4 Tips For Parents for Choosing A Kid-Friendly Rental

Moving with children is a challenging undertaking – and the situation is often much worse for renters. The problem: despite the fact that it’s illegal under the Fair Housing Act of 1968, some landlords try to filter out applicants with children. So how do you find a family-friendly rental, rather than one that will just tolerate your exuberate crew? These four questions can tell you a lot about whether a potential residence will welcome your family.

Moving with children is a challenging undertaking – and the situation is often much worse for renters. The problem: despite the fact that it’s illegal under the Fair Housing Act of 1968, some landlords try to filter out applicants with children. So how do you find a family-friendly rental, rather than one that will just tolerate your exuberate crew? These four questions can tell you a lot about whether a potential residence will welcome your family.

How Are The Schools?

One of the first questions you should ask the property manager when checking out an apartment actually has nothing to do with the apartment itself; rather, you need to think beyond the building. The question: how are the neighborhood schools? According to the Houston-area property management specialists at Green Residential, great property managers are in touch with the neighborhood. They can tell you what stores are in the area, about the public transit options, and, most importantly, about the different schools, parks, and libraries. If the property manager can’t tell you about the neighborhood schools and childcare options, then they probably haven’t spent much time thinking about how families fit into their rental audience.

Where’s The Laundry?

Perhaps the most onerous chore any household with kids faces is laundry – there’s just so much of it. That’s why the best apartments for families are those with laundry onsite, while finding an apartment with in-house hookups is like striking gold. When checking out apartments, then, be sure to ask where laundry is located, and whether the apartment features bonus elements like a dishwasher. These are the features that make daily life easier and if you can score the holy trinity of appliances, then you’ve got it made.

Is There An Elevator?

If your apartment isn’t on the ground floor, it’s important to find out whether or not you have access to an elevator. Walking up and down the stairs isn’t the end of the world, even if you’re hauling laundry or groceries, but if you’ve got a child in a stroller, a flight of stairs can make it much harder to leave the house. And even if your children have long since aged out of strollers, what happens when one breaks their ankle playing soccer and winds up on crutches? Many property owners seem to assume that only wheelchair users need elevator access, but elevators benefit many people, and you never know when someone in your family may suffer an injury and need accommodations.

Are Pets Welcome?

Having a pet is often considered an integral part of growing up – it’s part of teaching children responsibility and many adults have fond memories of their childhood pet. Before you move into a property then, ask whether pets are permitted. Pet policies have a significant impact on a family’s lifestyle and apartments that don’t allow pets tend to experience greater tenant turnover.

Moreover, apartments with liberal pet policies are more likely to tolerate noise, and tenants themselves may handle conflict better. In other words, even if you don’t have a pet, pet-friendly properties are almost always more accommodating of families with more children.

Creating Your Own Welcome

Even if you move into a kid-friendly apartment, there is always a chance of conflict – it’s just the nature of strangers living in close quarters – and that’s why you should make a point of fostering good relationships with your neighbors. Make sure to introduce yourself and your children by name and say hello to your neighbors when you see them. Ask them questions about themselves and share small pieces of information. People, especially those without children, are generally friendlier to families that they have a personal connection with than those they consider to be strangers.

If you open yourself up to the community within your new apartment, you participate in making the space child-friendly.

Moving with children is a challenging undertaking – and the situation is often much worse for renters. The problem: despite the fact that it’s illegal under the Fair Housing Act of 1968, some landlords try to filter out applicants with children. So how do you find a family-friendly rental, rather than one that will just tolerate your exuberate crew? These four questions can tell you a lot about whether a potential residence will welcome your family.

How Are The Schools?

One of the first questions you should ask the property manager when checking out an apartment actually has nothing to do with the apartment itself; rather, you need to think beyond the building. The question: how are the neighborhood schools? According to the Houston-area property management specialists at Green Residential, great property managers are in touch with the neighborhood. They can tell you what stores are in the area, about the public transit options, and, most importantly, about the different schools, parks, and libraries. If the property manager can’t tell you about the neighborhood schools and childcare options, then they probably haven’t spent much time thinking about how families fit into their rental audience.

Where’s The Laundry?

