Personal Inspection

The following qualities should ALL be considered when choosing your "home away from home":

1. Lease - It should be carefully read and possibly gone over by a local lawyer for your protection. Make sure that everything the landlord promises you is in writing in the lease.

2. Summer - If you want to retain the unit in the fall, get an agreement in writing about rent payment and sub-lease options over the summer. Many landlords want to rent student-occupied housing to visitors during Carnival time in late July and early August. So if you don't rent over the summer, you may have to move all your stuff out of the unit for the summer.

3. Cost - Check with the other students for going rates.

4. Convenience - How close is it to campus, transportation, beach, shopping, otherstudents, etc.?

5. Water supply - Are there reserve tanks? Check the water pressure. During the dry season, which is January through May, are you going to be out of water everyday?

6.Extra Costs - These include maid service, gardener, utilities. What kind of arrangements do the present tenants have? Who pays?

7. Phone - If the housing lacks wiring for a phone, don't plan on being able to get one quickly. Is there one nearby for people to contact you? Bring your own phone.

8. Security - Do the premises offer outside lighting, screened windows, burglar bars?

9. Kitchenware - Are dishes, pots and pans, silverware, etc., included?

10. Appliances - These include a ceiling fan, air conditioning, washing machine and television; make sure they work.

11. Privacy/Noise Level - How noisy is the neighborhood? Barking dogs can be an annoying problem in some areas. Are there loud discos or nightclubs, etc.?

12. Inventory - Make a list of what is in your new home with the landlord. Both of you should sign the list to avoid conflicts when leaving at the end of your rental period.

13. Availability of Manager - Are maintenance personnel easily contacted?

14. Hot Water - This is not necessarily a standard feature of rental units in Grenada. Note that the cold water out of the tap is about 85°F, which is quite a shock first thing in the morning.

15. Deposits - Clarify the process by which the deposit is returned. The deposit is not usually applied to the last month's rent. Landlords often wait until a tenant moves out and an inspection for damage and inventory has been conducted before returning the deposit.