There is always a certain portion of risk for a landlord that a property will be well beaten up while rented out. Despite perfectly composed rent contract where all the risks and details are reflected there is a strong chance a property will be returned in a severely worn out condition. Unlike Western countries Kiev apartments landlords are not afraid of a tenant that will stop paying rent as it is relatively easy to make a troublemaking tenant leave and law is not there to help much...

So what Kiev apartments landlords are afraid of ? Which categories of tenants they do not trust most and why? I hope these few tips will help those who seek to find a good apartment for rent in Kiev or elsewhere in the country to deal with Ukrainian landlords.

No families with children.

This is one of the key requirements for tenants to be today. Such requirement can be stated not only by retirement aged landlords that are extremely worried about condition of their out of date set of dining tableware but also by normal middle age couples which also spent their best years in harsh happy Soviet Union reality where most of  usual quality housing goods were hard to earn for and even harder to find in the stores. This table ware set is an asset in their understanding and will remain an asset until become a unique antic example. Mentality is a strong thing and this is a usual way for many landlords being so concerned  and it can not be changed even by relatively high rental rates nowadays that flow to a landlord's pocket.

Lets be fare here now as sometimes such landlords fears do make sense. Children are very impulsive and extremely inquiring thus troublemaking creatures for whom new living space is a perfect new research field. There are many cases took place in Kiev apartments, according to realtors, when properties were returned to the owners with internal doors along with kitchen cabinets doors ripped off which had been rocked'n'ridden by tenants' young children...

If you are family with a couple with kids be prepared to a long conversation with landlords on the introduction stage. Try to assure landlord that your children are good behaving and will not damage property interior. The strongest reasons you can bring up on the negotiations are damage coverage by tenant spelled out in rent contract and the fact that family with kids will surely run a steady lifestyle as kids will definitely keep parents off social activities like noisy indoor parties.

No foreigners.

Another group Ukrainian landlords are careful to deal with are foreigners. This is certainly does not apply to EU diplomats, or a London banker that came to extended business trip to Ukraine. But it definitely refers to citizens from former Soviet Union Middle Asia states or countries like Vietnam who come here to work or foreign students. People of different mentality descending from completely different cultures bring their unusual eating and household habits along with them. It is not easy to comment on long lasting smell of exotic foods that is hard to get rid off and even more than this - some comments from neighbors that have been smelling all such odors for months. Despite the fact that this group of tenants is least demanding for housing quality and conditions it is still quite difficult to find a living space for them to rent. There is not much to say after the abovementioned other than inspiring:  keep looking guys.

With new legislation implemented in 2009 foreigners must get registered in order to extend their term of stay in Ukraine over 3 months period. Therefore the burden of at least a half of legal procedures related to a foreign tenant registration is on the landlord which has to deal with corrupted state and it's bureaucratsand in many cases does not want to show the fact of property rental to the state at all. As a minimum  make sure your papers are in order before you meet with your landlord to be.

One of Kiev apartments owner mentioned on a meeting with a broker that she must understand what her tenants says and the tenant must understand her immediately too. An English or other foreign language speaking landlord is a rare kind in Ukraine. A typical Ukrainian Kiev hotel apartment landlord is an old school and have never experienced living next door to other cultures representatives therefore does not want to tolerate them.

Give me young people.

This group of tenants is controversial in the eyes of landlords: if you are a young couple that is not married and have no kids it is a signal for our ever suspicious aged landlords. You are immoral. For them you are a potential source of troubles of unknown nature and origin. You are just bad as you are. Same eye will consider a lonely young one, especially a student of either sex that is going "constantly invite sexual partners and party buds to the place".

Can not be helped other than following this kind of advise: try to look as smart and conservative as possible on the first meeting. This is the case where one need to dress modestly and avoid bright, flashy colors in clothes and makeup. Honesty and confidential answers to landlords questions, showing interest in economic moments, such as who to apply to if a valve leaks, are important keys to win a landlord's trust. Discuss all the nuances of stay: payment terms, cleaning and so on. This way you will demonstrate your seriousness and trustworthiness.