Anonymous wrote:I would personally NEVER rent a basement because you only need one leak for it to be a nightmare. Make sure your daughter gets renters insurance!

Don't get the basement unit.

Anonymous wrote:Let her learn the life lessons herself. I remember finding my Chicago apt solo my senior year of college. My parents never looked at any of my leases. I’m 40 fwiw. Then I got my first job in Pittsburgh, rented from a slumlord and had to negotiate repairs. I never would have had my parents deal with that.

This. I'm a private landlord and if I can choose between a tenant whose mom is facilitating the search and an one who is an actual grown up, I know who I prefer!

Anonymous wrote:My 25 year old daughter is researching place to move out to.
She has it down to 5 places. What are the cons of having a private landlord and or apartment complex?
They are the same price give and take 100$.
One of the places is renting a basement, with a private kitchen and bathroom.

Private is almost always better than corporate/property managers, as the owners have interest in investment and tend to be better to rent from than a lackey who is paid to deal with tenants.

The building and neighbors are more important than private versus corporate landlord. Tell her not to buy too much furniture until she really likes the place and landlord likes her.
It's not true that private landlord won't raise rent. Mine raised two years in a row, 11% and 9%. I move upstairs and found a new landlord. We have maintenance men in the building. I don't really need my landlord for small things.
Get the building with thick walls. People don't come and go too often in condo building. Fewer apartments available is the downside.