How to rent an apartment through an agency? Simple and detailed instructions

When talking about new buildings, we often pay a lot of attention to the process of purchasing apartments, but for some reason we bypass their rental. And this topic, in general, is no less pressing - to understand this, just go to social networks. It doesn’t matter where you are going to rent an apartment - in the capital or in a smaller city, in the very center or somewhere on the outskirts, in an old building or in a new residential complex, you can still do it either successfully or unsuccessfully. The sums at stake, of course, are not as large as when buying a home, but you still have an important choice to make.

We will tell you in detail and point by point how to make sure that you do not regret your choice.

“Where to look?”, “Is it better through an agency or directly?”, “How to withdraw so as to be left with intact nerves, intact kidneys and even a relatively intact wallet?” – Read the answers to these and many other questions in our instructions.

1) Looking for an apartment on social networks and specialized sites

We will not advise you on any specific sites or groups on social networks for renting housing - firstly, we don’t want to advertise for them, and, secondly, there are so many of them that you will probably find your ideal if you try. Fame on the Internet and the number of users and subscribers here in themselves serve as a guarantor of reliability. It is difficult to find a non-offer aggregator; it is difficult to find the best among the variety of these offers. To do this, we advise you to write down your desires and possibilities before starting your search and try not to deviate too much from them - otherwise there is a high risk of getting stuck for an hour on photographs of an apartment that you cannot afford. This, however, is still better than an apartment with no photos at all - what’s so scary about it? Yes, by the way, if the photos of your home, on the contrary, are too attractive, don’t rush to rejoice either. Run them through Google Images - perhaps landlords are simply attracting attention to themselves. The most important thing for them now is that you call - and they will come up with excuses for themselves later.

Where to start looking for an apartment?

First of all, you need to decide what kind of housing you need and how much you can realistically pay for it. Points to pay attention to:

Area. You need to look for housing in a convenient location - it’s unlikely that anyone would want to commute two hours to work. True, in residential areas apartments will be 1.5-2 times cheaper than in the center. You should immediately study the connection of the potential place of residence to the metro and other transport: “5 minutes to the bus” may mean that the bus interval is ─ 2 hours, and “walking distance” suggests that you need to walk about an hour to the stop. Using maps on the Internet you can really estimate the new daily route.
Apartment size. The more rooms and the size of the living space, the more expensive it is, so you need to soberly assess the required size of your living space. In a huge three-room apartment, one person is uncomfortable, and five people in one room are cramped.
Repair. It’s not bad if the apartment has been renovated - this means getting rid of a wobbly toilet and running taps, torn wallpaper and non-working sockets. And it’s more pleasant to live in a normal apartment.
Furniture and household appliances. Typically, rental housing is already equipped with everything necessary. This is convenient for those who have not yet acquired their own sofa and refrigerator, otherwise they will have to resolve the issue of the master’s furniture. Moving into an empty apartment with a backpack is also costly - to make it cozy and habitable, you will have to fork out more.

2) Get to know the area of the desired apartment better

Renting an apartment is a process during which you need to doubt everything. As they say, it’s better to be overcautious than underdressed. Therefore, after checking the apartment based on the photo and description (don’t be afraid to ask the owners clarifying questions - for example, what is meant by “recently” in the phrase “the apartment was recently renovated”)

, don’t forget to check her surroundings as well. Alas, you won’t get to know your neighbors in one visit, but you can find out how things are going with the infrastructure in the area. And if you suddenly find out that “15 minutes to the metro” means running, “there are shops nearby” means closed ones, and “social institutions in the neighborhood” means a prison and a mental hospital, then look for a better option. Well, or agree to this one if nothing bothers you about it - the main thing is that there are no unpleasant surprises.

Legal consequences

You should know that any sources of income must be included in the declaration or registered as an occupation. The formation of the state taxation system depends on this.

The law guards order, and if a citizen decides to “go into the shadows,” then he should think again and weigh the pros and cons, find out what the consequences of tax evasion may be.

Procedure:

Registration of a patent. You will need to spend money to purchase it. The price will depend on the validity period - from 1 to 12 months within one calendar year. If you buy a patent within six months, you will need to pay for it immediately; in other cases, you are allowed to transfer funds in installments. The cost is determined individually: the tax base, which depends on the location and living space of the apartment, is multiplied by 6%.
Register as an individual entrepreneur (IP). There is a simplified taxation system here, which is an obvious advantage. For individual entrepreneurs, the rate is set at 6% of the amount of income for the year + insurance premiums.
Paying tax as an individual without the need to register as an individual entrepreneur. The tax is set at 13% of the annual income. A declaration in Form 3 of personal income tax is filled out and submitted to the tax office by April 30 of the current year.

