Advice for a first-time renter?

[simplemint]

I'm looking into renting a skybox or home for the first time. Specifically I have been looking at multi-scene, furnished skyboxes in the hopes that a narrower category will make the search easier, but even then, I am somewhat overwhelmed by all the options out there. 

As the title suggests, what kind of advice do you have for a first-time renter? Are there any major red-flags one should look for while in the hunt, and how can one tell that a rental business is reliable? 

Thanks in advance for your suggestions!

Edited April 28, 2021 by simplemint
specificity

[Alwin Alcott]

14 minutes ago, simplemint said:

 how can one tell that a rental business is reliable?

contact them before you make any payment.
Look around, there are lot of places that offer rentals, mainland and estate (private regions)
And it's very easy with rentals, don't pay to long upfront, you'r faster free to change...

[Sylvia Tamalyn]

What Alwin said, and I'd emphasize the part about don't pay too far in advance. Only pay what you can afford to lose, in case something goes wrong.

I have always paid at most two weeks at a time, even at estates I totally trust, because you never know when RL might cause a rental business to suddenly fold. It can happen to even the most honest of landlords. 

[LittleMe Jewell]

Back in my rental days, I used to contact the owner first, with a question or two --- to make sure they were actually still around and would respond to questions.

And, like Sylvia, I never paid more than 2 weeks of rent at a time.

[Prokofy Neva]

On 4/28/2021 at 5:42 AM, simplemint said:

I'm looking into renting a skybox or home for the first time. Specifically I have been looking at multi-scene, furnished skyboxes in the hopes that a narrower category will make the search easier, but even then, I am somewhat overwhelmed by all the options out there. 

As the title suggests, what kind of advice do you have for a first-time renter? Are there any major red-flags one should look for while in the hunt, and how can one tell that a rental business is reliable? 

Thanks in advance for your suggestions!

First see if the person who owns the land is in search. They may have not paid their bills and have been prevented from coming on line but the Lindens may not have seized their land yet. A group-owned land with a group owner who is MIA is a concern. Not always, but often.

Or someone in their group is keeping it going despite the original owners MIA but it could go under any time.

Do not pay ahead. Try one week or whatever the shortest amount is. If you are forced to pay a month and don't get a discount for that -- and can't refund for a small fee -- then find another rental.

Be aware of the prim limits. Going over in some rentals can get all your prims returned, not just some that are over.

Make sure you can join the group without waiting for days for a landlord to show up and invite you, losing days on your rental without decoration.

Make sure the previous tenants' items are removed. You can't return them unless this is a private island where you are "buying" the parcel (which still belongs to the primary owner) and can set your own group and remove anything on the land.

Make sure the rules are what you want, i.e. some may not allow security orbs on the ground, or some may have ban lines and security orbs everywhere in operation on the group which are annoying.

 

[Chic Aeon]

Along with that other advice -- check your frames per second and for any feelings of LAG.  Look at the map and make sure there aren't any giant clusters of green dots. Look around the sim (a lot of skybox rentals are mainland so I am thinking in "mainland" mode here) and see if there are a lot of breedables roaming around or big clubs (which may only be active certain times of day). 

On mainland especially things can change very quickly.  I doubt there are many furnished skybox rental places that have a whole sim dedicated to THEIR RENTALS.  If they do, that would put them higher on "my" list.  

 

Also better if the notecard that comes from clicking the "info" tab  (usually available by clicking the rental box) says that you will get an invitation to the rez group immediately on payment (so no waiting -- although that promise doesn't always work).   And of course look around a lot and compare prices with what you get; the differences vary greatly.  Personally I don't rent from single owner folks, but from companies. The folks that are just renting out their free tier lot or a bit of extra land tend to disappear on you.   That is easy to see if you look at rental ads and find a lot that are now abandoned land. You most likely don't want to have to move again right away. 

 

 

 

 

[WereBeast Alpha]

some tips I have done for myself with owning land or skybox

1.) Use the search in the second life viewers which ever one you use to find a good spot, the best thing I have learned is that I found my rental back in January of this year and have loved it. I was lucky to find it since at that time it was the last 1/4 homestead open for rent. 

2.) Budget - Using a budget helps depending on what works within your real life budget the plot I rent each month is in around 30 bucks a month but I pay 2 months in advance adding a month each or up to 8 weeks each month to keep the rental.

3.) Homesteads are limited to 25 people per parcel but are affordable with limited prim count. As for skyboxes are the same with the prim limits including houses. Whatever you want to add into your home make sure its not a lot of prim. I know my friend owns a skybox and its like 600 prim count but she had a lot of high prim furniture and she had to cut down on some of it in order to adjust to the limit. 

4.) Security orbs - some skyboxes already have orbs per skybox but for me I use mine to see who visits my parcel to keep an eye on bots. It varies but I know Caspar tech has an orb that works wonderful on security. 

I hope this helps you out