Is that apartment too good to be true? Here's how to investigate it before moving in

So you found a place you want to rent. Congrats! That's not easy these days.

But before you sign that lease, there are a few things you might want to know.

Does your landlord take care of their properties? Do other renters have a lot of complaints? Who even owns the building?

The good news is there are ways to freely access that information. The bad news: It can be time consuming because it's not all in one place.

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Later this year, Louisville Metro Government is expected to launch a public rental registry that would allow people to more easily get information on rental properties from one website. But until then, we've compiled a few tips for backgrounding a property's owner and managers.

Why?

"Your landlord spends a lot of time checking up on you," said Art Crosby, executive director of the Lexington Fair Housing Council. "You should spend the same amount of time checking up on them."

Here's how to do it.

1. Research a rental property's owner

Rentals are often managed by companies that don't own the buildings.

To find the property's owner, plug the address into the Jefferson County Property Valuation Administration website: jeffersonpva.ky.gov/property-search.

A lot of times, a rental will be owned by an LLC or other business entity. If you want to learn more about other companies and people it's connected to, type its name in the business entity search on the Kentucky Secretary of State website: web.sos.ky.gov/ftsearch.

Take note of what you find. It might come in handy for the next step.

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2. View maintenance complaints

Big or small, high-end or moderately priced — every rental can fall behind on maintenance.

When viewing a property, look for and document potential issues such as leaky faucets, windows that don't open and electrical outlets that don't work. Then get a commitment from your landlord in writing to fix them before you move in.

Some issues, however, might not be visible at first. Learn more about the property's track record with code violations by making a free account for Louisville's business portal — louisvilleky.gov/businessportal.

If you know the property owner or manager's name, you can search it with quotation marks in the box near the top of the homepage. That will pull up all records related to the company. Use the drop-down menu to select enforcement to view complaints.

If you'd rather search the property you're interested in, click the enforcement tab and fill out the search criteria. The search is automatically set up to pull records from the last two years, but you can change those dates.

Look for records labeled "property maintenance case." Those will most often include a description of complaints under the record details subhead.

Once you've selected a case, you'll want to use the record info drop-down menu to view violation letters under "attachments." Those will explain why a property was cited and if it was charged a fine.

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Spend some time exploring the site. And if you don't feel like you're finding all the documents you want, file an open records request through the Louisville Metro Government portal: louisvillemetrogov-ky.nextrequest.com.

Here's language this reporter has used: "I would like to request all code enforcement and health inspection records for [address], created between [dates]."

3. Hear what others have to say

Louisville's website only manages complaints that violate city codes. But what about how responsive a property manager is? Or if they tack on unexpected fees?

You're going to want to know what other renters have to say. So take a look through reviews on the Better Business Bureau, Apartment Ratings, Google and Facebook.

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4. Ask about hidden fees

Your rent price might not cover everything you're expected to pay each month.

Some landlords charge extra fees, such as for parking, garbage collection, internet and other shared utilities. You might also be required to get renters insurance from a provider.

Ask your property manager — and even other tenants in the building — what charges you'll face. And make sure to read your lease carefully to make sure the unit fits in your budget.

5. Seek help from experts

Several local agencies want to make sure your rights and housing conditions are respected. If you have a concern or complaint, reach out to:

• Better Business Bureau — File a complaint at bbb.org/file-a-complaint.

• Human Relations Commission — The Louisville agency is charged with investigating discrimination complaints. File one at louisvilleky.gov/government/human-relations-commission.

• Legal Aid — The nonprofit offers free legal services to low-income residents. Call 502-584-1254 or visit yourlegalaid.org for assistance.

• Lexington Fair Housing Council — The nonprofit offers housing services statewide, including investigating discrimination complaints. File one at lexingtonfairhousing.com.

• Louisville Codes and Regulations — The city department inspects potential code violations and issues citations. File a complaint about maintenance issues by calling 311.

• Louisville Tenants Union — The renter-led group advocates for policy changes and fair housing practices. Call 502-438-9048 or email loutenantsunion@gmail.com to get involved.

Reach reporter Bailey Loosemore at bloosemore@courier-journal.com, 502-582-4646 or on Twitter @bloosemore. Support strong local journalism by subscribing today: https://www.courier-journal.com/baileyl.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville apartments: How to investigate a landlord before moving in