Questions to Ask in an Apartment Tour
Questions for a rental viewing: what to test while you are standing in the unit, what the move-in cost adds up to once fees are included, and what to settle about the lease before you hand over money.
The questions
Open any question for the note
Is this the exact unit I would be renting, or a model?
Why ask it
Model units get new paint, better light, and appliances the real one does not have. If the answer is that yours is identical, ask to see yours anyway, and treat a refusal as information.
How long has it been empty, and what was the last tenant paying?
Why ask it
A unit sitting vacant for three months in a tight market has something wrong with it or is overpriced. Both are useful, and the previous rent tells you how much room there is to negotiate.
Can I run the shower and the kitchen tap at once while we're in here?
Why ask it
Water pressure and hot water recovery are among the most common complaints after moving in and among the least likely to be tested during a ten minute tour. Ten seconds of running water settles it.
How does the heating work in here, and can I control it myself?
Why ask it
Central systems controlled by the building mean you cannot fix being cold in October or hot in April. Ask whether it is on a schedule and who decides when it switches over.
How old are the appliances, the water heater, and the furnace?
Why ask it
Old equipment means outages and contractors in your kitchen, not just higher bills. An agent who does not know can usually find out, and unwillingness to check says something about maintenance generally.
Who is on the other side of these walls, and what is above me?
Why ask it
A shared wall with a stairwell, a lift, a bar, or a family with young children changes the apartment more than the countertops do. Ask, then stand still for a minute and listen.
Has this unit had a leak, water damage, or pests, and when was it last treated?
Why ask it
Ask about the unit rather than the building, because building answers are always reassuring. Look at ceiling corners and under the sink while they answer, and compare the two.
Can I see the laundry, the mailroom, and where the trash goes before I leave?
Why ask it
These are the spaces you use several times a week and the ones tours skip. Their condition is the honest version of how the building is run, more so than the lobby.
What is the full move-in cost, item by item?
Why ask it
Deposit, first month, admin fee, application fee, pet rent, key fob, parking, mandatory insurance. Ask for it written down, because the total is often several hundred more than people budget.
Which utilities go in my name, and what did they run for this unit last winter?
Why ask it
A number for this unit is far better than an average for the building. If nobody will give one, ask which utility company serves the address and call them yourself.
How is parking assigned, and where do guests park?
Why ask it
Assigned, waitlisted, and first come are three different daily experiences. Guest parking rules are also where towing disputes start, so it is worth hearing the policy out loud.
Who manages the building day to day, and are they on site?
Why ask it
An on-site manager and a remote management company are not comparable. Ask how you contact them and whether there is anyone in the building with keys in an emergency.
How do maintenance requests work after six in the evening and at weekends?
Why ask it
You will find out eventually, ideally not with a burst pipe. Listen for whether there is an on-call number or whether everything waits for Monday morning.
What did the last renewal increase look like in this building?
Why ask it
The rent you are quoted is only your first year. A pattern of large increases at renewal turns a good deal into a forced move, and current tenants are the ones who know.
What would stop me getting the full deposit back?
Why ask it
You are asking them to describe their own standard, which is harder to apply loosely later. Whatever they list is worth photographing on the day you move in.
What does it cost to break the lease, and can I sublet?
Why ask it
Jobs, relationships, and family situations change inside twelve months. The clause ranges from one month's rent to the whole remaining term, and it is not always in the part of the lease you are shown.
Is anything planned for the building in the next year: renovation, roof work, a change of owner?
Why ask it
Scaffolding, drilling, and a new owner rewriting policies are all things a current tenant would want to have known. It is a fair question and the hesitation before the answer is informative.
What is the most common complaint you get from tenants here?
Why ask it
Phrased as a routine question rather than an accusation, so it often gets an honest answer: parking, noise, package theft, the lift. Nothing at all is not a believable answer for any building.
Is there anything about this apartment you'd want to know if you were moving in?
Why ask it
Puts the person in your position and gives them permission to mention the thing they have been not mentioning. Many will, because most agents would rather not deal with a tenant who feels misled.
How soon do you need a decision, and can I take the lease away to read first?
Why ask it
Pressure to sign on the spot is a warning in itself. A landlord confident in their lease has no reason to refuse you a copy to read overnight.
What to do on the tour itself
Practical guidance for the conversation itself
Check while you are standing there
- Run the taps and the shower, and flush the toilet while the shower is on.
- Check your phone signal in the bedroom and the bathroom, not just by the window.
- Open and close every window, and look for condensation or fresh paint in the corners.
- Look under the kitchen and bathroom sinks with your phone torch.
- Count the outlets in the room where your bed and desk would go.
- Open the fridge and the oven. Smell the drains.
- Stand still for a minute with nobody talking and listen to the building.
Add up the real monthly number
Fees are where comparisons break
Two apartments with the same rent can differ by two hundred a month once parking, pet rent, trash fees, and required insurance are counted. Get every recurring charge in writing before you compare units.
Ask about winter, not the average
Heating costs in an older building with single glazing are the expense people most often underestimate. A bill for this specific unit in January is the figure that matters.
Budget the one-off costs too
Deposit, admin and application fees, movers, and anything the unit lacks. It is worth knowing the total before a tour makes you enthusiastic.
Get promises into the lease
- 1Write down anything promised on the tour: new carpet, a repaired window, a replaced appliance, a parking space.
- 2Ask for each of those as a dated addendum to the lease rather than an email.
- 3Photograph and date every existing mark, stain, and scratch on the day you get keys, and send the set to the landlord.
- 4Keep the move-in condition form. It is the document that decides the deposit argument a year later.
Common mistakes
Only ever seeing the place in daylight
Traffic, bar noise, and parking availability all change after eight in the evening. If you can, walk the street on a weekend night before you commit to a year.
Paying a fee before reading the lease
Application and holding fees are often non-refundable. Read the lease terms first, particularly the sections on early termination, entry notice, and deposit deductions.
Not talking to anyone who lives there
A tenant in the hallway will tell you in thirty seconds what an agent will not: how maintenance responds, how the heating behaves, whether packages go missing.