If you agree to lease unit only in event that landlord or management company replaces unit's carpeting, fixes bathroom sink, allows your pet to live with you, includes a washer and dryer as part of deal or other conditions, again, get it in writing with date of signature. If landlord refuses to put your verbal agreement in writing or claims a sudden attack of carpal tunnel syndrome which prevents him from writing, red flag should be raised in your mind. Take your business elsewhere.

If it's too late -- you moved into your unit without getting verbal agreements in writing, and now you find yourself making repeated requests for maintenance or other repairs that are never performed -- many real estate law experts agree that threatening to withhold payment on your rent isn't a good idea. There's a good chance your landlord will win in court if you withhold payment without a signed agreement preserving your right to do so. In addition to facing stiff monetary penalties, you could find yourself evicted from your apartment and out on street. In fact, State Bar of Texas states that tenants who use their deposits as rent when their leases did not state they could do so can face monetary penalties of up to three times amount of rent they withheld.

According to terms of law, a tenant only has a leg to stand on when he or she withholds rent under three conditions: if tenant first received a court order allowing him or her to withhold rent if landlord didn't perform agreed-upon repairs or meet various conditions; if tenant made repairs in his or her own unit and paid for them out of pocket, if landlord was aware of and approved those repairs and lease clearly stated that deductions in rent could be made under those circumstances; and if you have legally terminated your lease because your landlord or apartment management company broke terms of your written lease agreement with respect to his or her responsibility for repairs, or if your utilities have been cut off unlawfully. The moral of story? Tread lightly.

All of these warnings aren't to portray image of landlords and apartment management companies as scheming individuals. The situation is quite contrary in today's rental climate, major apartment leasing companies have grown and prospered around country. The renters' market is extremely competitive, and such companies vie for prospective tenants with promise of good amenities and good service. Sometimes these hassles simply amount to misunderstanding and miscommunication. Your best bet is to shop around, find a landlord or company-run complex with which you feel comfortable, to ask plenty of questions, read everything twice, and get every promise in writing. Don't be afraid of seeming nit-picky. If they want your business, they'll comply -- with a smile. Happy hunting.

Relocating families who don't plan ahead often find themselves without phone service for first couple of days or more after their arrival. You wouldn't dream of forgetting to arrange for your utilities to connected, so don't forget phone - unless you plan to rely on a cell phone for a couple of days. If you're particularly organized, you can arrange for "perks" such as newspaper delivery and cable television prior to your arrival. Many cities and metropolitan areas have local Web sites on Internet that inform newcomers about local service providers.

Another chore you'll have to complete immediately upon your arrival is transition of your driver's license and auto registration, which will change if you're moving to a different state. While you're at it, change your voter's registration, as well; depending upon your city, you may be able to modify your voter's registration at local department of motor vehicles, enabling you to kill three birds with one stone, so to speak.

For security reasons more than aesthetic ones, find adequate window coverings immediately upon your arrival. They don't have to look as if they belong in pages of House Beautiful; you just need something temporary that will give you privacy and prevent a prospective burglar from checking out what your home has to offer. Speaking of security, have locks throughout your home changed immediately. You have no idea if previous owners distributed copies of your house key.

You'll also want to organize all paperwork related to your new home. In event of any unforeseen problems with your home, you may need to consult your insurance information or warranty documents. And when tax time comes, you'll be glad you kept an organized file of your paperwork.

Unless you're expecting guests soon upon your arrival, don't sweat decorative details of your new digs until you've taken care of such critical responsibilities as these. You'll have as much time as you want to arrange furniture and accessorize your home, but checklist items such as registration, change of address and most important, safety, can't wait.