Perhaps the most onerous chore any household with kids faces is laundry – there’s just so much of it. That’s why the best apartments for families are those with laundry onsite, while finding an apartment with in-house hookups is like striking gold. When checking out apartments, then, be sure to ask where laundry is located, and whether the apartment features bonus elements like a dishwasher. These are the features that make daily life easier and if you can score the holy trinity of appliances, then you’ve got it made.

Is There An Elevator?

If your apartment isn’t on the ground floor, it’s important to find out whether or not you have access to an elevator. Walking up and down the stairs isn’t the end of the world, even if you’re hauling laundry or groceries, but if you’ve got a child in a stroller, a flight of stairs can make it much harder to leave the house. And even if your children have long since aged out of strollers, what happens when one breaks their ankle playing soccer and winds up on crutches? Many property owners seem to assume that only wheelchair users need elevator access, but elevators benefit many people, and you never know when someone in your family may suffer an injury and need accommodations.

Are Pets Welcome?

Having a pet is often considered an integral part of growing up – it’s part of teaching children responsibility and many adults have fond memories of their childhood pet. Before you move into a property then, ask whether pets are permitted. Pet policies have a significant impact on a family’s lifestyle and apartments that don’t allow pets tend to experience greater tenant turnover. 

Moreover, apartments with liberal pet policies are more likely to tolerate noise, and tenants themselves may handle conflict better. In other words, even if you don’t have a pet, pet-friendly properties are almost always more accommodating of families with more children.

Creating Your Own Welcome

Even if you move into a kid-friendly apartment, there is always a chance of conflict – it’s just the nature of strangers living in close quarters – and that’s why you should make a point of fostering good relationships with your neighbors. Make sure to introduce yourself and your children by name and say hello to your neighbors when you see them. Ask them questions about themselves and share small pieces of information. People, especially those without children, are generally friendlier to families that they have a personal connection with than those they consider to be strangers. 

If you open yourself up to the community within your new apartment, you participate in making the space child-friendly.

How Are The Schools?

One of the first questions you should ask the property manager when checking out an apartment actually has nothing to do with the apartment itself; rather, you need to think beyond the building. The question: how are the neighborhood schools? According to the Houston-area property management specialists at Green Residential, great property managers are in touch with the neighborhood. They can tell you what stores are in the area, about the public transit options, and, most importantly, about the different schools, parks, and libraries. If the property manager can’t tell you about the neighborhood schools and childcare options, then they probably haven’t spent much time thinking about how families fit into their rental audience.

Where’s The Laundry?

Perhaps the most onerous chore any household with kids faces is laundry – there’s just so much of it. That’s why the best apartments for families are those with laundry onsite, while finding an apartment with in-house hookups is like striking gold. When checking out apartments, then, be sure to ask where laundry is located, and whether the apartment features bonus elements like a dishwasher. These are the features that make daily life easier and if you can score the holy trinity of appliances, then you’ve got it made.

Is There An Elevator?

If your apartment isn’t on the ground floor, it’s important to find out whether or not you have access to an elevator. Walking up and down the stairs isn’t the end of the world, even if you’re hauling laundry or groceries, but if you’ve got a child in a stroller, a flight of stairs can make it much harder to leave the house. And even if your children have long since aged out of strollers, what happens when one breaks their ankle playing soccer and winds up on crutches? Many property owners seem to assume that only wheelchair users need elevator access, but elevators benefit many people, and you never know when someone in your family may suffer an injury and need accommodations.

Are Pets Welcome?

Having a pet is often considered an integral part of growing up – it’s part of teaching children responsibility and many adults have fond memories of their childhood pet. Before you move into a property then, ask whether pets are permitted. Pet policies have a significant impact on a family’s lifestyle and apartments that don’t allow pets tend to experience greater tenant turnover. 

Moreover, apartments with liberal pet policies are more likely to tolerate noise, and tenants themselves may handle conflict better. In other words, even if you don’t have a pet, pet-friendly properties are almost always more accommodating of families with more children.

Creating Your Own Welcome

Even if you move into a kid-friendly apartment, there is always a chance of conflict – it’s just the nature of strangers living in close quarters – and that’s why you should make a point of fostering good relationships with your neighbors. Make sure to introduce yourself and your children by name and say hello to your neighbors when you see them. Ask them questions about themselves and share small pieces of information. People, especially those without children, are generally friendlier to families that they have a personal connection with than those they consider to be strangers. 

If you open yourself up to the community within your new apartment, you participate in making the space child-friendly.