Leasing an apartment is a responsibility you should take very seriously. Outside of the monthly payment, you'll want to make sure you want to live in that particular apartment for the next 12 months: Questions to ask yourself:

• Does the apartment's location lead to a tolerable commute to work?
• Are you happy with the interior of the apartment?
• Is the neighborhood safe?
• Is the parking ideal for your situation?

It's important that you take everything into consideration before you sign a lease agreement. After all, you're the one responsible for paying the bill (and living at the apartment!) for the next 12 months.

Dependign on your situatin, renting directly from the owner of a property can have benefits and drawbacks.

More often than not, a landlord that manages his or her own properties will rent to tenants without performing a credit check. They usually base their decision on how you interact with the landlord when you view the apartment. The manner in which you dress and your confidence level will play significantly on whether or not the landlord agrees to rent the unit to you.

When it comes to the security deposit and/or first and last month's rent for move in, a personally involved landlord will often make concessions. Most apartments requires first + last + a security deposit for move in. However, if you're dealing directly with the owner, a landlord will usually let you move into the unit with first month's rent and a small deposit. After all, the longer an apartment stays vacant, the more money the landlord is losing as time goes by. It's in his/her best interest to get the unit rented as quickly as possible.

Professional property management companies are not always the ideal intermediary between tenant and landlord. Professional management companies almost always follow the rules: you will need to have near perfect credit history, you will need first month's rent + last month + a substantial security deposit to move into the unit.

The only positive aspect to renting from a property management company is that they are usually very organized because they have to be. They will respond in a timely manner to problems you may have with the unit.

When moving into an apartment, you'll typically need:

• Excellent credit history without rental evictions
• First month's rent
• Last month's rent
• Security deposit equal to one month's rent