Safety Upgrades That Could Save Renters Money

When renting an apartment, townhouse, condo or home, you might not realize how vital it is to have renters insurance. Sure, your landlord has insurance, but that policy likely only covers the structure of the building. This means that if anything happens to your belongings inside your rented space, you’ll have to pay to replace everything on your own.

Renters insurance is affordable and will protect your belongings from perils such as fire, wind or theft. It’s important to shop around for your renters insurance policy to ensure that you’re getting the best deal — and that doesn’t just mean the lowest price. You have to make sure you have the coverage you need, as well as a low price.

It’s equally important to ask about discounts. Different providers offer varying discounts, but all offer price reductions for safety features. When you’ve taken steps to reduce the risk of a disaster occurring in your pad, you’re a safer bet for insurance companies.

Online Vacation Rental Sites: What You Should Know..

While short-term home rental sites such as Airbnb and HomeAway have made finding and listing vacation properties and alternative lodging fast, easy and convenient both for hosts and guests, there are risks involved for both parties.

Here are a few ways to mitigate those risks, whether you’re renting a vacation villa or making some extra cash by welcoming paying guests into your home.

What You Should Have In Your Emergency Evacuation Kits

From hurricanes to earthquakes and wildfires, natural disasters can be frightening. While these emergencies come in many forms and may require anything from a brief absence to permanent evacuation, there’s one thing you can do to ensure your safety — prepare.

If you’re forced to leave your home, you may have less than a minute to get out. Having an emergency evacuation kit packed and ready to go could mean the difference between your wellbeing and hardship.

“You can’t control disasters, but you can control how prepared you are for them,” said Rafael Lemaitre, director of public  for the Federal Emergency Management Agency. “The outlook for the coming Atlantic hurricane season, for example, looks to be quieter than normal, but all it takes is one to affect you and your community. It only takes one disaster to change your entire life, so it makes sense to prepare.”

Some Of The Things For Negotiation During Lease Agreement

When you factor in the formulaic legal documents, generic 20-minute interview, and perfunctory tour of the apartment and its amenities, it’s not unusual for renters to feel like they must either take it or leave it. It may not seem like there is room to negotiate the residential lease agreement.

That might be true — sometimes. But renters may actually be in a better bargaining position than they realize. Often, potential renters are able to negotiate some aspects of the lease agreement, especially when the landlord is eager to rent a particular unit.

Here are five aspects of your lease agreement you may have more control over than you think.