Good points especially on that lease, yeah 420 friendly is a red flag for me. A lot of houses 420 friendly get robbed at gunpoint in my area so I'm trying to avoid those.
What are some of the pros and cons to living in the same residence as the landlord?
I've also noticed that prices change by the same poster based off pictures. Say earlier it's $XXX/month and then in a later post it's a bit lower after no one bites. There are also ads that are put up for a very long time. Does that mean no one wants those places and there's a good reason for staying away?
I'm also wondering if the choice of words put in an ad needs to be scrutinized and when to look over something or pay close attention. Sometimes I get a feeling or an impression of what someone is really like based off their writing or pictures. (Like daily posting [almost like spamming] would mean someone very impatient and have high expectations, a stretch i know). Pictures can also show how messy and if it's a religious household. I'm afraid that people who are devout Christians might have a hard time accepting someone who doesn't have those values. Should this be an accurate gut barometer to decide whether to avoid or take the plunge? It seems pretty variable to me. I've also been tricked a couple times with misleading locations and I'm wondering if it's appropriate to ask for an address before wasting time to see a house so I know it's in an area I want. I know there are some privacy concerns to posting addresses but at the very least, landlords should report what landmarks or general area it's in that represents the actual part of the town it's in...right?
On the flip side, what are some things one can do to be a good tenant for a landlord and have a good working, understanding relationship? To me it's not just the house that needs to sell but the chemistry also has to match maybe?