I want my rental to have a spacious kitchen.  I need my rental to have a washer and dryer hookup. 

When you are starting your rental hunt, the one thing you absolutely need is to have is a clear vision of what you are looking for.  In a time where “want” and “need” are often interchangeable, defining what your rental needs can be a bit blurry.  However, understanding your rental needs may be the difference between loving your rental and rental regret.

Let’s not confuse rental needs with survival needs (i.e. running water, protection from the elements, and the ability to store a little food.)  When you are defining rental property “needs”, you should address what a property must be equipped with to ensure living in it is convenient for your lifestyle.  And so the planning begins.

Knowing what you hope to accomplish in your rental property is the baseline for knowing what you need.  You are writing a rulebook for the game of rental hunting, and it starts with knowing the player – YOU.

For a week or two, keep a diary of your routines at home.  Make a list of things you do everyday (or at least regularly).  Cooking? Working from home? Working out? Now go through those items and define what you need to accomplish your normal lifestyle.  If you entertain every week, then having the space for that is a rental need.  These are the needs for you to transition your life into a new rental.  Your lifestyle should dictate the rental space you need, not the other way around.  Be thoughtful in your list and careful not to drift from needing to sneaking your wants in there as well. 

Try to really delve into your routines and what makes them work.  For renters who are invested in the gardening need to have at least some outdoor space.  Renters who work from home may need the ability to close off your workspace from your living space or not hear the neighbors through the walls.  When a rental property’s quirks make living in your home inconvenient, it adds unnecessary stress and frustration to the already tricky game of renting.

Once you have clearly defined needs, it’s time to move on to your wants.

Quartz countertops make you happy and they are on you must-have list, but is that a need?  What about appliances?  If you didn’t have a washing machine, is a laundry service a feasible option that allows you to maintain your lifestyle?  

If you can’t separate needs from wants, you may be making the rental hunt harder on you and your budget than it needs to be. Remember, in rental hunting you are looking to ensure your rental gives ease to what you actually plan to do in it. Stay focused on that.

Understanding what you actually do in your life will help you determine whether your rental property must have list is actually going to make you happy.  Whether it can be tailored, or whether it needs to grow is up to you.  When you are confident in your needs, it is time to shift focus onto the rental property.  

When viewing a property have a tangible copy of your needs and stick to your list.  If you are working with a Realtor, be sure they have a copy of your needs.  This isn’t about cutting everything out that you want.  This is about ensuring a rental property doesn’t fall short on meeting your needs or becomes an impossible to find unicorn.  

Complete a thorough assessment of the property and don’t allow extras in the property to shift your focus off your must-have list.  Consult with previous tenants through RentalDiaries.com to ensure your expectations are aligned with what you are getting.  If your needs include a secure location, windows and doors with adequate locks, and an entry with close proximity to your vehicle, don’t be distracted by the renovated bathrooms.  Once a rental meets the actual needs, then you can start giving out bonus points for your wants. 

No one knows your lifestyle better than you, the key to successful rental hunting is not loosing site of that when a rental has a beautiful view.