Questions to Ask Your Landlord Before Signing a Lease
Questions to ask at the viewing and before you hand over any money, covering true monthly cost, deposit handling, repair response times, renewal and rent history, and what it costs to leave early. For renters signing a new lease on a house or apartment.
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The questions
Each question, and why to ask it
What is the full move-in cost, itemised, and which parts are refundable?
Why ask it
First month, last month, security deposit, application fee, admin fee, key fee, and pet deposit are often quoted separately or not at all, and the total is frequently double what people budget for. Ask which line items you get back and under what conditions.
Which utilities are included, and what have the bills actually run for this unit over the last year?
Why ask it
Included is not the same as unlimited, and an old building with single-glazed windows can add a large amount in winter. A landlord who has had tenants here should be able to give a range; vagueness usually means the number is unflattering.
Can I see the actual lease and every addendum before I pay anything?
Why ask it
The addenda are where the real rules live: pets, parking, cleaning charges, mandatory fees, arbitration clauses. Any pressure to pay a holding fee before you read the full document is worth treating as a warning.
Can I see the exact unit I would be renting rather than a model or a similar one?
Why ask it
Layout, light, noise, water pressure, and mobile signal vary between units in the same building. If the unit is occupied and you cannot view it, ask what specifically differs from the one you saw and get the answer in writing.
How is the security deposit held, and what is the written process and timeline for getting it back?
Why ask it
Many places require deposits to be held separately and returned within a set number of days with an itemised list of deductions. A landlord who does not know their own obligation here is telling you how the move-out will go.
What has been repaired in this unit in the last year?
Why ask it
A short answer suggests either a well-kept unit or repairs that never happen, and the follow-up sorts it: ask what tenants have reported and what is still outstanding. Recurring plumbing or damp work is the most useful thing you can hear now.
How do I submit a maintenance request, and what is the response time for something like heat or a leak?
Why ask it
You want a channel that creates a record and a number of hours, not a promise to be reachable. Ask specifically what happens on a weekend, since that is when heating tends to fail.
Who comes into the unit for repairs, and how much notice do I get before anyone enters?
Why ask it
Notice periods are set by local law in many places, and the practical question is whether this landlord follows them. Ask whether contractors are given keys and whether you are told in advance who is coming.
Are the locks changed between tenants, and who else has a key?
Why ask it
Rekeying between tenancies is standard practice for good landlords and skipped surprisingly often. A vague answer means an unknown number of former tenants may still have working keys.
How is rent paid, is there a fee attached to any method, and when exactly does it count as late?
Why ask it
Portal payment fees of a few percent add up to real money over a year, and late is sometimes defined as the second rather than the fifth. Get both the mechanism and the cut-off in writing.
What is the late fee, and is there a grace period in the lease?
Why ask it
If the grace period is only a verbal assurance, it does not exist. Ask where in the document it appears, and what happens if a bank transfer arrives a day late through no fault of yours.
How much has the rent on this unit risen at each of the last few renewals?
Why ask it
This is the single best predictor of what you will be asked to pay in a year, and it is the question landlords least expect. A refusal to answer is itself information about how the next renewal will go.
When will I hear the renewal terms, and how much notice do I have to give if I decide to leave?
Why ask it
The gap between these two dates is the trap: if you must give sixty days notice but only learn the new rent thirty days out, you can be pushed into accepting an increase. Check both numbers against each other before you sign.
What does it cost to end the lease early, and can I relet or sublet instead?
Why ask it
Options range from a fixed fee of one or two months to liability for rent until a new tenant is found. Given how often jobs and relationships change, this clause deserves more attention than most people give it.
Is renters insurance required, and what coverage limits do you require?
Why ask it
Usually inexpensive and often mandatory, with a specific liability minimum named in the lease. Ask whether you can use your own insurer rather than one bundled through the management company at a markup.
What is the policy on guests, overnight stays, and adding a roommate to the lease later?
Why ask it
Some leases cap consecutive guest nights or require anyone staying beyond a few weeks to be screened. If a partner might move in during the term, ask what that process costs and how long it takes.
What are the pet rules, and what is charged as a deposit or as monthly pet rent?
Why ask it
Weight limits, breed restrictions, and non-refundable pet fees plus monthly pet rent can add a lot over a year. Also ask about pets in the building generally, since that affects noise and hallways.
Where do I park, where do packages go, and does either cost extra?
