6 tips to help you find and rent an apartment to celebrate the New Year

There are enough reasons to spend holidays in a rented apartment. Perhaps your own accommodation does not accommodate a large company, or you simply do not want to spend your entire vacation cleaning. This is a good option for students who do not yet have personal square meters. And also daily rent of an apartment or house can help out if all places in restaurants or cafes are already booked. Finding a free restaurant in December is almost impossible: in order not to miss good options, you need to be puzzled by this issue in the fall.

So, what should be remembered before shaking hands with the landlord.

1. Decide on the format of the holiday

A noisy party with a sauna and barbecue for a couple of dozen people or a quiet gathering with gifts and board games? It is better to decide in advance and look for housing that will have everything you need for your holiday. After all, hardly anyone wants to come for a couple of days to a rented apartment with a suitcase of things and a huge barbecue in the trunk.

First of all, you need to understand the number of guests and find out how many of them plan to stay overnight. So you will have a guideline for the required number of beds. It is also worth finding out if the apartment has a suitable table for you and if there are enough chairs. It is not a fact that neighbors will help out a company of strangers with stools. A large living room is needed for general entertainment: games, dancing, karaoke. And if you plan to cook something yourself, then pay attention to the kitchen. There should be enough equipment, utensils and appliances so that you can quickly cut vegetables and fruits, heat food or bake meat. If you do not want to wash dishes the next day, then look for options with a dishwasher.

And the last important point is the number of bathrooms. For large companies of more than 10 people, it is better to look for options with several toilets, otherwise queues cannot be avoided.

2. Don't delay your search

You are not the only one looking for an apartment for the New Year, so you need to take care of the issue at least two weeks in advance. Another 3-4 days should be laid down for viewing options. Do not forget that the hosts also evaluate the guests and may refuse to change. Someone, fearing for the safety of living space, may not let in, for example, students or too large a company. In order not to waste time, already in the first conversation with the owner, indicate that you are looking for a place to party, and honestly name the expected number of people.

3. Check out the reviews

Universal advice for all online shopping. Read reviews of both the landlord and the property itself. It is worth finding out about the owner whether he is honest, how he accepts the apartment, whether he quickly gets in touch in emergency situations and how he responds to requests and questions from guests. Someone else's home is always a surprise, and sometimes help may be needed even with the launch of an unfamiliar brand washing machine.

Reviews of the apartment will give an idea of ​​the real state of affairs, because in the photographs everything is usually perfect. From them you can find out whether the furniture is comfortable and whether everything works as it should: it will be embarrassing to find out during the holiday that the drain in the toilet is faulty. It is also important to know if past guests have had problems with their neighbors. Russian legislation does not prohibit use a personal apartment for business activities, but this should not infringe on the rights of other residents. Noise on the night of December 31 to January 1 will most likely be forgiven you, but if the holidays drag on, then in a bad scenario they can be spent in the company of a district police officer.

4. Don't respond to questionable ads

On New Year's Eve, prices for daily rent are higher than at normal times. Apartments in popular tourist cities rise in price by 50–60%. Therefore, be careful with offers that have suspiciously low numbers. And also avoid hosts who demand to transfer money immediately to the card. It is better to choose options on sites where owners are checked, for example, on Avito. You can protect yourself if you make an advance payment for an apartment on platforms that support the deferred payment system. In this case, the required amount will be frozen on a special account of the service and will become available to the lessor only after the service has been rendered. As a rule, popular rental sites work on this system.

It is also worth signing a standard lease agreement. It will differ from the standard one only in a short period of time - it can be registered up to the hour of arrival and departure. It should indicate a list of furniture and appliances with all the malfunctions, so that after the holidays this damage is not hung on you. Usually the list of valuables is made by the owner of the apartment, but checking it is your responsibility.

5. Get ready for a deposit

The risks of landlords on New Year's Eve grow significantly: large companies, alcohol, sparklers - all this can easily lead to damage to property. The hosts understand this and often ask for a deposit on such dates. You should not be afraid of him, besides, because of the refusal to give a deposit, you risk missing out on a good option. If the holidays pass without consequences for the apartment, the owner will return the money. The main thing is to arrange everything correctly. The easiest option is to include a deposit clause in the lease agreement. The text should clearly state that the money is transferred in this capacity (and not as, for example, part of the rent payment) and there is a condition for their return by the owner. In the same place in the contract, he can write by hand “The amount of the deposit in the amount (amount) received” and sign. So you fix the fact of its transfer.

Money can also be transferred as deposit. Its difference from the deposit is that the amount is part of the main payment under the contract and it is not refundable. In everyday life, this can be called the "armor" of housing. The owner undertakes to rent the apartment to you, otherwise - returns the deposit in double size. To do this, again, you need to formalize the transfer of money in writing and it should be clear from the document that we are talking about a deposit to the lease agreement. If this is not done, then the prepayment will be considered as an advance payment. In this case, the owner does not have an obligation to conclude a lease with you. He can find guests offering more money and simply return the advance. And if this happens right before December 31st, then your holiday will be in jeopardy.

6. Rent for a few days

Landlords are people too, and they are unlikely to want to take an apartment on the morning of January 1 after a party, and then spend the whole day cleaning. In addition, at the beginning of the January holidays, as a rule, the demand for daily rent is not very high, so the owners try to rent them for a longer period. This can be beneficial for guests as well. Prices for New Year's Eve, taking into account the costs of the owner, will be higher compared to renting for several days. In addition, it is convenient: there will be no need to rush to put the apartment in order before the meeting on the 1st with the owner and you can wake up with a calm heart after dinner to finish the leftovers of last year's salads.