3) Try not to fall for the tricks of scammers

Usually a train station is considered a place of increased danger, but believe me, when you rent an apartment, no less danger awaits you - there are about as many fraudulent landlords as there are people sitting in the waiting room, only these don’t expect anything, but grab the money and run. One of the most common ways to deceive naive tenants is prepayment, and it can be charged for anything. Remember, if you pay for a housing preview or to ensure that the ideal apartment for you is not given to competitors, you will only lose money and only gain a bitter experience. Another trick, albeit not so cruel, is to say that the apartment from the advertisement has already been rented, but there is another one (in fact, of course, this was the only one from the very beginning)

. Well, in general, monitor the behavior of the landlord and do not hesitate to ask him for documents - there are cases when several tenants were deceived into moving into one apartment at the same time, and this was not even done by its owners.

4) Recognize that it is better to choose an agency rather than an owner

Although everyone dreams of renting an apartment directly from the owner so as not to overpay, after stories about scammers, the agency’s rate does not seem so cruel. Yes, it will be more expensive, but it will be more reliable and faster. The agency will not deceive you (well, of course, unless you choose a bad agency - but we will teach you that too)

and will provide a whole database of proven proposals - if you don’t like one, they’ll select another. And, oddly enough, it can be easier to bargain with an agency representative than with the owner - he holds on too tightly to his favorite apartment, while a specialist evaluates it objectively.

Advantages of renting an apartment through an agency

Despite some distrust of realtors, cooperation with them provides important advantages to employers:

Save time. Agencies have an extensive database at their disposal, and with their help it is possible to find what you need faster.
All documentation will be checked for legal purity.
The risk of running into unscrupulous people is significantly reduced. Thus, in the housing market there are cases of renting an apartment without the knowledge of the owner, as well as double renting of an object.
It is much easier for a professional to see the shortcomings of an apartment that an inexperienced person will not pay attention to.
The realtor will make sure that the contract fixes the price, rental period and other important points (condition of the property, procedure for paying for utilities).
The intermediary will completely take over the negotiations with the owner: negotiate the price, discuss controversial issues. The employer can minimize communication with the owners. All he has to do is come for inspection, sign the contract and pay.

An additional advantage is the availability of guarantees provided by reputable agencies. If the apartment owner unexpectedly raises the rent or asks the tenants to move out without good reason, the realtor will find another option for the client free of charge

5) Contact a reliable agency

Keep in mind that there are also scammers among agencies. For example, those who open an office, hang up a beautiful sign, collect money from clients, and after a couple of days disappear into obscurity. Or those that offer special services - say, they are ready to compile a selection of apartments that suit you for a small monetary reward. Before applying anywhere, read the Internet, ask friends and acquaintances, study the market. All this will help you find specialists with experience and a good reputation. But even with them, before starting cooperation, be sure to meet in person - intuition often plays a very important role in this matter.

Types of activities of real estate agencies

There are a significant number of real estate companies on the market operating in certain market segments. Large agencies invest in real estate and engage in other activities, significantly expanding the range of services provided:

Renting residential and commercial real estate.
Consulting clients on legal and other issues.
Providing assistance in obtaining mortgage loans.
Expert assessment of real estate objects.
Advertising.
Assistance in choosing an insurer and insurance program.

The basic principle of the real estate agency remains unchanged - preparation and comprehensive support of the transaction. Only contacting a qualified and experienced realtor provides a high level of security guarantees for the processes of searching and purchasing a house, apartment, office, as well as any other premises.

6) Behave in a friendly manner

If you are used to being rude to cashiers in supermarkets, arguing with waiters and swearing at cleaners, before meeting with a real estate agent, remind yourself that excessive expression can cost you many years of a happy life - at least in a particular apartment. It would seem that there is no need for basic politeness now, why mention it separately, but for some reason many people forget about it when they find out how much money agents charge for their work. Remember: indignation and swearing will not help you, but will only hinder you. At the same time, no one wants to leave a client who is a pleasure to work with to the mercy of fate. And it is advisable to make a good first impression on the owner of the apartment - it is not at all necessary, say, from the threshold to declare what terrible wallpaper he chose for the kitchen. On the other hand, don’t ask to be friends with either the agent or the owner - let your relationship be purely business.

