Welcome back to our study of bad haircuts, traffic jams and fingernails scratching down chalk boards. Add to these delightful experiences the misery you will suffer when you commit the next five blunders in Ten Ways to Insure Misery in Your Rental Experience:

6. Have an unauthorized pet

At Decker Properties, we believe our pet policies are reasonable. But reasonable or not, they’re certainly not a secret. You don’t want you and your pet to get stuck out in the cold. So check with your landlord first before you bring home that adorable furry critter.

7. Bunk up with strangers

Even if your landlord has approved of the new occupant, what do you really know about this person that answered your Craigslist ad looking for a roommate to share their Horicon apartment? It’s hard to know what it would be like living with someone long term based only on a 15 minute meeting. Do they at least have references? Did you call those references? For more information, see the February 18, 2015 post, ‘Signs of a Bad Roommate’.

8. Engage in illegal activity

The upside to getting arrested: free three hots and a cot. The downside is that those mug shots are rarely flattering. Plus how many of us really look good in orange? Talk about not getting to pick your roommate, you’ll really miss those days when the biggest problem was your roommates snoring. And let’s not even talk about that whole thing about dropping the soap in the shower.

9. Fail to document the condition of your apartment when you move in

Your smart phone isn’t just for taking selfies. How about a shot of that stain in the carpet? Be sure to send a copy of your pics to the landlord right away. If you forget and only think to send them months later, your landlord may think you’re just memorializing your latest keg party.

10. Fail to thoroughly check out your apartment before you sign the lease

You thought you would be able to get your king sized bed in the walk-in shower, but what do you know, it won’t fit! And if you commute to work in a Sherman tank, know that those are usually outside the dimensions of a typical garage. Don’t take for granted the things a tape measure or a little inquiry can confirm.

Before renting a Horicon apartment, get the facts, and you’ll have a good rental experience.