Questions to Ask During Apartment Tour
Questions about money and lease terms to ask before you apply for an apartment: what it costs to get the keys, what recurring fees sit on top of rent, what happens at renewal, and what you owe when you leave.
The questions
Open any question for the note
What is the rent, and is that the price on a twelve-month lease or a promotional rate?
Why ask it
Advertised rents are often net effective figures that spread one or two free months across the year. The number you actually pay each month, and the number you will pay at renewal, are both higher.
What do I pay every month on top of rent?
Why ask it
Trash, pest control, valet, amenity, technology and common area fees are added after the tour in many buildings. Ask for the full monthly total in writing before you compare it with anywhere else.
Which utilities are in my name, and what did they run in this unit over the last year?
Why ask it
Whether heat is on the landlord or on you can change the winter cost by a large amount. Ask for actual figures from a past tenant rather than an estimate for a comparable unit.
What do I have to pay before I get the keys, and how much of that comes back?
Why ask it
First month, last month, security deposit, pet deposit, admin fee and application fee add up quickly, and some of those are nonrefundable by design. Ask which line items you would never see again.
What are the application fees, and are they charged per adult?
Why ask it
Applying to three buildings for two people can cost several hundred dollars in fees that buy nothing. Ask whether the fee is refunded if you are denied, and whether a screening report can be reused.
What are the income and credit requirements, and do you accept a cosigner or guarantor?
Why ask it
Knowing the threshold before you pay to apply saves the fee. If a guarantor is allowed, ask what documentation they need, since some buildings require the guarantor to meet a higher multiple than the tenant.
How is the security deposit returned, on what timeline, and what gets deducted?
Why ask it
Deposit rules vary by state and city, and the deductions people are surprised by are usually cleaning, paint and carpet. Ask for the itemized list of what is charged and at what rate.
How much has rent gone up at renewal in this building over the past two years?
Why ask it
Past increases predict your second year better than anything in the lease. A building that raised rents ten percent last year is quoting you a one-year price, not a two-year one.
What lease lengths do you offer, and what does a shorter term cost?
Why ask it
Short and month-to-month terms usually carry a premium, sometimes a large one. If you may move within the year, price that flexibility now rather than paying a lease-break fee later.
What happens if I need to break the lease, and is there a buyout clause?
Why ask it
The two common structures are a fixed buyout, often one to three months of rent, and liability for rent until the unit is re-let. Which one applies changes your worst case by thousands.
Can I sublet or add a roommate later, and what does that cost?
Why ask it
Adding a person usually means a new application, a fee, and sometimes a rent increase. Buildings that prohibit subletting entirely leave you no option except a buyout if your plans change.
What are the pet rules: deposit, monthly fee, weight or breed limits?
Why ask it
Pet rent is charged monthly and never returned, unlike a deposit, and breed restrictions are often driven by the building's insurance rather than preference. Get both parts in writing before you apply.
Do I need renters insurance, at what coverage level, and do you require proof?
Why ask it
Most buildings require it and some specify a liability minimum and name themselves as an interested party. It is inexpensive, but a policy that does not meet the stated terms can put you in breach.
How is rent paid, and are there fees for online or card payments?
Why ask it
A percentage fee on card payments, or a flat charge on the portal, adds a real amount over a year. Ask whether bank transfer is available and free.
What is the late fee, and how many days is the grace period?
Why ask it
Late fee structures vary from a flat charge to a daily accrual. Ask when rent is counted as late and how a payment that clears on the fifth is treated.
Is this the exact unit I would be signing for, or a similar one?
Why ask it
Being shown a model or a different floor is common, and the unit you are assigned can have a different layout, view, or condition. Ask for the unit number on the lease before paying anything.
How long do you hold a unit once I apply, and does the holding fee go toward rent?
Why ask it
A holding fee that converts to rent is very different from one that is kept as a fee. Ask what happens to it if the building denies your application, and get that answer in writing.
What are the parking and guest rules, and what do they cost?
Why ask it
Parking is often a separate monthly charge with its own waiting list, and guest parking may not exist at all. This is a recurring cost that rarely appears in the advertised rent.
What are the move-out requirements: notice period, cleaning, paint, carpet?
Why ask it
Notice periods of sixty days are common and missing one can cost an extra month. Professional cleaning and carpet charges are the most frequent deposit deductions, so ask which are automatic.
Can I read the full lease and all addenda before I pay anything?
Why ask it
The addenda hold the terms that matter: fees, pets, parking, entry, subletting, arbitration. A landlord unwilling to share the documents before payment is telling you something worth acting on.
Working out what an apartment really costs
Practical guidance for the conversation itself
Build the real number before you apply
- 1Add every recurring monthly charge to the quoted rent: utilities you pay, parking, pet rent, trash, amenity and any fee named in an addendum. That total is what to compare between buildings.
- 2Separate move-in money into refundable and nonrefundable. Application and admin fees are gone either way; deposits may or may not come back.
- 3Ask what the same unit rented for last year. If the building will not say, look for the previous listing.
- 4Assume a renewal increase in the range the building has actually applied recently, and check you would still want to live there at that price.
- 5Price your exit: the buyout clause, the notice period, and the cleaning and paint charges you would be billed for.
Terms in the lease that decide the money
- Who pays for what utility, and whether heat and hot water are included.
- The lease-break mechanism: a fixed buyout, or rent liability until the unit is re-let.
- Automatic renewal language, including whether it renews month to month at a premium if you miss the notice date.
- Late fees, returned payment fees and payment method fees.
- The cleaning, paint and carpet standard you will be billed against on move-out.
- Entry notice, which is regulated in most places but written narrowly in some leases.
Practices to be careful about
Pressure to pay a holding fee on the tour
Urgency is a sales technique as often as it is a market condition. There is no reason to hand over money before reading the lease and the addenda, and a landlord who insists is worth walking away from.
Fees that only appear at signing
If the total you are shown at lease signing is higher than the total you were quoted on the tour, ask for each new line item to be justified. Getting the full monthly figure in writing at the tour prevents this.
Cash payments and no written receipt
A landlord who wants cash for a deposit and does not provide a written, itemized receipt has left you no record of what you paid or what it was for. Pay by a traceable method and keep everything.