What to look for when viewing a home for rent: the basement.

TL:DR

The pics are insta-worthy.  It seems as if all your must-have items are posted on the listing for the home.  It’s is even located two blocks away from your favorite coffee shop!  You submit an application and are scheduled to view the home before deciding if you want to proceed with submitting that phat security deposit.

Sure, you can walk through and confirm everything looks good aesthetically.  But there’s a few key items you’ll want to take a peek at before committing with a deposit or offer.  Is the home safe and well taken care of?  Or did the landlord put lipstick on a pig?  Conducting a thorough walk-through will save you time, money, and frustration both up front and down the road if you can get a solid idea of the home’s condition along with any upkeep you’ll be responsible for as the renter.

What you’re looking for will vary depending on your non-negotiable list, but here are some important items to consider when conducting a property walk-through, specifically regarding the basement.  Keep in mind this isn’t an exhaustive list, but it includes some heavy-hitter items that could highly affect the quality of your tenancy should they be missing or janky.  

The Basement:

From Home Alone basements with frightful furnaces to fully finished recreation rooms decked out with speakeasy-style bars, basements continue to range from mangy to bougie.  I’ve seen both horror film inspired concrete-death-rooms to heavily renovated living quarters that function as a second home.

Whatever the vibe, there’s a few items you’ll want to scope out before committing to take the next step:

Heating & Cooling (HVAC):

Depending on what type of heating and cooling systems a home has, sometimes the furnace is located in the basement.  Sometimes it’s located in other areas including the attic (if this is the case, ask yourself if you’re comfy changing a furnace filter in an attic on a regular basis).  Take this moment to ask the landlord/agent what the HVAC situation is.  Is it central heat/air?  Electric?  Is there some sort of duct system or are there only A/C window units?  

Consider that electric heating (for example, baseboard heating) can be substantially more expensive than central heating depending on the age of the home, how well insulated it is, and how old the heating system is.  Because basements sit below ground and generally stay cooler than the rest of the house, they can be a welcome respite in the summer heat or a struggle to keep warm in the winter.

Ask the landlord if they have an estimate of what the typical heating and cooling costs are per month.  If they don’t know and you’re worried about paying too much, consider calling the utility companies yourself to see if they can provide a range of what the bill has been in the past.  Not all utility companies freely give out this info, but if you’re really pinching pennies it’s worth a short phone call to check.

In most cases you’ll be expected to change the furnace filter seasonally (possibly more or less if stipulated differently in your lease agreement), usually once every 3-5 months depending on the size of the filter.  Furnace filters are located in a variety of locations (usually on the furnace itself) and most are easily accessible.  However, sometimes they’re located at the very top of a vaulted ceiling that requires an extension ladder to reach.  Or as mentioned before, if the furnace is positioned in the attic, that’s a whole creature in itself depending on how accessible it is.  Whatever the situation make sure you know where it’s at and that you’re comfortable changing the filter seasonally unless the landlord includes filter changes as part of the routine maintenance on the home.    

Water Heaters:

Water heaters are another fun appliance that can be situated in closets, the garage, the bathroom, the basement, the laundry room, etc.  With so many locations it seems as if the home builders forgot about the water heater until the house was almost finished and then just threw it in wherever it fit as an afterthought.  I know this isn’t true but I’ve seen some wonky water heater locations.  

That being said, water heaters are sometimes located in basements (the Lord bless whoever had to haul that thing down basement stairs).  Be sure to see what size of tank the water heater is.  A standard size is 50 gallons.  If it’s higher than 50 gallons, good on ya mate!  That just means you won’t have to worry about the shower running cold if it’s one of those lengthy, cry or sing in the shower type of days.  If the water heater is 40 gallons or less, be wary unless there’s 2 or less people living in the home. 

The 10 gallon difference might not seem like much but it could make a drastic difference.  Especially if you have kids and everyone showers in the morning; the last kid or two could draw the short end of the hot water stick.  You’ll be straight up not having a good time bro if you didn’t take a better look during the property tour and end up rationing hot water.

Check to see if the water heater has a drain pan underneath it (see photo at top of post) This is a pan the water heater sits in and catches any water should there be an unexpected leak.  This cheap investment could save you/the landlord a TON of money.  In most states  (if not all) it’s required by law for drain pans to be installed.  But just because it’s a law doesn’t mean all houses have them so make sure and check.  Older homes are especially susceptible to missing drain pans as oftentimes the water heater was installed before the requirement of drain pans.

During my years as a landlord I saw time and time again where a small leak from a water heater crept its way into drywall, flooring, vanities, etc.  The drain pan could’ve possibly spared these items from water damage if it had been installed.  If the home you’re looking at doesn’t have one of these pans, ask the landlord if they would consider installing one and maybe mention (politely) that it’s a current plumbing code.

The landlord should absolutely see the value in it and if they give it a shrug, they’re either so wealthy they don’t mind the money it would take to fix any water damage or they don’t truly care about maintaining their home.  Either way, their attitude toward it will give you another data point to consider.

