Is moving to one of the Las Vegas condo rentals on your to-do list? Are you excited about that but not sure what you need to do to avoid a renter's nightmare?

It’s no secret problems can plague you as a tenant. Makes no difference whether you are renting Las Vegas apartments, houses or condos. There are lessons to be learned and you can either learn them the hard way from first hand experience. Or you can get advice and profit from the experience of others.

To help with that here are some tips for those looking to rent Las Vegas real estate.

First you’ve got the lease. Do not simply rubber stamp it assuming leases for all Las Vegas condo rentals are identical. Not true. Taking time to read it to know what you are agreeing to is wise. You are bound by what’s written in the lease whether you read it or not. Make sure you understand what is expected of you.

Who pays utilities with this Las Vegas rental? If they’re included in the rent then no big deal. If not see if they’ve got past bills to get an idea of what to expect. Also find out if you will have to put down a deposit with the utility company. If so how much?

Find out about the neighborhood to see if it seems safe. Check it out at different times of day different days of the week. Bothering with this is too much for some who then live to regret it.

Ask what percent of the units in the complex are current Las Vegas condo rentals. Less is more since property owners tend to be more stable neighbors. What about overall security plus see what city crime statistics say about the neighborhood.

Realize that the landlord isn’t responsible for your stuff. That’s what renters insurance is for.

Put everything in writing. Even if you’ve just seen Judge Matthas on television a couple of times you should know verbal agreements are the source of many avoidable problems. Putting things in writing can help you maintain a professional relationship with the owner.

How much condo can you afford? You don’t want the rent/utilities to be more than 30% of your income. If they exceed that you should proceed cautiously. If you and a roommate are moving in can you afford to pay the entire rent if your roommate bails on you?