Questions to Ask Before You Sign a Lease in Wichita

Signing a lease turns a search into a home, and it is worth slowing down for. Here are the questions that save renters trouble later, roughly in the order they come up. None of them are trick questions, and none of them cost anything to ask.

About the money

• How much is the rent, and what day is it due each month?
• How do I pay it, and is there a fee for paying online?
• What is the deposit, and what does it cover?
• Are there other fees: application, parking, pets, or paying late?
• What is included in the rent, and what will I pay separately?
• Is renter's insurance required?

Ask for the answers in writing if you can. A rent figure on its own rarely tells the whole story; the real monthly cost is the rent plus everything else you pay to live there.

About the apartment itself

Ask what you will be responsible for and what the office handles. Then look at the practical things while you are standing in the room:

• Water pressure and hot water
• Storage: closets, cabinets and any outdoor space
• How the heating and cooling works, and roughly what it costs to run
• Which appliances come with the apartment

If you are comparing sizes, it helps to have real numbers. At Eagle Trace Apartments, one-bedroom apartments are about 600 square feet at $700 per month and two-bedroom apartments are 900 to 1,000 square feet at $800 per month. The floor plans show how each layout is arranged, and our guide to apartments in south Wichita explains who each size tends to suit.

About the building and the grounds

• Where do residents park, and is parking included?
• How do maintenance requests work, and how quickly are they usually handled?
• What are the rules for the pool and the shared outdoor spaces?
• Are there quiet hours, and are there limits on guests?
• Who do I contact outside office hours in an emergency?

At Eagle Trace, amenities include a pool, on-site parking, landscaped grounds and on-site management, so there is someone at the property to ask. If an answer depends on a particular building or on the season, call the office to confirm rather than assuming the same answer applies everywhere.

Questions about the neighbourhood

A few practical questions help you judge the location rather than just the apartment:

• What is the parking like in the evening or at a weekend?
• Where is the nearest grocery store, and how would you get there?
• How do you cross the city from here, and which routes would you use most?
• Is there anything about the area you would tell someone moving in?

At Eagle Trace, the address is 925 W 29th St S in the 67217 ZIP code, close to shopping, restaurants and easy routes across the city.

About the lease itself

• How long is the lease, and does it renew automatically?
• How much notice do I need to give if I move out?
• What happens if I need to end the lease early?
• What are the rules on guests, roommates and subletting?
• Does the lease say anything about rent increases?

Read the whole document, including the parts that look routine. Anything you do not understand is a fair question to ask before you sign, and a good leasing office is happy to explain it. If something is unclear, ask for it in writing before you sign; it is far easier to settle now than to argue about it later.

A short checklist for the day you sign

1. Confirm the move-in date, the deposit and the first month's rent.
2. Ask when and where you collect the keys.
3. Ask how to report maintenance once you have moved in.
4. Save the office phone number and hours: Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM at Eagle Trace.
5. Keep a copy of the signed lease and every receipt.

Do the walkthrough on move-in day and note anything that is already damaged, with dated photos. It takes ten minutes and protects your deposit later.

At Eagle Trace

Eagle Trace Apartments is at 925 W 29th St S, Wichita, KS 67217, with one-bedroom apartments at $700 a month and two-bedroom apartments at $800 a month. If you would rather talk any of this through in person, get in touch or call 316-524-3296 to check availability. When you are ready, you can apply online.