Red Flags for Renters to Watch Out For

28. Watch for a white chalk-like substance along the baseboards.

When doing a walk-through of the rental home or apartment, be sure to carefully inspect the baseboards. Look for the possible presence of a white, chalk-like substance. If you find any, this could be a sign that the landlord or the previous tenant tried, or even is still trying, to get rid of cockroaches. They are using Diatomaceous Earth or Borax. People use both of these substances to kill roaches. The gross little buggers tend to love the dark, tight environments of trim and baseboards inside homes.