Questions to Ask When Viewing Apartments
Questions for the walkthrough itself, when you are standing in the unit with a leasing agent or landlord and have maybe twenty minutes to learn what the listing left out. Written for renters comparing several places before signing.
The questions
Open any question for the note
Is this the exact unit I would be renting, or a model of the same layout?
Why ask it
Model units get better finishes, staged furniture and the sunniest corner of the building. If nobody will show you the actual apartment before you sign, you are touring an advertisement.
What is the rent on this unit, and how long is that price held?
Why ask it
Quoted rents usually assume a particular lease length and start date. If the number moves when you name your date, you have found a pricing grid, and you can ask which date is cheapest.
What will I owe on move-in day once every deposit and fee is added up?
Why ask it
Application fee, admin fee, deposit, first month, pet deposit and an elevator or move-in fee can total more than two months of rent. Ask for one number so nothing surfaces later at lease signing.
Which utilities go in my name, and what did they cost the last tenant in winter?
Why ask it
"Heat not included" means nothing without a figure. A tenant paying three hundred a month for electric baseboards in January tells you more about this building's windows and insulation than any inspection will.
How long has this unit been empty, and why did the last tenant leave?
Why ask it
A unit sitting vacant for months in a busy rental market has a problem someone can name. Vagueness here is itself information, and so is a tenant who broke a lease early.
What will be repaired, cleaned or repainted before a new tenant moves in?
Why ask it
Anything you want fixed has to be promised before you sign and written into the lease as an addendum. Verbal assurances about a new stove or a patched ceiling rarely survive the move-in date.
Which way do these windows face, and how much sun does this room get late in the day?
Why ask it
A midday tour hides the fact that the only windows look into an airshaft or at a wall ten feet away. Ask about the hours you are actually home, not the hour you happen to be standing there.
What can you hear through these walls, and who lives on the other side of them?
Why ask it
Noise is the thing renters regret most and check least. The useful answer names the neighbor: a family above, a shared stairwell, a bar at street level that opens at four.
How is the heat and air conditioning controlled, and who decides when it switches over?
Why ask it
In many older buildings one boiler serves everyone and management picks the date heat comes on. If that is the case here, the thermostat on the wall is decoration and October will be uncomfortable.
Which internet providers actually run service to this address?
Why ask it
Providers advertise by neighborhood, not by building. One wired option means no price leverage and no backup, which matters a great deal if you work from home.
Where does laundry happen, and how many machines serve how many units?
Why ask it
Two washers for forty apartments turns Saturday into a queue. Ask whether machines take coins, cards or an app, and how long they usually sit broken before anyone fixes them.
Is parking assigned, and what does a second space or a visitor space cost?
Why ask it
"Parking available" can mean a waitlist, a first-come lot, or street permits you buy from the city. Get the monthly cost and whether the spot is guaranteed in writing.
If something breaks at nine on a Sunday night, who do I call and how long does it normally take?
Why ask it
The gap between an on-site super and an off-site management company with a voicemail box is the difference between a two-hour problem and a two-week one. Ask what counts as an emergency to them.
What is the pet policy in detail: weight limits, breed limits, deposit, and monthly fee?
Why ask it
"Pet friendly" often carries a nonrefundable deposit plus rent per animal, and a weight cap that rules out a dog you already own. Confirm it applies to the unit and not just the building.
What am I allowed to change here: paint, shelves, a TV mounted on the wall?
Why ask it
Some landlords deduct for every anchor hole; others hand you a paint allowance. Knowing which one you have before you move changes what furniture you buy and what you leave in storage.
What are the rules on overnight guests, adding a roommate, and subletting?
Why ask it
Guest limits are usually loose until a neighbor complains. The answer worth having is the process for adding a name to the lease, since that is what you will need if a partner moves in or your income changes.
What has the rent on this unit done at the last two or three renewals?
Why ask it
A landlord who raised rent nine percent each year has told you your real second-year budget. Someone who cannot or will not answer is signaling that the renewal number is not yet decided.
What typically comes out of the deposit when a tenant leaves the place in normal shape?
Why ask it
Listen for whether cleaning, carpet replacement or repainting is automatic. Routine deductions dressed up as damage are common, and asking early gives you a reason to photograph everything on day one.
What is changing in this building over the next year?
Why ask it
Facade work, a boiler replacement, a new owner or a lobby renovation will shape your year more than any amenity on the tour. Scaffolding over your windows is a lot easier to accept if you knew about it.
What do current tenants complain about most?
Why ask it
A candid answer to this tells you the building's real weak point and tells you the agent is honest. A flat "nothing" means you should knock on a neighbor's door on your way out.
Getting real information out of a twenty-minute tour
Practical guidance for the conversation itself
Before you go
Fix your all-in number first
Decide what you can pay per month including utilities, parking, laundry, renters insurance and pet rent, not just rent. Agents quote rent because it is the smallest number in the deal.
Bring the paperwork if you might apply
Pay stubs or an offer letter, photo ID, bank statements, previous landlord contact and a way to pay the application fee. In competitive markets the unit goes to whoever applies first, not whoever toured first.
Tour at the hour you live there
An evening or Saturday morning viewing shows you parking, noise and hallway traffic as they actually are. A Tuesday at 11am shows you an empty building.
Things to check with your hands, not questions
- Run the shower and a sink at the same time, then flush, to see what happens to pressure and temperature.
- Open and close every window and the front door: sticking frames mean settling or swelling, and both mean drafts.
- Check your phone's signal bars in the bedroom and bathroom, the rooms where poor reception is most annoying.
- Look under the kitchen sink and behind the toilet for water staining, warped particleboard or fresh paint on one small patch.
- Count outlets in each room and note where they are, then think about where a desk or bed would go.
- Open the electrical panel door to see whether it is breakers or fuses, and whether anything is labeled.
- Look at the ceiling corners and the top of window frames for the grey speckling that means recurring damp.
Comparing places afterwards
Write it down in the hallway, not that evening
After three tours the apartments blend together and you will remember the nicest kitchen rather than the best deal. Note rent, all-in cost, commute and the one thing that bothered you, before you get in the car.
Photograph the flaws, not the features
You will not forget the light. You will forget which unit had the cracked tile and which had the stained carpet, and those are the items you will negotiate or document at move-in.
Read the lease before you fall in love
Ask for a blank copy at the viewing. Automatic renewal clauses, joint liability with roommates, and who pays for repairs under a set dollar amount are all decided in that document, not on the tour.