Who has rented (the tennant) a house?

[LinuxRandal]

My mind is a little frazzled today. Yesterday, a friend received several panic'd calls looking for him. He and his dog were reported missing on the morning news after his apartment building caught fire (total loss).
Renters insurance is already involved. I think a law firm/local codes/city attorney might be already be working on it. (complex was supposed to have fixed the electrical cause, and no working smoke/fire detectors in his building)

I helped with the neighbors fire, his stepfather has been through it before, so all the normal stuff (needs, content lists, etc) are being taken care of. He was supposed to be moving into a rental house in January, so we are working to see if he could move in earlier (and we could handle any interior painting, etc). What I am trying to figure out is needs that a renter would have (figured lawn mower but we SHOULD be done with that until spring). I know where I can and need to help, but I am trying to get him a little forward (knowing what he is going to be dealing with).

Thanks

[crokett]

I haven't rented a house, just an apt but I would imagine the needs are the same, unless the house comes furnished. Furniture, clothes, pots/pans/etc. If the apt place was a total loss then obviously he has none of that. I would think The difference for a house would be the outside stuff - lawn mower, etc and that would depend on whether the tenant or the landlord mows the lawn.

[dbhost]

Let's see...

I rented a duplex with a yard which might be close enough for rock & roll...

What I Needed, aside from the normal stuff an apartment renter needed was...

Lawn mower.
String trimmer capable of edging.
Safety glasses.
Gas can for 2 stroke, and 4 stroke depending on the mower / weed eater...
Fire ant killer by the pound... (stupid ants!)
Garden Hose.
Hose nozzle
Gardening gloves.

Depending on his lease, most leases I have seen the renter is responsible for regular maintenance such as cleaning, mowing trimming etc... The land lord is responsible for repairs to the building and fixtures such as a leaky toilet, or a broken oven. If his landlord is anything like my old one was, no joy. I had to keep things fixed, so a reasonably stocked DIY toolbox is a must have...
He may need garbage cans, or they may be provided by the city / waste collection company. Again depends on where he lives.

[billwmeyer]

I am glad that he is ok! My daughter went through a fire a few years ago, and she and my grandsons were lucky to get out, and they did so unhurt. It is surprizing what we salvaged, but still lost most. They were uninsured and owned the house. Here is a tip that helped us. If he salvages anything, the area where he works will smell like smoke. I found a tip on the net to put out a plate with a piece of white bread and cover the bread with white vinegar. The bread absorbed most of the odor. Good luck!

Bill

[Kristofor]

I rented 3 houses (and a few apartments) before moving into my own house.

One of them required us to do the mowing/yardwork, but that apparently varies by place. They all had kitchen type appliances (stove, fridge, dishwasher, etc.) but only one had a washer/dryer included.

Otherwise it's roughly the same stuff you'd need for an apartment. If his dog was with him (I hope it was), he'll probably like having a house/yard much better than an apartment (at least I did).

[LinuxRandal]

Thanks all. Sounds like I should still put together a basic toolkit (not to mention the yard stuff I am working on). I didn't even think about appliances, while the basics (need to check) may be included, is a microwave a basic now?

Yes the dog was with him. He is fortunate he is still young and single (emancipated at 17, LONG story) and only has three years worth of buying himself, verses the fires I know of, in older persons homes.