How to rent the apartment

In modern times, it is no longer relevant to post ads on the outside poles.

It is convenient to search for apartments online on thematic sites and social networking groups.

Among the ads there are also fake ones. There are overpriced ads  to change the average market value. Another part with a low price and beautiful photographs - to attract a potential tenant (sometimes the image of the apartment is taken from Russian real estate websites).

We advise you to trust the ads with a full description and when the owners of the apartment, the realtor will send additional photos without any problems.

Try to find out all the information about accommodation and rental conditions before making an appointment.

 Be sure to discuss the terms of payment and termination of the lease, whether a person can demonstrate the documents of title to the apartment.

If you are going to stay for more than 1 month, please agree in advance to issue a temporary residential registration.  

The most common methods of fraudsters at the first stages are to ask for a deposit for a good room, which may not exist, or a dummy person can sign the documents, and the next day the real owner will simply kick you out.

Transfer the money only after signing the documents, and the keys to the apartment are in your hands.

You can check the legality of the owner's rights to the apartment in the public service center or through the portal gov.kz, the certificate can only be obtained by the owner of the property.

Check the conformity of the passport data. Anyone can show the apartment - a realtor, a neighbor, a relative, but you need to sign an agreement either with the owner or with a person who has a notarized power of attorney from the owner.

If the apartment has several owners, which will be indicated in the requested certificate, the written consent of each will be required.

When choosing the agents, realtors those who will select housing for you, you need to understand what service they can provide.

Usually a choice of the 2 options:

• undertake to find and provide housing for the client;
• undertake to provide information on the availability of ads for the rent / sale of the housing.

Before starting to work with a real estate agency, you must:

• study its website, names of managers, addresses and reviews;
• go to the office, talk with realtors;
• when signing the agreement, carefully read the clauses on the rights, obligations and responsibilities of the parties.

Standard contracts for the provision of real estate services must indicate:

• what is the deal;
• act of viewing and completed work;
• rights and obligations of the parties;
• what is the act of viewing.

When drawing up a lease agreement, it is indicated:

• description of property;
• condition of housing with a photo;
• act of acceptance and transfer;
• readings of water and gas meters.

Only then can you pay for the intermediary service of the realtor.

Facts that should alert you when choosing a home:

• beautiful furnished apartment at a price below average;
• intermediaries do not leave their office and may not have seen the apartment;
• information about the apartment is provided only after payment has been made;
• inspection of the apartment only on a paid basis - from 1000 tenge and above;
• "information services" are provided according to the contract;
• the agreement contains a clause on the agency's refusal of responsibility for the further fate of negotiations between the tenant and the owner of the apartment.

When choosing housing, follow the sequence:

• Inspection of housing
• checking documents
• signing the contract
• transfer of money.

Lease agreement is insurance against unforeseen situations for both the owner and the tenant.

Check the documents certifying the owner of the apartment, and make sure that it is he or the person with a notarized power of attorney from the owner has been entered in the lease agreement.

Study the contract carefully, ask to fill in the missing items. An additional agreement can be concluded.

List of conditions that are recommended to be documented:

• data proving the identity of both parties (full name, IIN);
• the cost of a monthly payment in tenge with a fixed rate for a certain period, most often for 12 months. When and in what way the payment will be made, as well as the amount of the deposit and the conditions for its return;
• The time in which the owner is obliged to notify the tenant of the eviction or the increase in payment (usually 30 days);
• validity period and grounds for termination of the contract, as well as the material liability of both parties for non-performance or violation of the contract, so that the owner could not evict you at any time;
• frequency, date and time of monthly visits to the landlord to check the condition of the apartment. It is also worth making rules for the number of phone calls;
• the number of people who will live in the apartment with the indication of full name, IIN. If necessary, enter the permission to keep pets;
• responsibility of the owner for carrying out repairs, fixing plumbing, serviceability of the heating system, gas, electricity and water supply, etc .;
• who will pay for what utilities. If the owner agrees to provide free internet, the item must be present in the documents. Indicate the readings of water and electric meters on the day of check-in with the obligation of the owner of the apartment to pay all debts until that day;
• the responsibility of the lessee for damage to the property and the obligation to return it to the lessor in its original condition, taking into account normal wear and tear during the lived time.

An act of acceptance and transfer with description of furniture, household appliances, their condition and defects that were noticed during the inspection is attached to the contract. Indicate the condition of housing, pipes, plumbing, the presence or absence of repair.

Discuss the monthly payment process with the landlord, how and how often you will be contacted.

If you need to issue a temporary registration, be sure to set a date when you can be done with the documents. It will be difficult to receive government services without temporary registration.

In order not to be guilty in a situation, for example, with a suddenly broken crane, inspect the entire apartment, point out to the owner about the shortcomings and make sure that everyone is included in the future lease agreement.

Discuss future breakdown situations, at whose expense and what will be corrected.

Check the serviceability of the equipment, inspect the pipes for the leaks. Check the integrity and functionality of the outlets.

Fix the meter readings at the time of the check-in.

Make sure that an inventory of the items in the apartment is compiled, with a detailed description of the cracks, significant scratches and chips.

Just in case, take a picture of the apartment, its condition.

After the contract is signed, the keys to the apartment are in your hands. You can start transferring money.

You need to take a receipt from the landlord about the receipt of money, indicating the passport details of both parties, as well as the fact that you are paying for housing.

The amount should be indicated in tenge in figures and in words.

It should be remembered that in the future, each time you transfer money, you will need to repeat the process again indicating the month and year for which you are paying.