Apartment Hunting: Red flags you should never ignore

*The easiest and best way to learn is from experience, but it is okay to learn from others and avoid suffering or going through the same thing as them.*  [source](https://pixabay.com/photos/architecture-real-estate-property-5339245/) *Shelter is one of the basic needs of life; it is a place that offers comfort, which is all the more reason why we must be careful and observant when choosing a house to live in.* *I never cared so much about these requirements until the last apartment I rented almost took my life, and after everything I went through there, I make sure to inspect and find out the necessary things before renting my new apartment.* *Here are my deal breakers when hunting for an apartment to rent.* **Mold** *This is my number 1 deal breaker. I cannot, for any reason, rent an apartment infested with mold. Even if the rent is the cheapest, I won't compromise because I wouldn't want to pay for an apartment that can get me killed... Mold is a killer... Last year till april of this year was so messy for me, no week pass by without me falling sick, it is from headache to hot temperature to fatigue and sometimes it becomes so extreme that I got bedridden, I can't even count how many times I was sick, I kept treating malaria and typhoid and within few weeks, I feel sick again and it got to an extent I started to wonder if it was time to leave planet earth and go see my father in heaven, don't overthink, I am a candidate of heaven not the other one.* **Ventilation** *I have never fainted in my life, but this happened to me this year, and the lack of ventilation in my apartment contributed to it. I still remember that night, how I was grasping for breath, trying to open the door was the last thing I remember. I didn't know I had already fainted until I was revived.* *It was a self-contained room, and the room only had 1 window, and the space between the window and the fence was so small, which caused a lack of ventilation. The reason why I was able to stay long in that apartment was the 24/7 light, cos whenever they take the electricity, it feels like I am in an oven, hence I got a rechargeable fan... This is another thing I would always consider when renting an apartment, so history won't repeat itself.*  [source](https://pixabay.com/photos/give-key-receive-hand-keys-5242150/) **Network** *Gosh! I have never been so frustrated in my life. None of my network works whenever I am inside my apartment. I tried different networks ranging from Spectranet, MTN, MTN 4G, Airtel, yet all were the same. There was a good network outside the apartment, so I had to put my MTN 4G router outside whenever I wanted to use the internet... There was a night I lost 700 dollars because of a network and service issue. People tried my number, but it was unreachable, and my line was on. It was when I woke up and came online that I saw what I missed, it was so painful.* *So before you make a payment for an apartment, make sure to check the network. There are some codes you can dial to know how good the network is. In my current apartment, the moment I entered the place, I brought out my iPhone and saw 5G on it, which is enough confirmation that the network is stable there.* **Electricity Debt** *Be sure to confirm the house is not owing Electricity debt, don't ask the agent for such information because they would never tell you the truth, the funniest part is they don't even know the answer yet they will tell you all is good, Agent are one of the most dishonest people so do not trust them for the right information.* *Be sure to confirm there is no debt on their prepaid meter or any means of connection they are using to get electricity to avoid paying for the light you didn't use, some new tenants end up meeting a debt of 500k which was left by the former tenant, it could even be the reason the former tenants left the building.* *As a Landlord too, I don't like tenants with many children especially children they can't control, I am planning to give one of my tenant a quick notice because of the information I am hearing about her eldest child, the woman is not always at home and the boy is always bringing his friends home to bath, that is not my concern in a way because the apartment belongs to them the moment they paid for it but then, bringing people home to bath and waste water is also my concern because this could lead to the soakaway getting full on time, Her little kids also tear the window net and it is just a year they moved into the apartment, I plan to call her to order but if I see no changes, Quick notice await!* *The other kind of tenants I don't like are those who rear pets; not everyone likes pets, some are allergic to dogs, cats, and the like. So as a tenant, it is not right to rare pet in an apartment that is not yours, cos you may be inconveniencing other tenants in the building.*  **Just call me Burl.** *I am a professional gamer, motivational speaker and a crypto enthusiast* *Discord: burlarj* *Twitter id: burlarj1* *Telegram: burlarj* **God exists, I am a living testimony** **Giving up is not an option, every hustler has a payday** **Don't wish for it, Make it happen** **Only Love can heal a broken Heart**