Oh, the disappointment of your expectations! 

We've all been there… 

Like when you're impatiently waiting for the new season of your favorite show to drop just to find out it went off the story and now sucks big time!

But unlike a movie or TV show that lasts for a few hours, the disappointment of finding out your rental apartment is a complete disaster may torture you for months. 

And on top of all, your landlord is very unlikely to give you back your security deposit.

But is there a simple formula to separate proper accommodations from a dump?

Yes and no...

And here's why

When you reserve your room or apartment in Athens, you're most likely doing it from the comfort of your home out of Athens.

Which impedes your ability to view the apartment you're about to rent.

All you have at your disposal are a few photos and a description.

And more often than not, the photos and descriptions don't tell the whole story. 

So, is there any way to score excellent accommodation in Athens then?

Here's what you should do.

Pay Attention to vague descriptions.

No matter what channels you use to book your property, the process is mostly identical.

You look at photos and read the descriptions.

And if what you see is a couple of low-quality images and a few lazy lines of descriptions the warning signs are there:

If the person or company that lists the property is too bored to bother with a proper presentation, how likely is your experience to be pleasant? 

Not very…

And many of our tenants who switched to our properties back this claim up.

So, should you run for your life at first sight at the photos? 

More often than not, the answer is YES.

But if your curious mind wonders "what if" then try to get in touch with whoever handles the listing.

Here are the things you should ask them:

• Do you verify the property owner/operator?

• Has this property been booked before?

• What is the feedback from the tenants?

And probably the most critical question of all:

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN I SEE THE PROPERTY, I DON'T LIKE IT AND DON'T WANT TO STAY IN IT?

See, we receive many tenants already in Athens and don't like the properties they had previously booked.

And nine out of ten of them would usually have a hard time getting their security deposits back.

Even when there are solid reasons...

For instance, we had a lovely gentleman whose previous landlord wouldn't pay the water bills on time! Even though he collected the money from the tenant. 

As a result, the tenant woke up one morning and found out he had no water to wash his face!

When he informed his landlord about his decision to leave, the landlord said sure, go ahead, but I'm keeping your deposit.

If you want, sue me, it'll take you a ton of time and money spent on lawyers...

Obviously, the tenant didn't get involved in any legal action as he needed to stay in Athens just for three more months and wouldn't have time or money to waste on legal procedures.

And that is a severe case of misappropriation of tenant's money!

Imagine if you want to leave due to less "serious" reasons...

The chances are you will say goodbye to your security deposit.

In conclusion

If you want to make sure your rental room or apartment in Athens turns out exactly as you hoped it would here are the three questions to ask any property owner, landlord, or listing website:

1. Is this property verified

2. Has it been booked before and is there feedback from the former tenants

3. What happens if when I arrive in Athens, see the apartment, and do NOT like it?

Hopefully, this will help you find your ideal rental property in Athens. 

If you need our help, we're always happy to assist you.