Many people forced from the Gulf Coast area by recent hurricanes have suddenly been thrust into a home hunting mode for temporary or permanent shelter and may not be familiar with what's required to rent a home in an area outside their community.

Free and low cost housing assistance is available from a variety of government and private relief operations, but for those who choose to find their own rental home, quickly learning the rental housing ropes is key.

To help, the Texas Apartment Association Texas Apartment Association has released a list of housing tips designed to quickly brief those seeking either temporary or permanent rental shelter in the Lone Star State.

The tips are solid advice for anyone who needs rental housing anywhere because they help potential renters present themselves as well-prepared and organized. When all else is equal, a polished application effort gets the attention of landlords who seek solid tenants.

The association also asks for honesty from applicants and flexibility from landlords both to help expedite what normally can be a trying process but is now more arduous because of forced evacuation.

• Be prepared to complete a rental application with as much information as possible. You will be asked for photo identification, such as a driver's license or other government issued form of identification. The more information you provide, the faster the landlord can process your application.

• Applications typically ask for employment information. If you employer cannot be contacted because of the hurricane, say so. The property owner may have access to records of damaged, destroyed or displaced businesses or be able to otherwise verify your current or past employer.

• Applications also typically ask for your income. Reveal to the property owner that you do not have copies of your pay stubs or bank statements, if that's the case. He or she may be able to assist you in printing or finding copies of such documents. If you've registered with and are eligible for money or housing assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the the American Red Cross>, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, or other agencies, reveal that information to the landlord so he or she can seek documented information from those agencies.

• Property owners can choose not to check your credit history if you are seeking temporary housing, but it is more common for property owners to check your credit history. The rental application will detail the credit check process. It can't proceed without your permission.

• Likewise, a check for any criminal history may be part of the application process. The process helps protect you and your family as well as other residents. Answer questions about your criminal history honestly. If you don't and a conviction record is discovered later, you could be evicted.

• Even if you accept donated housing and no rent is due from you, signing a written lease is important, both to protect your rights and the rights of the property owner. The lease outlines the term of your stay, how the property should be used, who is responsible for the condition of the property when you leave, rental amount, if any, rules, regulations, your rights and responsibilities and other factors that cover the scope of your tenancy.

• Read the lease before you sign it. Pay particular attention to how long you are agreeing to rent, or stay, the cost of rent, where to pay rent, when the rent is due and what can happen if you don't comply with the rental cost and other provisions lease. The lease also explains security deposits, if one is required, and what you must do to be fully refunded a deposit at the end of the lease.

• If you will only be in an area for a few weeks, seek a month-to-month lease rather than a long-term agreement. Be sure to read the termination notice provisions. They will explain how much advance notice you must give when you want to end the lease. End your lease with a written notice that follows the contracted termination procedure.

• Review the move-out information in the lease to determine your move-out responsibilities and any need for cleaning, maintenance and other chores.

Published: September 29, 2005

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Broderick Perkins parlayed a career in old-school journalism into a contemporary digital news service that really hits home. The award-winning consumer journalist, originally from Wilmington, DE, is founder, publisher and executive editor of the bootstrap DeadlineNews Group, a Silicon Valley-based editorial content and consulting service specializing in residential real estate, consumer news and related editorial consulting services. The DeadlineNews Group includes the website, DeadlineNews.com, offering real estate editorial content and consulting services, and its back shop, the Deadline Newsroom, an open house on news that really hits home. Perkins obtained his formal journalism education from University of Delaware and a journalism boot camp, the Institute of Journalism Education at the University of California-Berkeley. He went on to 20 years of service as a daily newspaper journalist at the Wilmington, DE News Journal and San Jose, CA Mercury News. Perkins covered housing on the San Jose Mercury News reporting team which earned a General News Reporting Pulitzer Prize in 1989 for coverage of the Loma Prieta earthquake. He has also produced real estate, consumer and small business content for the Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, RealtyTimes.com, Nolo.com, Better Homes and Gardens, the National Association of Realtors, Homestore/Move and Intuit/Quicken among more than three dozen publications. In addition to managing the DeadlineNews Group, Perkins most recently served as chief editorial consultant for Nolo's Essential Guide To Buying Your First Home, Nolo, and writes real estate television scripts for RealtyTimes.com.