The benefits of renting a duplex apartment?

Answer 1

Finding an appropriate residence can be challenging for renters of all walks, and too often apartment hunters don’t consider the benefits of renting a duplex apartment. For families, single people, pet lovers and professionals, duplex living can foster both a sense of home and community that complex living often cannot.

Though buildings originally designed as or converted into duplexes usually have common walls or ceilings separating residences, they offer a great deal more privacy than large, run-of-the mill apartment complexes. Duplex tenants don’t have to worry too much about rowdy neighbors and foot traffic. After all, they’re not sharing their space with hundreds of other tenants.

Duplexes also quite often offer shared yards, sometimes fenced, and common areas suitable for those renters who have children or pets. Depending upon the lease agreement, either the landlord or the tenants may be responsible for upkeep of common areas, so it’s important to find out how that will work before deciding upon a property.

Parking at a duplex is also usually very convenient. Having a spot close to the building makes moving in and hauling everyday items like groceries much less stressful than it is at a large complex. In many cases, parking spots are assigned in the lease agreement. If they’re not, parking agreements can easily be worked out among tenants. The key is to be open to negotiations.

In most cases, duplex apartments are located in residential, rather than commercial, areas, which means that becoming an active participant in the community is fairly simple. Spending time in the yard, chatting with the neighbors, is a good way to start. If the neighborhood has a homeowners association, tenants likely will receive notices about goings-on in the area and find opportunities for getting involved. Volunteers are almost always being sought after by homeowners associations.

Lastly, having a close neighbor on the property can make a renter, his/her family, and his/her belongings quite a bit safer. Few large-complex residents would bother to mention if a neighbor left the windows down in his/her car, but most duplex neighbors would. It’s the lack of anonymity and the preservation of privacy that make duplex living so rewarding.