Delivery methods

There are two ways to organize a business: independently or through a real estate agency.

On one's own

If you have a sufficient amount of time and knowledge or do not trust the agents, then you can deal with the rental personally.

To submit yourself you need:

Prepare housing for rent. Decide whether it will be a long-term rental or daily rental. The degree to which the apartment is equipped with household appliances, furniture, textiles (bedding, towels, bathrobes, etc.) depends on this. The main requirements are the presence of cosmetic repairs, working electrical, plumbing, heating systems, as well as ideal order in the room.
Collect information on prices of housing with similar characteristics. These could be Internet sites for real estate rentals, social networks, newspapers, various bulletin boards and others.
Assess the condition of the object (location, transport interchange, educational institutions, etc.), identify all the pros and cons. Set a price, preferably the average price for the supply market. Nobody wants to cut prices, and it’s more difficult to resist the temptation to get more money, so you need to try to choose a middle ground.
Take high-quality photographs as close as possible to the real condition of the property - this will save you from unnecessary calls and views.
Write the text of the ad indicating the size of the living space, number of floors, number of rooms, name of the location. Give a detailed description of the positive aspects of the apartment, whether there is a store or kindergarten nearby, indicate the amount of rent, deposit and the owner’s phone number.
Place an ad on popular sites: “Avito”, “Domofond”, “Cyan”, “World of Apartments”. On message boards of local websites and media, tell friends and acquaintances about renting out housing.
Take calls, be ready to answer questions, arrange viewings, arrange showings.
Prepare a sample lease agreement, competently drawn up by a lawyer, which will spell out all the obligations of the parties, force majeure circumstances and liability for failure to comply with the terms of the agreement.
Try to choose the most decent and trustworthy among the countless potential applicants. There is no need to be shy about asking questions about the solvency and type of activity of a potential tenant. Be sure to check his passport details and registration. Enter this information into the contract and make a copy of the employer’s passport.

Through an intermediary

When contacting a real estate agency, a contract for the provision of services is concluded, and no fee is charged to the owner. From this moment on, the intermediary takes on all responsibilities: advertising, searching for clients, legal issues. The owner can only arrange a meeting with future residents by phone. With the mutual consent of the landlord and tenant, an agreement is concluded in the presence of a realtor.

Housing can be rented either daily or for a period of any length. The success of long-term rentals depends on correctly selected tenants, their decency and solvency. Renting an apartment daily has its pros and cons.

The undoubted advantages include the following:

Monthly income increases by 3-4 times compared to long-term rental, even if the occupancy rate is 15 days per month.
If the apartment is for sale, then daily rent is also very convenient. No one commits themselves to long-term obligations, and at the same time, housing is always available for viewing.
The owner has the opportunity to stop renting at any time and use the apartment at his own discretion.

7) Carefully inspect the apartment

At this stage, you should already understand that you should not transfer money for an apartment only after seeing its photographs - no, you need to see it for real. Moreover, make the most of your visit! The worst thing you can do is fall for the view from the window, stand in the middle of the living room and joyfully say “I’ll take it!” Throw away embarrassment and laziness and examine every centimeter of your future home under a microscope. Is the bathtub leaking, are the sockets broken, is the wallpaper peeling off? Is the refrigerator working? How's the hood? Can you hear the neighbors living three floors above in the bedroom? If there are shortcomings in the apartment, but you are ready to put up with them, be sure to document them with the landlord - so that later you don’t have to prove that this scratch was on the refrigerator long before you. And don’t immediately discard the option of an unfurnished apartment! Firstly, you have less to check. And, secondly, you will be able to arrange your home in your own way - you won’t have to sleep on a creaky sofa.

Documentation of the transaction

Regardless of whether it is an independent search for clients or an application for services from a real estate agency, it is necessary to collect a standard package of documents.

The following papers will be required:

Certificate or extract from the Unified State Register of Property Rights. It is good if there is one owner, otherwise the co-owner will need to be invited to the final stage of the transaction - the moment of concluding the contract.
Owner's passport. A copy of the document is also needed, since it is transferred along with the contract to the employer.
Written consent to rent from citizens registered in the apartment.
Receipts confirming the absence of debts for housing and communal services.

