Questions to Ask New Apartment
Questions to ask a landlord or leasing agent while you are still standing in the apartment, covering the real monthly cost, deposit terms, the condition of the unit, noise and parking, and what the lease commits you to. Written for renters comparing a few places before signing.
The questions
Open any question for the note
What would I actually pay each month once utilities, fees and parking are included?
Why ask it
Advertised rent often excludes several recurring charges: trash, pest control, amenity fees, valet garbage, parking. Asking for one number makes the agent add them up in front of you rather than leaving you to find them in the lease.
Which utilities are included, and which accounts would I set up myself?
Why ask it
This tells you both what you pay and how much work move-in involves, since some buildings need accounts opened before keys are released. Ask what a typical bill runs for a unit this size, and treat vagueness as a sign the answer is high.
How much is the deposit, and what specifically gets deducted from it at move-out?
Why ask it
The useful part is the list: normal wear against damage, cleaning fees charged regardless, carpet replacement schedules. A landlord who cannot describe what would cost you money is one who decides after you have left.
What is the lease term, and what happens if I need to leave early?
Why ask it
Break terms vary from a fixed fee to liability for rent until the unit is relet, and the difference can be thousands. Ask for the clause by name so you can read the wording rather than the summary.
How much has rent gone up at renewal here in the past couple of years?
Why ask it
A low starting rent means little if renewals jump sharply, and long-term tenants are the evidence. A landlord who has held increases modest will usually tell you the number without hesitating.
What is the pet policy, and are there deposits or monthly pet rent?
Why ask it
Worth asking even without a pet, because it tells you what will be living on the other side of your wall. Ask about weight and breed limits if you might get an animal later, since adding one mid-lease often needs approval.
Is renters insurance required, and at what coverage amount?
Why ask it
Many leases require a policy with a minimum liability figure, and some require the landlord be named on it. Knowing before you sign lets you price it into the monthly total.
Can I see the exact unit I would be renting rather than a model?
Why ask it
Model units are staged, freshly painted and often a different layout or floor. A refusal, or a promise that yours is identical, is the point to slow down.
What has been repaired or replaced in this unit recently?
Why ask it
Easier to answer honestly than a question about problems, and it gets you the same information from the other direction. New water heater, new flooring in one room, or a recent repaint often marks where something went wrong.
Is anything not working right now, and has this unit had leaks, pests or heating problems?
Why ask it
Asking about each category by name is what surfaces them, since a general question about issues reliably gets a no. Anything you are told is being fixed should be written into the lease with a date.
What comes with the unit, and what would I need to buy myself?
Why ask it
Blinds, light fixtures, a microwave and a refrigerator are all sometimes absent, and replacing them is a first-month cost people forget. Walk the rooms as you ask rather than relying on the listing photos.
Where is laundry, and what does a load cost?
Why ask it
The difference between in-unit, in-building and a laundromat three blocks away shapes your week more than most features you are being shown. Ask how many machines serve how many units.
What is the parking arrangement, is there a waitlist, and what does it cost?
Why ask it
Assigned, first-come and street-only are three different lives, and a waitlist means the assigned spot in the listing may not be yours for months. Ask where guests park too.
What can you hear in here at night, from neighbors and from the street?
Why ask it
A daytime viewing tells you nothing about a bar downstairs or a flight path. Asking a person rather than judging the empty room sometimes gets you a candid answer, and a long pause is an answer of its own.
How do I report a repair, and how long do repairs usually take?
Why ask it
This is the question that decides most of your experience of living there. Ask for a specific recent example, such as what happened the last time someone lost heat or hot water, and how weekends are handled.
Who else has keys, and how much notice do you give before entering?
Why ask it
Notice requirements are usually set by local law, and a landlord who is unclear about them is telling you how they operate. Ask whether maintenance staff and any management company hold copies.
How does building entry and package delivery work?
Why ask it
Covers your safety and your parcels in one question: whether the outer door actually latches, who can buzz people in, and whether deliveries sit in an unlocked lobby all day.
What am I allowed to change: paint, shelves, mounting a TV?
Why ask it
Rules range from anything you restore to nothing at all, and holes in walls are a common deposit dispute. Get any permission in writing, with the restoration standard spelled out.
Where do trash and recycling go, and how often are they collected?
Why ask it
A small daily detail that becomes a large one when the bins are three floors down or overflowing by midweek. The state of the bin area also tells you how the building is run.
How much notice do I give to renew or move out, and does the lease renew automatically?
Why ask it
Automatic renewal clauses with a sixty-day notice window catch people into another year. Put the notice deadline in your calendar the day you sign.
Can I take the lease away and read it before I decide?
Why ask it
A landlord confident in their terms has no reason to refuse. Pressure to sign on the spot, or a deposit demanded before you have seen the document, is the clearest warning sign in renting.
Could I speak to someone who already lives in the building?
Why ask it
Current tenants will tell you about the heating, the neighbors and how repairs really go. If nobody can be introduced, look for reviews written by tenants who stayed more than a year.
Viewing an apartment without missing anything
Practical guidance for the conversation itself
Things to do while you are inside
- 1Run the shower and flush the toilet at the same time, then watch the pressure and how fast the tub drains.
- 2Open every window and lock it again. Painted-shut windows and broken latches are common and rarely mentioned.
- 3Plug your phone charger into outlets in each room, and check the phone signal while you are standing there.
- 4Open the electrical panel and look under the kitchen and bathroom sinks for staining, buckled wood or a musty smell.
- 5Look at the ceilings and the wall behind the toilet for patched or discolored areas, which is where old leaks show.
- 6Measure the space your bed and sofa need, or at least pace it out. Rooms photograph larger than they are.
- 7Note where the sun comes in and at what hour, and whether the unit is above a garage, elevator shaft or trash room.
- 8Take photos and a video with your phone. After three viewings you will not remember which unit had the good kitchen.
Check the building, not just the unit
- Walk the halls, stairwells and bin area. Common spaces show how maintenance is actually funded.
- Come back at night and on a weekend. Noise, parking and who is around all change after dark.
- Time the commute at the hour you would really travel, not on a map at midday.
- Look for how many units are vacant. A building with several empty apartments and heavy incentives usually has a reason.
Before you sign
- 1Read the whole lease, including fees, entry rules, subletting and what happens at renewal. Anything verbal that matters must appear in the document.
- 2Add any promised repair to the lease with a completion date, or accept that it may never happen.
- 3Photograph and video every room on move-in day before you bring anything in, and email the file to yourself so it is timestamped.
- 4Complete the move-in condition form in detail and keep your own copy. It is your only evidence at move-out.
- 5Keep copies of everything signed, plus receipts for the deposit and first month.
Reasons to walk away
- Pressure to pay a deposit before you have seen the lease or the actual unit.
- Answers about cost that keep changing, or fees that appear only in the paperwork.
- Being told repairs will be handled without any account of how the last one went.
- A landlord who will not put anything in writing. Everything agreed in a doorway is unenforceable later.