1. Housing Search
What It Can Mean to You

2. Do you need to move or find an apartment
Why do you want or need to move?
Here’s some things to think about?

3. Wish List 1. Where would you like to live?
What does your ideal neighborhood look like?
Schools
Transportation
Access to shopping
Near to friends & family
Near to work
Trees and parks
Safety
Other considerations

4. Wish List 2. Imagine your new home
What does it look like?
Apartment
Single family
Duplex
What do you need?
# of Rooms
# Bedrooms
# Bathrooms
Large rooms
Kitchen
Parking/garage
Storage areas
Other considerations

5. Wish List 3. Other considerations:
Accessibility/handicap issues
Lead paint: Does someone under six live in your household?
Pets
Do you need a yard?
On/near a bus route
Washer/dryer hook-ups
Near a real grocery store?
Other considerations

6. Visit the neighborhood
Walk around – at different times of day
Weekends can also be busier
Ask the people who live there what they think of it
Is there convenient shopping?
Are the buildings/streets well maintained?
Look for trash, filth in streets/parks, signs of criminal activity

7. The Real World 1. Can you afford it?
Take a close look at your rent and monthly expenses
What’s a realistic rent
Factoring in heat and utilities
Creating a working budget
Financial Management Workshop

8. The Real World 2. Your rental history
What’s your relationship with your present landlord?
Previous landlords and rental history?
Were you ever evicted?
Credit and credit reports
CORI reports
Other considerations
What’s your side of the story?

9. Budgeting and stretching your money
Have a budget
Have a plan!

10. Getting your references in shape
Your present landlord
Old landlords
Your credit report: What are your rights?
“Pulling” your credit report
Fixing your credit report
CORI reports: What are your rights?
Work references
Personal references
Bad References – How to handle them

11. Where To Look for an Apartment
Internet – Craig’s list, etc.
Newspapers
Housing authority lists
MassAccess Housing Registry
Community bulletin boards

12. The need for a search strategy
“The most important thing is to start; to lay down a plan, and then follow it step by step no matter how small or large each one by itself may seem.”
- Charles Lindbergh, in his book The Spirit of St. Louis

13. Contacting the landlord
Phone etiquette
How to present yourself: The importance of first impressions
Be polite
Be punctual
Be friendly
Be organized
Have names, addresses available
Dress appropriately
Find childcare if possible

14. Contacting the landlord cont. . .
What a potential landlord can and cannot ask in an application
Application fees
Following up once you’ve applied

15. What to ask the landlord
What is the rent?
What utilities (heat/hot water/electricity) are included?
What kind of heat do you have?
What were the heating costs for last year?
What appliances are included with the apartment?
When will the apartment be available?
What are the move-in costs (first & last month’s rent, security deposit, key fee)?
Do you prefer a lease or a month-to-month rental agreement?
Are there any other things I should be aware of or you would like to ask me?

16. If you’re interested, say you’re interested, but don’t seem desperate!

17. How to tell the difference
Fair Housing Laws
Sometimes a “no” constitutes discrimination – and sometimes it doesn’t…
How to tell the difference

18. Fair Housing Laws Federal and state regulations
What constitutes discrimination?
Discriminatory advertising
What to look for
What is a “Protected Category?”

19. Fair Housing Laws: What are the protected categories?
Race
Color
National Origin
Religion
Sex
Familial Status
Marital Status
Handicap
Age
Sexual Orientation
Gender Identity and Expression
Military/Veteran Status
Ancestry
Public Assistance
Housing Subsidies
Genetic Information

20. Fair Housing Laws Reasonable accommodation and housing search
Lead paint regulations
Domestic violence and sexual harassment

21. What to do if you think you’re a victim of housing discrimination

22. Move-in Considerations
Deposits
Leases versus rental agreements
What a prospective landlord can ask for:
Key fee
First Month’s Rent
Last Month’s Rent
Security Deposit

23. Getting there from here…
Making a plan for yourself
Stay with it
Financial Planning Workshop
When is it next offered?
We can work with you to make it happen!
Working with a Counselor

24. Thank you.