There are many cases in which a homeowner rents out a part of their home, such as a single floor or an addition, to a tenant. If you're thinking of renting an apartment that is in the same building as your potential landlord's home, you'll want to carefully weigh the pros and cons of this living arrangement before signing a lease.

Pros of Living in the Same Building As Your Landlord

You always know where to find or contact your landlord.

You likely won't find yourself making six unanswered calls about a broken heater in the middle of the night, or having your rent check returned by the post office. With your landlord on the same property, all you have to do to make him or her aware of issues is knock on the door. This makes paying rent, requesting repairs, and making arrangements for lease renewal very easy.

Your landlord will, presumably, be immediately aware of issues with the shared space.

When the snow removal company fails to show up, siding falls off the side of the house, or the back door stops shutting, you probably won't even have to contact your landlord. They will likely already be aware of the issue, since they live on the same property. In most cases, you can expect the landlord to take better care of the exterior of a property when they live on the property, since they will want their own private residence to remain attractive and well-maintained.

You may build a stronger, friend-like relationship with your landlord.

You'll probably run into your landlord pretty often when you share a building. Over time, the two of you may form a friendly relationship, which will make it easier for you to do things like request repairs or negotiate different lease terms.

Cons of Living in the Same Building As Your Landlord

Some landlords can be nit-picky, and when you live in the same building, there is no escape.

Some landlords do like to micromanage their tenants. Leave the garbage bin out for an extra hour on garbage day, and they call to remind you to drag it in. Forget to grab your mail, and they leave you a voicemail reminding you to empty your mailbox. If you end up with this type of landlord, you may find living on the same property as them a bit irritating.

If you get into a disagreement with your landlord, your living situation may become uncomfortable.

Sometimes tenants and landlords get into spats – whether about something major, like a violated lease term, or something minor, like parking in the wrong car space. If you and your landlord end up disagreeing over something, you may start feeling uncomfortable in your own apartment, knowing your landlord is right next door.

Living on the same property as the landlord is pretty common. If you've found a good apartment with this layout, you should strongly consider taking it, because there are many advantages to having your landlord on the premises. Still, this living arrangement is not perfect. If you are worried that the landlord may be a micromanager or argumentative, you might be better off seeking a different apartment with a remote landlord. To find out more about aprtment rentals, speak with a business like Bonita Terrace Apartments.