100+ Questions to Ask Before Renting an Apartment

I've moved a lot in the last 15 years. I've lived in tiny dumps and large "luxury" apartment complexes. Over the years I've encountered a number of problems and surprise amenities. This is my checklist when I am looking for a new place to live. Feel free to send me questions you ask. I'll add them here.

General

How much is the rent?

Do they need a security deposit? How much?

Do they need first month's rent? How about last month's rent?

How long is the lease?

What is the penalty for terminating the lease early?

Is there an application fee? How much?

Are utilities included?

Can you sublet?

Do the people in the rental office seem intelligent / seem like they care?

Who does apartment maintenance and how do they handle it? Are they on call 24/7?

The Apartment Building

Are the floors wood beam supported or concrete? (bouncy/not bouncy)

Central Air? Radiators? Electric Heat? In wall AC? AC at all?

Elevator?

Smoke alarms?

Sprinklers?

Alarms tied to Fire Station?

Do windows open?

Does the roof leak?

Are the windows drafty?

What condition are the floors in? Is the carpet soft/clean? Is the hardwood splintering?

Is there enough closet space?

Where will you store your vacuum cleaner?

Where will you store your bicycle?

Can you have a grill on your balcony?

Does the fireplace work?

Can you control the heat?

Can you have a real Christmas tree?

is there a screen door slide on the balcony?

Does the slider lock securely?

Is there a peep hole on the door?

How do you let someone into the building?

Can you monitor the front door / lobby from the apartment?

Can you paint the walls?

Do they allow pets? How about fish tanks? Is there a pet fee?

Do they allow water beds?

Is there a storage room? How big? How much does it cost?

Is there laundry in the building/complex?

How and where are UPS/FedEx deliveries left?

Will your couch fit through the door?

How about your box spring?

Kitchen

Gas or Electric Stove?

Kitchen sink disposal?

Kitchen Sink sprayer?

Microwave included in kitchen?

How old are the appliances?

How loud is the dishwasher?

Bathroom

Is there a bathtub or just shower?

Does the bathroom vent effectively?

If the bathroom door is open, can you see the toilet from the living room?

Are there enough towel racks in the bathroom?

Is there enough shelf space in the bathroom?

Are the vanity lights bright enough to shave cleanly / apply makeup effectively?

Home Office

Are there enough outlets to plug stuff in?

Is broadband/DSL available?

What cable company services the city?

Can you have 2 phone lines? (separate fax line)

Parking

Is parking included?

How much for a parking spot?

Is it assigned?

Permit from city required to park?

What about guest parking?

Who plows the snow?

Is it tandem parking and will you have to coordinate parking times with the other tenants?

Neighborhood

Do you get cell phone reception?

Car insurance rates higher/lower?

When is trash pickup?

Near public transportation?

Near a grocery store?

Near a gas station?

Walking distance to a bar?

Are there sidewalks to run on?

Is there a health club? Does it suck? When is it open? Can you bring a guest?

Is there a pool? Does it suck? When is it open? Can you bring a guest?

Are there tennis/basketball/volleyball courts? Do they suck? When are they open? Can you bring a guest?

Is there a playground? Is it safe? Is it near a road? Can you hear it from your apartment?

Is the area fully developed? Are they going to put up a new building across the street and ruin your view?

Is it a walkup or an elevator building?

Is it easy to get to a highway?

What are the traffic patterns during rush hour?

Is the apartment address easy to find?

Are there good take-out places nearby?

Where is the nearest cleaners?

Where is the nearest 24 hour drug store?

Where is the nearest House of worship?

Where is the nearest Wal-Mart?

Where is the nearest laundromat?

Where is the nearest hospital?

Where is the nearest fire station?

Where is the nearest police station?

Is there a history of theft, vandalism or other crimes?

Potential Nuisances

How much noise comes through the walls? Are they party walls?

Do headlights come in the windows from passing traffic?

Do street lights shine in the bedroom windows?

Can you hear people in the hallway?

Can you hear the elevator?

What are the other tenants like? (look at the cars in the lot)

How noisy are they?

Do they have children?

Do kids live upstairs who will run around early in the morning on weekends and wake you up?

Are there students living in the building?

Are there businesses across the street that open early (before you want to wake up) and make a lot of noise?

Is there an intersection nearby that causes traffic to back up with the result of people honking their horns in front of your windows?

Can you hear traffic from nearby roads/highways?

Do airplanes constantly fly over your roof?

Can you hear the guy who lives below you snore all night?

Are there bugs?

Is the building old and require constant maintenance?

Does the building sway when it's windy?

What is the water pressure in the shower like?

Do the people with the balcony below/above/next to the apartment smoke? Does that smoke come into the apartment?

Do the people with the balcony below/above/next to the apartment sit on their balcony on their phone constantly?

Is there a bar across the street that has live music at night? Do they leave the door open so the whole neighborhood can hear the music?

Is the apartment situated where large events happen? (e.g. outdoor concerts, main parage routes, holiday road closures, etc)

Are there dogs nearby that bark constantly?

Are you near a park that will cause people to take your parking spot and turn around in your driveway?

Is the apartment on a street that is a commuters' shortcut?

Have there been mold or mildew problems in the apartment or adjacent apartments?

How often and how loudly are you going to hear ambulance, police and fire sirens?

Is the building in a flood zone?

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