What to Know About Renting a First Floor Apartment

When it comes to renting an apartment, everyone has different factors to consider when searching for the apartment that fits them best. Of course, location and monthly rent may be at the top of your mind, but the details of the exact unit you end up renting on the property will impact your renting experience just as much. From floor plans and amenities to the location of the unit on the property, you will want to know exactly what you are going to be getting out of the apartment prior to signing a lease. One thing many renters have varying opinions on is renting a first-floor apartment versus living on any other floor of a rental property. Not sure where you land on the debate? Keep reading for what to know about renting a first-floor apartment.

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Accessibility of the unit

The major perk for many first-floor apartment renters is that they can avoid using stairs and/or elevators entirely. Not only does this make the initial move-in easier when you can bypass the extra stairs or elevator trip, but it makes any time you enter and leave your apartment easier.

There will be no dread of hoping the elevator is not full or broken down, leaving you a long trek up the stairs. Or, if your rental property doesn’t have elevators at all, you will never have to bother with daily trips up and down the stairs.

You don’t have to mind downstairs neighbors

When living in an apartment, you are always going to have neighbors to be mindful of, but when it comes to living in a first-floor apartment, you will not have to worry about downstairs neighbors. If you’ve lived as an upstairs neighbor, you can probably remember when you’ve had to make a conscious effort to control your noise level, from moving heavy furniture to more high-energy activities like at-home workouts or playtime with the kids or pets.

If you tend to make more noise, such as working out from home or having active kids or pets, living in a first-floor apartment can remove at least one worry when it comes to keeping your noise levels at the front of your mind.

There’s always going to be noise level from above

While you do not have to worry so much about the noise that you make as a first-floor tenant, you will have to worry about any noise that will be coming from above when you will have upstairs neighbors. If you are fortunate enough, your upstairs neighbors will understand the woes of first-floor renting and be mindful of the noise they are making.

Unfortunately, you may also just have to deal with excessive noise from above. If it comes to be a continuous issue, establish some open communication with your upstairs neighbors to come to a middle ground, such as asking them to avoid exercising or loud playtime during certain hours. If you don’t mind the noise at all, this can be the least of your concerns when renting a first-floor apartment, but if you know you are more sensitive to heightened noise levels and spend plenty of time at home, renting a first-floor apartment may not be the best option for you.

Safety and Security

For many renters, a major drawback of living in a first-floor apartment is compromised safety and security. While living in a first-floor apartment can make your unit more accessible to yourself, it can also make it more accessible to anyone else that is entering the rental property. Your first-floor apartment will be a lot easier to find ways to break and enter than your upstairs neighbor, and that’s unfortunately unavoidable. Any window can become an entry point to your first-floor apartment, making you hesitant to leave any window open if you aren’t in the room to monitor the situation or make your presence in the apartment obvious.

If you have a porch, living in a first-floor apartment can also make it easier to break and enter through a patio door if someone can easily hop the fence and access your porch. While living in an upstairs apartment doesn’t guarantee safety and security, it can definitely minimize other ways of entry to your apartment.

Privacy

Similarly, living in a first-floor apartment means that you won’t necessarily be getting the same levels of privacy you may find in a top-floor apartment. If you are living on the first floor, you are going to likely be situated by parking lots, sidewalks, and staircases that many tenants use on a daily basis. This means that the foot traffic, and its accompanying noise levels, are going to be higher when you are living in a first-floor apartment. In comparison, you would likely have less foot traffic living on a top floor as most tenants will not be getting up that high if their unit is not located on that floor.

This also means that your apartment is going to be more visible – and patio doors or windows you leave open can mean that anyone passing by can get a peek into your apartment, which is definitely something you should keep in mind when it comes to your safety and security.

Renting a first-floor apartment not be everyone’s first choice, but with this information in mind, you can consider your options.