Exposed Plumbing:

Check all exposed pipes and their condition.  I’ve been in some houses where the exposed piping had seemingly unnoticeable drip-leaks or seemed ready to burst at any moment.  If it doesn’t look well taken care of or appears ancient, it’s not irrational to think problems might arise in the near future.

It’ll still be the landlord’s job to fix it but if the leak is bad enough and damages the flooring, walls, etc., it could turn into a major renovation.  Some renovations only take a few days to fix, but if they’re extensive enough they can stretch out months, possibly causing you to be displaced or even damage your belongings.  

I’ve also seen if a home has ancient pipes and one of them needs repair, it can turn into a ‘pull the thread’ situation where other plumbing/maintenance items arise the more you open up the plumbing and see what needs fixed.  Years of neglect can turn one small leak into a massive beast that was hiding all along.  As a renter those repairs can morph into multiple days of repairs, the water needing turned off during construction, and maintenance folks coming and going at all hours.  

Yadda yadda you get the picture: Be highly skeptical of basements with suspicious looking exposed plumbing.

The Smells:

This is an odd but relevant one.  That’s right; time to smell it out.  When you first enter the basement (or any part of a house really) make sure to huff it up and smell the air.  Is it musty?  Is there a mildewy smell?  Does it seem more humid there than other areas in the house?  Depending on the geographical location of the home this might be normal.  For example, homes located near the ocean or in rainy states like Oregon or Washington typically harbor more moisture than drier areas and are prone to a regular mildewy smell due to the high amounts of moisture in the air.    

However, if the home is located in drier area but still maintains a musty smell it could be mold (read more about mold in this post).  There are both normal and unhealthy levels and types of mold.  But when a home excessively and plainly smells like mold it could be cause for concern.  Harmful mold can lead to health issues for you and your family and can even damage your belongings if it’s widespread enough.  

If you suspect the home you’re touring might contain harmful amounts or types of mold, ask the landlord if they’d be willing to have the home tested by a company who specializes in mold remediation.  They’ll be able to determine if the levels in the home are normal or excessive; harmful or safe.  If the landlord gets shifty about it or is unwilling to have the home tested it could be cause for concern and a reason to re-think living there.

Another important scent to consider: does it smell like someone’s chain-smoking grandma spent every waking moment there lighting it up?  It seems cigarette smoke is one smell that tends to linger even long after the smoker is gone.  It seems to permeate the walls and floors even after attempting to mitigate it.  Not all folks have an aversion to cigarette smoke, but if you or someone in your family as an allergy or sensitivity it could be a deal breaker.

 

Basement Stairs:

Most newer homes are built with considerable thought to how wide and accessible the basement stairs are.  But in older homes you might find yourself hitting your head on low ceilings or feeling a bit cramped if you’re a person of thicker or taller persuasion.  

If you’re like most folks you’ll want to place some sort of furniture in the basement, which has to be carefully lugged or gently heaved down the stairs.  Take a gander to see if the stairs are generally wide enough to accommodate most reasonably sized furniture (sorry, your Shaq-sized California king mattress probs can’t be slithered down the stairs).

Pro move: Measure the furniture you’ll be putting in the basement/house before you tour the property so you can compare measurements and see if it’ll fit before committing to rent the home.  This is a good practice in general if you have furniture that’s a deal breaker if it can’t be in the home.  Think: priceless heirlooms, giant sectional couches, the monstrous bean bag chair your child HAD TO HAVE, etc. 

Egress Windows:

Any basement that is considered a living space (i.e. a bedroom) must have an egress window so someone can escape in case of an emergency such as a fire.  These windows are partially above ground and should be easy to access, unlock, and crawl out of.  Select homes have basements that are not considered living spaces and therefore don’t have an egress window.  If this is the case, landlords typically include a stipulation in the lease that prohibit the renter from using the basement as a living space and can only be used as a recreational space.

Story time:

Egress windows take me back to my landlord days when we managed an older house with a sizable basement that had no egress windows.  During one of our routine inspections we found a queen sized bed in the basement along with a dresser and some other odds and ends, suggesting the renters were using it as a bedroom. 

When we questioned the renters about using it as a bedroom, they were very adamant the room was not being used for sleep and was just a recreational room.  To provide additional context, the renters in the home consisted of 3 adult couples (you might already know where this is going).  

When we advised having a bedroom in the basement would be considered a lease violation, they kindly and awkwardly informed us the room was being used as an ‘adult recreation room’ so that each couple could have their own privacy when desired.

‘Adult recreation’ room was a gentle way of saying they used the basement as a rotational sexy-time room for each couple.  Once we got the hint we dropped the case and never brought it up again.

Summary: 

Basements have tons to offer and vary in vibes and offerings.  Be sure to check out the items mentioned above to get the most out of your renter experience and look for avoidable pitfalls before submitting a security deposit.

Best of luck checking out the spicy basement at your potential new home!