Good Questions to Ask When Looking at Apartments
Questions to ask while you are standing in the apartment on a viewing. They cover the real monthly total, why the last tenant left, winter utility bills, light and noise, who lives above and next door, how repairs get handled, package security, pests and leaks, deposits, and what the last rent increase was.
The questions
Open any question for the note
What is the rent, and what is the full monthly total once every fee is added?
Why ask it
Advertised rent frequently excludes an administrative fee, a trash fee, a technology package, and pet rent. Ask for the figure that will appear on the payment portal each month, because that is the only number that lets you compare two apartments.
How long has this unit been empty, and why did the last tenant leave?
Why ask it
A good unit at market rent does not sit vacant for two months. If nobody knows why the last tenant left, or the answer is that they moved suddenly, ask how long they had lived there. Short tenancies in a row point at a problem in the unit or the management.
Which utilities are in my name, and what did the last tenant pay in the coldest month?
Why ask it
Heating an old building with single glazing or electric baseboards can add a large amount in winter, and the leasing agent will only volunteer an average. Asking for the worst month, on this unit rather than the building, is the number you need to budget.
Is this the actual unit I would rent, or a model?
Why ask it
Model units are often upgraded, differently oriented, and on a better floor. If you are being shown a model, ask to see your actual unit before you apply, and treat any refusal as a reason to keep looking rather than an inconvenience.
Can I run the shower and the taps now?
Why ask it
Water pressure and how long hot water takes to arrive are two of the most common regrets and neither appears on any listing. Run the shower and a tap together, and flush the toilet at the same time, to see what happens.
How much light does this get in the afternoon?
Why ask it
Morning viewings on a north-facing unit look completely different from the same room at four in the afternoon. Ask which way the windows face and check it yourself, because the answer given is often the answer that sounds best.
Who is above, below and next door?
Why ask it
Neighbors are the single biggest determinant of whether an apartment is livable and the hardest thing to learn from a listing. A unit under a family with young children, above a bar, or beside a laundry room is a different apartment from the floor plan.
How do I report a repair, and what happened the last time something broke in this unit?
Why ask it
The process matters less than the track record. An answer about a portal and a 24-hour response commitment is a policy; an account of a specific repair with a timeline is evidence. Ask which appliance is oldest while you are on the subject.
Who has keys, and how much notice do I get before someone enters?
Why ask it
Notice periods are set by local law but practice varies, and buildings that let contractors in with no warning are a recurring source of complaints. Ask whether locks are changed between tenants, because often they are not.
Is a parking space actually assigned to me, or is it first come?
Why ask it
A building with fewer spaces than units means street parking on winter nights. Ask where the space physically is, whether it fits your car, whether there is a fee, and what happens when someone else parks in it.
Where is the laundry, and what does one load cost?
Why ask it
The difference between in-unit, in-building, and three blocks away shapes your week. If it is coin or card operated, work out the monthly cost, and count the machines against the number of apartments they serve.
Where do packages go, and have there been thefts?
Why ask it
In buildings without a secure room or lockers, packages sit in a lobby or on a step. Ask the question directly rather than about security in general, because the specific version is harder to deflect.
Has there been any pest or leak problem in this unit or the ones around it?
Why ask it
Pests and water travel between units, so the neighboring apartments matter as much as this one. While you are there, look under the sink, along the base of the tub, and at the ceiling near any bathroom above.
How is heating and cooling controlled, and who pays for it?
Why ask it
A single building thermostat means you cannot warm your apartment in October or cool it in May. Ask whether you control your own unit, whether windows open, and whether an air conditioner may be installed if there is none.
What is the deposit, and what would come out of it?
Why ask it
Ask for examples of deductions rather than the policy. Paint, cleaning and carpet charges applied as standard at move-out effectively make part of the deposit non-refundable, which is worth knowing before you hand it over.
How much did rent go up for people renewing here last year?
Why ask it
A price you can afford now matters less than the increase you will face in twelve months. Asking what happened to existing tenants last year gets you a real figure, where asking about the policy gets you market conditions.
What is the pet policy, including weight limits and monthly pet rent?
Why ask it
Pet friendly can mean a one-time fee or a monthly charge plus a deposit plus breed and weight restrictions. Get all four numbers, and ask whether the limit is enforced by weight at move-in or by the breed on the lease.
What are the rules on guests, subletting, and adding a roommate to the lease?
Why ask it
These matter more than they seem when a relationship changes or someone needs to move in. Ask specifically what it takes to add a person mid-lease, since some buildings require a new application and a new lease at the current rent.
Can I take a copy of the lease away to read, and what is the application fee?
Why ask it
Reading the lease before you apply is the only way to see clauses about entry, fees, renewal and arbitration while you still have the option of walking away. A landlord who will not share it until you have paid a fee is telling you something.
What do tenants here complain about most?
Why ask it
A closing question that gets an honest answer surprisingly often, because every building has a known annoyance: parking, the elevator, deliveries, one noisy unit. An answer of nothing means either a very good building or an agent who is not going to help you.
What to do on a viewing
Practical guidance for the conversation itself
Before you go
- 1Work out the highest total monthly figure you would accept, fees included, and write it down so it is fixed before you fall for a place.
- 2Look up the address on a map for what is nearby: a bus depot, a bar, a school pick-up route, roadworks planned for next year.
- 3Search the building name and the management company together, and read the one-star reviews rather than the average.
- 4Book the viewing for a weekday evening if you can, when neighbors are home and you can hear the building in use.
- 5Have your documents ready, since good units go the same day and the alternative is deciding under pressure.
Checks to make while you are inside
- Run the shower and a tap together, then flush the toilet, and time how long hot water takes to arrive.
- Open and close every window and both the bathroom and bedroom doors; sticking frames often mean settling or damp.
- Test every outlet you can reach with a phone charger, and find the electrical panel and the water shut-off.
- Stand still for a full minute with everything off and listen: traffic, plumbing, a compressor, the neighbors.
- Check phone signal in the bedroom, and look for the cable and fibre points to see what internet is possible.
- Open the kitchen cupboards and look at the corners, and check under the sink for staining or a smell of damp.
Look beyond the apartment
- Walk the route from the parking area or the bus stop to the door as you would at night.
- Look at the shared areas, stairwell, mail room, bin store, since these show how much maintenance the building really gets.
- Knock on a neighboring door if it feels appropriate and ask one question: what is it like living here.
- Note whether other tenants' packages are sitting in the lobby, which answers the security question without asking it.
- Come back at a different time of day before you sign, especially if you only saw it once and quickly.
Common mistakes
Deciding on the finish
New countertops and fresh paint are cheap to install and easy to photograph. Light, noise, water pressure and neighbors cannot be changed after you move in, and they determine whether you renew.
Taking verbal promises
A promise to fix the window, replace the carpet, or allow a pet is worth nothing unless it is in the lease or in an email. Ask for it in writing while you are still deciding, when you have the most leverage.
Paying a holding fee too fast
Application and holding fees are often non-refundable, and some are collected on units that are already promised. Ask what happens to the money if you are not approved, or if you withdraw.
Viewing only in daylight and only once
Almost every unpleasant surprise about an apartment, noise, parking, light, the smell in the hallway, is time-of-day dependent. One evening visit prevents most of them.