The scenario is that you find yourself an income producing apartment building. Before you make an offer on this building you must ask yourself “Is there anything about this apartment complex that can be changed that will add value to it?” Let us examine the variable components of the prospective apartment building, the revenue and the expenditure.

Revenue

Your initial analysis should consist of researching other apartment buildings in the area you are interested in. You can begin this by calling similar apartment buildings and inquire about the rates of the units they have available. It is necessary to know what your competition is commanding for the amenities they provide.

There are competent brokers available who should be able to provide information such as the average rent per square foot and occupancy rates. You can then then compare this data with similar data of the apartment building you are considering. You can then determine if the current owner has kept up with the market and whether you can justify raising the rent without offering further improvements. There may also be the opportunity to convert excess storage space into rentable living area. This would increase the rental income and add value to the property.

You must inquire whether the rent plan of the building is “all bills paid” master-metered environment or whether the tenants are responsible for their own electricity bills. Converting a building and passing the costs onto the tenants can have positive results to the income stream.
* The action will require an offsetting decrease in rents on a per-unit basis.
* The tenants will be more conservative and thinking more about conserving energy if they are aware they are now responsible for their own power usage.Another way to generate additional income is to provide vending services such as laundry, pay phones, and soft drinks to the apartment complex.

Depending on the number of units, you may contract a laundry service that provides washers and dryers. The service will pay you for the right to offer its services on your property. You can negotiate with cable TV and satellite services for the right to provide your tenants with television services. Cellular phones are big business and phone companies are regularly looking to lease a site to locate their communication equipment on the rooftops of buildings.

Expenditure

There are quite a few ways to minimize the operating expenses of an apartment building.

* The cost of building repairs and maintenance will vary with the age of the apartment building.

* Management fees and salary costs can be cut especially if you are going to self-manage the property and assume many of the management and maintenance duties.

* It is a good idea to pass the utility costs over to the end user. Sub-metered apartments can reduce the electricity costs. You can cut the cost of the water bill by simply repairing any leaks in the faucets and toilets and by replacing the flush mechanism in the toilets with one with a water saving feature. You can also install water-saving devices in showers and bathrooms.

* Look for an insurance agent who specializes in providing commercial services. You will find that costs vary widely among agents so shop
around for the best deal.

* You can employ a tax advisor to protest the assessed tax valuation of a prospective building based on the taxes paid by similar buildings in the area and possibly have the amount lowered.

Searching for the right property can be difficult but nothing worthwhile is ever easy. Fortunately by examining the variables there are many ways of adding value in an apartment building. By considering these variables you should be able to determine the overall condition of the property and the potential monetary returns on your investment.

Every young person looks forward to the day they can finally move out on their own and get their very first apartment. While this is a fun task and something to look forward to, there are many things to carefully consider before taking this big step.

The first step is to find out what kinds of apartments are available in your price range. You have several options here. First you can look in the local papers, rental guidebooks and yellow pages for available apartments and apartment complexes.

You can also look on the internet. Many places have web sites where you can take a virtual tour of the facilities as well as see floor plans and pricing. This is a great way to compare different apartments without having to drive all over town.

You can also ask people you know if they know of any apartments that have vacancies. This is also a good way to find out what landlords are good to rent from and what apartment buildings are the nicer ones to live in. Finally, you can look on bulletin boards and to-let signs on the road. If you have real estate agents that specialize in rentals you might try them as well.

When you finally do find an apartment you are interested in, be prepared to fill out a rental application form. This information on this form will be used to determine if you are a good risk to rent to. They will most likely do a credit check and will verify employment and salary range. You may need to provide your social security number or the copy of your Visa or LPR card. You may have to pay a fee just to fill out the form and it may take a couple of weeks to find out if you are approved. First time renters might need a co-signer who will be responsible should you not pay your rent on time.

Once you are approved, expect to sign a lease. This document will state all the terms that apply to the rental as well as the time frame and fixed monthly rent. You should keep a copy of this in your files. The lease can be for any amount of time, but a year is pretty standard. The lease stipulates what recourse the landlord has if you fail to pay your rent and also that your rent can not be raised until the lease ends.

The landlord will want your first months rent in advance along with a security deposit which usually is equal to one months rent. Sometimes, they ask for the first and last months rent in advance in addition to a security deposit so you might want to ask about this up front to be sure you have enough money. Some apartments do allow pets and if you have one you can expect to pay an additional security deposit which will be specifically used to fix any damage caused by the pet. Some places also charge a small monthly premium if you have a pet.

If you leave at the end of the lease with your apartment in tip top shape, your security deposit will be refunded. The landlord may keep some part of the deposit if the property has incurred any kind of damage. You may have to forfeit your security deposit entirely if you break the lease agreement.

Unexpected things happen in life and you might enter into a lease with good intentions but circumstances might cause you to have to break it. Most landlords realize this and will try to work with you to get the apartment rented so you incur as little expense as possible. Be forewarned, however that if you do break the lease and the landlord cannot find a tenant you are responsible to pay the rent up until the end of the lease.