Apartment Hunting Checklist

Fill in the place you're seeing to get a checklist for the tour: scam checks before you go, what to look at room by room, what to ask, and what to do before you sign or pay.

By Tess Mullins · Updated Oct 25, 2026

General information, not legal advice. Check your lease and your state's law before you rely on it.

When to use this checklist

Use one for each place you see. It runs in the order of a tour: what to check before you go, the building, the unit room by room, the questions to ask, and what to do before you sign or pay. Your notes make it easy to compare places afterward.

Set your budget first: the rent affordability calculator checks the rent against your income, and the apartment utilities cost calculator adds the bills.

How to use the generator

Add the address or listing, the tour date and the rent asked. They go at the top of the printout.
Pick the layout: a studio or the number of bedrooms, and the bathrooms. Tick pets or parking if they matter to you.
Check off what’s fine on the tour, and note anything that isn’t, or anything the landlord tells you.
Print it or download the PDF to take along, or keep the draft on your phone.

Your answers stay in your browser. A draft is saved on this device until you press Clear, so start a new one for each place.

Sample apartment hunting checklist

Here’s a checklist part-way through a tour. The address and notes are made up.

Apartment hunting checklist

Apartment: 200 Oak Avenue, Unit 4CToured: April 17, 2027Rent asked: $1,350 a month

Use one checklist for each place you see. Check off what's fine, and write down anything that isn't, so you can compare them later.

Before you tour

Done: Set your rent budget, utilities includedNote: Up to $1,400 with utilities
List your must-haves: bedrooms, commute, laundry, parking
Done: Search the address: other ads with another owner are a warning signNote: Same company on every listing
Done: Check that the listing is on the rental company's own website
Search the owner or company with the words complaint, review or scam
Be wary of rent far below similar places nearby

The building

Done: The agent's business card and ID, or the owner's IDNote: Leasing office card, ID matched
Entry doors lock, and halls and entrances are lit
Parking: where, the cost and guest parkingNote: Waitlist for a spot
Laundry: in the unit, in the building or nearby
Trash, recycling and package delivery
Noise from the street, neighbors and the floor above
Stairs or an elevator for moving day

The whole unit

Natural light, and windows that open and lock
Outlets in each room, and where they are
Cell signal, and which internet providers serve the building
Heat and air conditioning both work
Smoke alarms in place
No signs of pests: droppings, traps or bait
No water stains, musty smell or mold
No peeling or chipping paint, above all in a building from before 1978
Measure the doorways and where big furniture goes

Kitchen

Stove, oven, fridge and dishwasher all work
Hot water and water pressure at the sink
Under the sink: leaks or stainsNote: Old water stain: ask about it
Cabinet and counter space

Bathroom

The toilet flushes and its base is solid
Hot water and pressure in the shower
An exhaust fan or a window
Caulk and grout: mold or gaps

Bedroom

Room for your bed and dresser
Closet space
Window, blinds and privacy

Questions to ask

The rent, the due date and how to pay it
Which utilities are included, and what the others cost
The security deposit, and when and how it comes back
Every fee: application, move-in, amenities, parking
The lease length, renewal and how rent increases work
How much notice to move out, and the cost to leave early
How to request repairs, and who to call in an emergency
Whether renters insurance is required
What you can change: paint, nails, shelves
Whether there's a move-in inspection form
Built before 1978? The lead paint disclosure and the EPA pamphlet

Before you sign or pay

See the place, or have someone you know see it, before you pay
Walk away if you're pushed to decide fast
Never pay by wire transfer, gift card or cryptocurrency
Private landlord: check the owner in the county's tax records
Share your Social Security number only once you've agreed to rent
Read the whole lease, and get every promise in writing
Keep a copy of the signed lease and every receipt

Spot a rental scam

The FTC describes how fake listings work: scammers copy a real listing or make one up, then take an application fee, a deposit or your personal details and disappear. Its advice:

Search the address and the owner’s name. Other ads for the same place under a different owner or company are a warning sign, and the listing should be on the rental company’s own website.
Be wary of a bargain. Rent far below similar places nearby, an owner who can’t show the place, and pressure to decide fast are all red flags.
See it before you sign or pay, in person or through someone you know. Check the agent’s business card and ID, or for a private landlord, look up the owner in the county’s tax records.
Pay the safe way. Anyone who insists on a wire transfer, gift cards or cryptocurrency is running a scam: once that money is sent, you probably can’t get it back.
Guard your details. A landlord doesn’t need your Social Security number or credit score until you’ve agreed to rent.

