The main difference between rental homes and apartments is that single-family homes are typically larger in size, and they include a number of additional expenses. You cannot just look at the rent and figure that is around how much you are going to have to pay on a monthly basis to live in the home. It is essential to consider expenses such as cable, electricity, gas, trash, water, and maintenance. A rental property owner should be responsible for most of what could go wrong inside the home, but you should learn about the services that they intend on providing throughout the entirety of your rental lease.

Cleaning Up Autumn Leaves

Yard maintenance takes time, effort, and supplies. When fall comes, you might love all of the color on the trees. But, as winter nears, these leaves are going to start hitting the ground, and they must be cleaned up. You'll have to clean up the leaves on numerous occasions, and it may take hours at a time, so you want to know from potential landlords whether you will be the one responsible for this task. Paying a professional can cost around $329, so it may not be something that you are able to afford with ease.

Taking Care of Snow

An even more important topic of concern is who is responsible for clearing out the snow. Some rental property owners will have a contract with a snow removal company to handle snow removal whenever lasting snow hits the ground, and this is an ideal scenario to be in as a tenant. Homes with wide and long driveways may require extensive snow shoveling, so it may not be something that you want to do. If you are not physically capable of getting the snow off of your driveway, then you will either need to pay about $116 to have it removed or know that your landlord will get it done through prompt action.

Washing Gutters

The gutters on a single-family home need maintenance over time. If there are not a lot of trees nearby, then you do not have to worry about cleaning it that often because they should not get too dirty. But, you will want to clean them at least twice per year, especially before winter, because letting dirt, leaves, and other particles build up in the gutter can contribute to rot and weakening from snow. You deserve to know whether you need to buy a ladder and gutter cleaning supplies when moving in.

Taking these easy-to-forget details into consideration when looking at rental homes will help you move into a home in which you know everything that you are responsible for and what will be taken care of.