
the age of 18 must complete a rental application. As soon as your
application is approved, we will schedule a lease signing if one has
not already taken place. We will also collect the balance owed and
advise you on what to do to prepare for move-in.
A one month fee is collected for every apartment rental. Sometimes
the owner pays the entire fee and sometimes the tenant pays the entire
fee. In some cases, the tenant and the landlord each pay half or a
different fraction of the fee. The amount of fee you should expect to
pay is dependent in many cases upon the type of building, the owner and
the time of year. Many high-rise buildings frequently pay the entire
fee. Management companies may pay either the entire fee or half of the
fee. Individual landlords often pay a portion of the fee during the
“off” season (winter, early spring and late fall).
According to state laws, a landlord may collect no more than first
month’s rent, last month’s rent, a one month security deposit and key
deposit from a prospective tenant (this does not include the broker fee
which is separate). Most owners require two month’s rent -- either
first month’s rent and last month’s rent or first month’s rent and a
one month security deposit. A key deposit is sometimes charged and is
frequently refunded when the keys are returned after moving out the
apartment. You should expect to have these payments as soon as
possible. A one month deposit is the minimum required to take an
apartment off the market pending application approval. Some owners
require first month’s rent, last month’s rent and a one month security
deposit. This is frequently the case for tenants with pets and students
with guarantors/co-signers.
Some management companies and landlords offer one month’s rent free
and may offer other incentives such as free parking, health club
membership, etc. These incentives are more likely to be offered during
slower times of the year such as the late fall, winter and early
spring. They are also often incorporated in the marketing of new
developments and are more likely to be associated with a building
consisting of many units.
When viewing apartments, it is important to consider utility costs.
The rental price of many apartments often includes the cost of heat and
hot water. This is especially the case in buildings with units that are
not separately metered, such as many high-rise buildings and some
brownstones. Boston Realty Net’s advertisements clearly state what
utilities, if any, may be included in the rental cost. We can provide
telephone numbers for the utility companies for tenants who wish to
know the average utility bills for a particular apartment. We advise
contacting all utility companies to set them up in your name prior to
move-in.
Many owners do not accept pets. This is especially the case with
high-rise buildings and buildings owned/managed by large companies.
Cats are sometimes allowed but dogs are frequently not allowed. Some
exceptions are made and we are very clear about this in our ads. You
should expect to pay a security deposit. Some owners restrict the
weight of the pet and do not rent to tenants with large dogs over
30lbs, for example.
Frequently, due to the inability to travel to Boston in person to
view apartments, a person may have no choice but to rent an apartment
without seeing it until the move-in day. Our agents will provide as
much information as possible about each available listing, include
photos, movies, floorplans, addresses, maps, etc., in order to ensure
you are going to make the most well-informed decision. We cannot hold
an apartment off the market until we receive a rental application and
one month deposit via mail or wire transfer. Once we receive the
deposit, we will process all paperwork and send leases in the mail for
you to sign and send back. We will also assist with everything
necessary to ensure a smooth transition, including assisting with mail
forwarding, setting up utilities, resident parking, etc.
A Tenant with a Lease is one who signs a lease to rent a particular
apartment for a specified time period. A lease, or rental contract
between the landlord (lessor) and the tenant (lessee), is a written
document which legally binds both parties. The tenant is obligated to
pay a stated rent at a given interval, usually monthly, in return for a
safe and habitable apartment. Most landlords and management companies
have twelve month leases. Many prefer to end the lease on August 31st
of any given year because the majority of tenants (both professionals
and students) look for apartments for this move-in date. A
Tenant-At-Will is one who occupies a rented premises without a lease
but pays rent periodically (typically monthly). The agreement for the
Tenancy- at - Will may be either written or verbal. Either the landlord
or tenant may terminate this arrangement by giving written notice 30
days or one full rental period in advance, whichever is longer. No
reason is required to terminate. If rent is paid the first of each
month, notice should be given prior to the first day of the month.
However, either the landlord or the tenant may be able to give notice
as late as the first day of the month itself.
- Set up utilities – Electricity, Gas - Nstar or KeySpan, Cable - Comcast or RCN, Phone & Internet – by contacting each company.
- Complete all paperwork, including guarantor forms and leases.
- If you are moving into a high-rise, call to schedule move-in time to reserve elevator.
- Call moving companies. For move-ins occurring during peak times
such as September 1, we recommend contacting a moving company as soon
as possible after application approval.
- Apply for moving permit from City Hall to create towzone for moving truck in front of apartment building and get signs.
- Apply for Street Occupancy Permit from City Hall to create towzone for moving truck in front of apartment building and get signs.
- Apply for Resident Permit for parking with signed copy of your lease or utility bill or arrange to rent a parking space. http://www.cityofboston.gov/transportation/parkprogr.asp
- Contact US Postal Service to forward mail. https://moversguide.usps.com/?referral=USPS
- Purchase Rental Insurance to insure all belongings, as the owners policy only covers the building and not your possessions. http://www.brownstoneinsurance.com/ ; http://skellyinsurance.com/;
- Bank Accounts – www.citizensbank.com
- Contact our office to let us know when you would like to pick up your keys. Normally keys are picked up at 12 p.m.
- You should expect to receive copy of lease signed by the landlord no later than 30 days after move-in.
- Complete Apartment Condition Statement and return no later than 15 days after date of occupancy
- Be aware of trash regulations and the street-sweeping schedules for
the city, which vary depending on neighborhood. Link to Street
Sweeping/Trash Info http://www.cityofboston.gov/publicworks/Sanitation.asp
- Know the contact information your landlord/management company for maintenance issues and emergencies