Questions to ask before you sign

The rent and the bills: the rent, the due date and how to pay, and which utilities are included.
The deposit and fees: the amount and when it comes back, and every fee. The security deposit calculator shows your state’s limits and deadlines.
The lease: its length, renewal and how rent increases work (the rent increase calculator puts a number on one), and the notice and cost to leave early.
Living there: how to request repairs, whether renters insurance is required, and what you can change, like paint or shelves.
The bathroom: a tape measure tells you whether the toilet has room on each side and a walkway in front; the small bathroom layout calculator checks the numbers against the code minimums.
Moving in: whether there’s a move-in inspection form. Either way, record the unit’s condition with the move-in checklist.

Get the answers that matter in writing, ideally in the lease.

Lead paint in older buildings

Lead-based paint for homes was banned in 1978, and peeling or chipping lead paint is a hazard. For most housing built before 1978, the EPA says the landlord must, before you sign:

give you the pamphlet Protect Your Family From Lead in Your Home,
tell you about any known lead-based paint and hazards, and share their records, and
include a Lead Warning Statement with the lease.

There are exceptions, such as leases of 100 days or less and studios where no child under 6 will live. You can ask the landlord for a paint inspection by a certified inspector before you sign, though the rule doesn’t require one.

Once you’ve chosen

Plan the move with the moving checklist, which dates each step from your move date.
Set up the new place with the first apartment checklist if it’s your first.
Record its condition on move-in day with the move-in checklist, before you unpack.

Renter tip

Take a photo of the building’s front door or street sign first, then photos of each room. When you’ve seen several places, the first photo tells you which ones belong together.

Frequently asked questions

What should I look for when touring an apartment?

Locks and lighting at the entrance, laundry and parking, noise, natural light, heat and air conditioning, outlets, cell signal, and smoke alarms. Run the water for pressure and heat, try the appliances, and look for signs of pests, leaks, mold and peeling paint.

What questions should I ask a landlord before renting?

Ask about the rent and how to pay it, which utilities are included, the security deposit, every fee, the lease length and renewal, the notice needed to move out, how repairs work, whether renters insurance is required, what you can change, and whether there's a move-in inspection. Get the answers that matter in writing.

How can I tell if a rental listing is a scam?

The FTC lists the warning signs: other ads for the same address under another owner's name, rent far below similar places nearby, an owner who can't show the place, pressure to decide fast, and a demand to pay by wire transfer, gift card or cryptocurrency. Search the address and the owner's name before you go.

Should I pay a deposit before seeing the apartment?

No. The FTC suggests looking at the property before you sign or pay, in person or through someone you know, and warns that anyone who insists on payment by wire transfer, gift card or cryptocurrency is running a scam.

When should I give a landlord my Social Security number?

Only once you've agreed to rent. The FTC says a landlord doesn't need your Social Security number, credit score or other sensitive information until then, and that most landlords pull your credit themselves rather than asking you for it.

What is a lead paint disclosure?

For most housing built before 1978, federal law requires the landlord to tell you about any known lead-based paint and hazards, share their records, and give you the EPA pamphlet Protect Your Family From Lead in Your Home before you sign. The EPA lists exceptions, such as leases of 100 days or less and studios where no child under 6 will live.

Next step

How Much Rent Can I Afford?Enter your pay before taxes and the utilities you'll pay to see the most rent that keeps housing within 30% of your income, what landlords' income rules allow, and how that compares with what renters in your state pay.

Pin: Apartment hunting checklist, with a list of what to check on a tour. Free printable from Renter Upgrades

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