It is strongly recommended to always conclude a contract - both for long-term rentals and daily rentals. A properly drawn up document is a guarantor of peace of mind and protection of the interests of the landlord. In cases of conflicts, disputes or late payment, the contract can always be terminated early.

Required items:

Passport details of both parties.
Amount and terms of payment.
Who will live in the apartment (list).
Responsibilities of the owner and tenant. Additional requirements are discussed individually and are also specified in the contract.
The property located in the apartment, responsibility for its safety, the condition of the living space at the time of occupancy.
Force majeure situations.
Possibility of early termination of the contract in case of non-compliance with the living conditions.

An agreement is evidence of civil law relations between the parties entering into it.

In case of disputes, the owner has the right:

evict tenants within 3–7 days without refund of rent,
in case of damage to property - do not return the deposit amount,
in accordance with the relevant clause of the contract, to recover funds for the damage caused,
in more complex situations - go to court.

From this we can conclude that it is necessary to conclude an agreement, even if the tenants are good acquaintances or friends. This is necessary primarily for the property owner.

Checking the documents for the apartment

Just like when buying an apartment, when renting it, you should carefully read not only the apartment itself, but also the documents for it. This is, in general, the last check to see if you have contacted scammers and whether the real owners of the property will evict you in a couple of days (this scheme is called subletting)

. Ask the owner of the apartment to show you his passport, and also, to make sure of everything, don’t be too lazy to get an extract from the register of rights to real estate. You contact Rosreestr or any multifunctional center, pay a small state fee and wait a few days for a response. If everything is fine, and you haven’t changed your mind about living in Moscow in the past few days, agree that you have at least found an honest landlord. Although this, of course, raises the question of why no one else was interested in his apartment during all this time, but we’d better keep silent about it.

Legislation

The issue of renting out housing is regulated by the Civil Code of the Russian Federation. Chapter 35 is devoted to this topic, which defines the relationship between the landlord and the tenant. On its basis, employment contracts are drawn up, controversial issues or situations are considered in court.

If you plan to rent out an apartment to a foreign citizen, then you should also take into account Federal Law No. 115 “On the Legal Status of Foreign Citizens in the Russian Federation” and Federal Law No. 109 “On Migration Registration of Foreign Citizens and Stateless Persons in the Russian Federation.”

Who can take it

According to Art. 30 of the Housing Code of the Russian Federation, the owner of a residential premises has the right to provide the property belonging to him for use on the basis of a lease agreement.

The subtenant also has the right to rent out housing on the basis of a social tenancy agreement and written permission from the owner of the property (Article 67 of the Housing Code of the Russian Federation). In this case, a notarized power of attorney must be issued.

Can a non-owner

Not only the owner, but also any authorized individual or legal entity under a power of attorney can engage in rental housing.

If housing is jointly owned, then family relationships, even the closest ones, are not a legal basis for sole disposal of real estate. In this case, you will need a power of attorney from all co-owners of the apartment or their presence when signing the agreement.

9) Provide honest information about yourself

So, you've checked all the dos and don'ts! According to all the laws of the detective genre, it should now become clear that the fraudster is you, but we will believe that this is still not the case. Therefore, so that the landlord is not left with nothing (we hope, however, that he rents out something better)

, tell him the whole truth about yourself.
If you smoke, say so, and the owner of the apartment will show you where to do it and where it’s better not to. If you have a cat or dog, don’t hide them, but be honest about them, perhaps a cute face will even help you bring down the price. If you are not going to live alone, it is better not to hush this up either. You shouldn’t pretend to be a quiet and calm workaholic without bad habits, but with a dislike for children and animals. Especially if it’s all untrue. Don’t go into details (just “I smoke”, not “I smoke in bed and put out cigarettes on the wallpaper”)
, and your honesty will definitely be appreciated.

10) Negotiate the scope of your communication with the owner

Your longest conversation with the apartment owner should be your first conversation with him. That is, no one, of course, forbids you to communicate later if you like each other, but this is a topic for another article. If you are not looking for new friends and will not be happy when they come to you on Sunday morning to bring new stools and check the condition of the bathroom, then say so. Politeness, honesty and the ability to keep your distance are your best helpers, with whom you will save yourself money and nerves. Will the owner really miss his apartment and want to see her from time to time? Discuss with him how often and when he can do this. And he is certainly obliged to warn about the visit in advance. Insist on your rights - you also pay for comfort.