Why ask it
Assigned parking, a permit, or street-only can change your daily life and your budget. Packages left in an open lobby become your loss, so ask what has actually happened to deliveries here.
How is pest control handled, and when was this unit last treated?
Why ask it
The useful part is the history, not the policy. A landlord with a regular contract and a recent treatment date is a much better sign than one who says it has never been an issue.
What can I change in the unit, and what will I be charged to restore at move-out?
Why ask it
Paint, shelves, mounted televisions, and even picture hooks are treated very differently by different landlords. Getting the answer in writing now is the difference between a small hole and a deduction for a full repaint later.
Can we complete a move-in inspection together, and can I keep a signed copy with photos?
Why ask it
This is the cheapest protection available to a tenant and the one most often skipped in the rush of moving. Undocumented existing damage becomes yours by default when you leave.
Who is the legal landlord named on the lease, and who am I paying?
Why ask it
The entity on the contract is who you would have to deal with over a deposit or a repair, and it is often a company rather than the person showing you around. If the name on the lease, the name on the payment instructions and the person you have been talking to are three different things, resolve that before signing.
What condition will the place be in on the day I move in, and what work is being done first?
Why ask it
Cleaning, paint and small repairs promised during a viewing evaporate unless they are written down. Ask for the list to be attached to the lease with a date, since after you have keys the incentive to complete it is gone.
How does the lease define normal wear and tear as against damage?
Why ask it
This is where most deposit disputes end up, over carpet, paint, small holes and worn fittings. Ask for examples of what they have charged for previously, which tells you far more than the clause does.
If I have a roommate and they leave, who owes the rent?
Why ask it
Most leases make each tenant liable for the whole amount, not a share, which surprises people badly. Ask whether a replacement is permitted, who approves them, and what it costs to change the names on the lease.
If a repair leaves part of the place unusable for a while, what happens to the rent?
Why ask it
Kitchens and bathrooms out of service for a week are common enough that a reasonable landlord has thought about it. Their answer shows whether they see the lease as a mutual agreement or as a one-way payment schedule.
If neither of us does anything at the end of the term, what happens?
Why ask it
Some leases roll to month-to-month, others renew automatically for another full year, and a few charge a premium for the monthly version. This default is easy to overlook and expensive to discover in month thirteen.
What makes you decide not to renew a tenant?
Why ask it
This surfaces their standards, and sometimes their plans, such as an intention to sell or renovate. A landlord who has never not renewed anyone in years of ownership is describing a stable building.
Is there anything in this lease that you do not actually enforce?
Why ask it
An honest answer here tells you what kind of landlord you are dealing with, and it is often revealing about guest rules or decorating clauses. If the answer is that everything is enforced, take the document literally and read it again with that in mind.
Lease due diligence
Practical guidance for the conversation itself
Get these in writing before you pay
- The complete lease with every addendum attached, not a summary sheet
- Any promise made at the viewing, such as a repair before move-in or permission to paint, added to the lease itself
- A written itemisation of all move-in charges, marking which are refundable
- The building or association rules if there are any, since they bind you through the lease
- The move-in inspection checklist, signed by both of you, with dated photographs of every room
At the viewing
Test things rather than looking at them
Run the hot tap and time how long it takes, flush while the tap runs, open every window, check the water pressure in the shower, and look under the sink for staining. Five minutes of this tells you more than an hour of conversation.
Go back at a different time of day
Noise, parking, light, and who is around change completely between a Tuesday morning and a Friday night. If you can only visit once, ask a neighbour rather than the landlord what the evenings are like.
Ask why the last tenant left
The answer is unverifiable but the delivery is informative, and sometimes you get a genuinely useful reason. High turnover in one unit is worth asking directly about.
Look up your local rules before you negotiate
Deposit limits, notice periods for entry, and required return timelines are set locally and vary a lot. Knowing which of your asks are already the law changes the conversation.
Common pitfalls
Paying to hold a unit before reading the lease
Holding fees are frequently non-refundable, and once paid you have lost your leverage to question a clause. Read first, pay second.
Trusting a verbal promise
We will fix that before you move in and of course you can paint are both worthless the moment a different person manages the property. If it matters, it goes in the addendum.
Budgeting only for the rent
Utilities, parking, pet rent, payment fees, insurance, and any mandatory amenity charge routinely add a large amount to the real monthly figure. Total those before comparing two places.
Skipping the move-in inspection
It happens because moving day is chaotic and the deposit feels far away. It is also the reason most deposit disputes are unwinnable.