Apartment swapping is usually done on a short term basis, as a means of taking a vacation, or doing short term business, in another area, without paying for a place to stay. Most apartment swaps are done by the week, the month or the season. An apartment swap can be done within the same state, throughout the country and even internationally.
Instructions
1. Read the lease or the rental agreement on your apartment to see if apartment swapping violates the lease in anyway. Pay attention to any statements about sub-leasing and how many days guests are allowed to stay in the apartment. In most cases, if you are apartment swapping for less than a month, there are no lease issues.
2. Consider using a reputable, apartment or home swap business to locate the other person and organize the swap. Swapping your apartment with a stranger can be risky business. A home swapping business uses a screening process to eliminate some of the risk. Most of these businesses charge a small fee for the service.
3. Place an ad in the classifieds if you decide not to use an apartment swapping business. Run the ad in the classifieds section of the newspaper in the area that you live in, as well as the newspaper in the area that you want to stay in during the swap. It is also a good idea to put ads out on the Internet.
4. Talk to the person on the phone a few times before agreeing to the apartment swap. Ask him about the area the apartment is located in. Get pictures of the apartment inside and outside.
5. Discuss what is included in the apartment swap. Sometimes people choose to swap cars with the apartment. If you are including your car think about who is responsible for car expenses and repairs should any be required in the swap.
6. Outline the responsibilities surrounding the apartment swap. If anyone has pets or house plants, know if they will be left in the apartment and who will take care of them. Talk about mail and newspaper delivery and other chores that might exist such as mowing the lawn.
7. Put everything in writing when agreeing to an apartment swap. Write down the terms of the swap including the exact dates, what is included in the swap, and whether or not any money should exchange hands. In most cases each party pays the rent and utilities on their own phone and the swap is made evenly without the exchange of money.
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