How do rental real estate agents work?

The modern real estate rental market is developing rapidly. There are quite a lot of offers for renting out housing and their number is constantly increasing, but these offers do not always satisfy the demand. High demand for housing occurs in cities with large populations. And this is not surprising, because people come here to find a well-paid job or get an education.

Mostly, visiting people solve the housing problem by renting. Often people have absolutely no idea how real estate agents conduct these transactions.

Realtors help you choose an apartment according to the requested requirements. The functions of real estate agency employees include checking the accompanying documentation for the apartment (ownership rights), as well as drawing up a lease agreement. To minimize the risk that services may not be provided by the realtor, he must draw up an additional agreement to the lease agreement with the client. Also, a realtor must be able to communicate competently with home owners.

How to rent out an apartment correctly

11) Carefully sign the lease agreement

Take advantage of the fact that you are renting an apartment through an agency - ask them to draw up the most detailed rental agreement for you. It should spell out your rights and responsibilities, as well as those of your landlord, in a way that makes you both eager to sign at the bottom of the document. Pay attention to the rental period - you need to ensure that “long” does not mean “until the end of autumn.” An ideal contract should already describe all the property in the apartment and even its condition, and your own inspection of all this will be additional and voluntary (but we insist that it still takes place)

. A well-developed and studied contract is a guarantee that you won’t be able to suddenly lose the apartment you already love. And if you have problems with the landlord, you can even sue him. It's a small thing, but it's nice!

Preparation of contract

If the agency has passed our check and the documents are all in order, you can begin concluding an agreement. The agreement has the following requirements :

The subject of the agreement is the provision of services by the real estate agency.
List of services provided by the agency (what responsibilities are included, for example showing an apartment, advertising it, etc.).
The amount of remuneration that the agent receives in case of successful work done.

Attention! The agreement should have a separate clause on how the employee receives remuneration (in any case or only when residents move in).

The validity period of the contract must be indicated.
Indication of the details of both parties (personal data of the tenant and the lessor). In this case, the passport details of the employer and his contact phone number are indicated. The agency must indicate the full name of the organization, legal address and telephone number.
Responsibility of both parties in case of failure to fulfill obligations and violation of the terms of the agreement.
Nuances when terminating an agreement and guarantee.

MISTAKES MISTAKES BY LANDLORDS WHEN RENTING AN APARTMENT

12) Prepare a large amount for the first time

Finally, the most unpleasant thing. You need to approach renting an apartment prepared – if not fully armed, then at least with a full wallet. Moreover, when you rent a house through an agency - yes, they don’t like them for high interest rates. And for your special requirements, such as urgency, the percentage can be increased even more. And this is all without even taking into account the fact that an apartment for 50 thousand rubles in the first month will cost you about twice as much - you will have to pay for the first and last month, and perhaps you will also be asked to pay a deposit or pay for depreciation, that is, wear and tear of furniture and technology. And, by the way, discuss with the owner of the apartment who will pay for utilities and how. And if it’s you, check to see if the apartment already has debts - you shouldn’t pay for previous tenants who didn’t save on water.

What documents are needed

Before 2002, realtors required a license to operate. Now all that is needed to open a real estate agency is simply to register a legal entity. For single realtors who are going to work only with citizens and residential properties, an individual entrepreneur will be enough. But if you plan to work with development companies or commercial real estate, you will have to open an LLC. Registration with the tax office will take three days and will require payment of a state fee: 4,000 rubles for an LLC and 800 rubles for an individual entrepreneur.

Once the registration documents are in hand, you will need to open bank account The cost of this service for individual entrepreneurs is 3,000 rubles, for LLCs – 10,000 rubles.

But it is not necessary to join the Guild of Realtors. This is more of an image decision that can increase the status of the realtor in the eyes of the client.

And one more important point at the start: when you decide to open a real estate agency, work out your business plan in detail, otherwise you risk losing all your investments and closing down, as happens every year with thousands of real estate companies throughout Russia.

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PS 13) Enjoy your new home

If you have done all the steps described above in order, then you can finally breathe a sigh of relief - you may not have found the best apartment in the world, but how ideally you rented it! We understand that you had to work hard, but now you have experience and knowledge about the real estate market, which will certainly be useful to you in the future. Remember - the main advantage of a rented apartment is that if something happens, it is much easier to change it than a purchased one.

Georgy Paradny