Apartment Viewing Checklist You Can Use on Your Phone

Before you go: bring, book, and screenshot

A good viewing starts before you arrive. Book a time when you can stay 20 to 30 minutes, ideally in daylight, and save the listing and every message about it as screenshots. The rent, fees and dates you were quoted are then on your phone if anything changes later.

• Your phone (charged) and a charger, to test outlets and keep notes.
• A tape measure, or a measuring app, for the bed, sofa and desk spots.
• Photo ID, in case the building asks for it at the front desk.
• Screenshots of the listing and messages: rent, fees, deposit, move-in date and the contact name.
• This viewing checklist and your own questions, written down.

Inside the unit

Test things rather than look at them. A tap that runs, an outlet that charges your phone and a window that locks tell you more than photos do. Work room by room and note anything that does not work, so you can ask for it to be fixed in writing before you sign.

• Water: run hot and cold in the kitchen and bathroom, check pressure in the shower, flush the toilet, look under sinks for leaks or stains.
• Power: plug your charger into outlets in each room, try the lights, ask where the breaker panel is.
• Heat and cooling: switch both on briefly; ask which one you pay for and how it is serviced.
• Windows and doors: open, close and lock every window and the entry door; check screens and deadbolts.
• Appliances: open the fridge and freezer, try the stove, oven, dishwasher, washer and dryer if included.
• Walls, ceilings and floors: look for water marks, mould, soft spots and cracks.
• Pests and smells: check cupboards, corners and under the sink for droppings or traps; notice damp or smoke smells.
• Storage and space: measure the bedroom and the main wall where your furniture goes.

Outside and around the building

The building and the street shape daily life as much as the unit. Walk the route you would use every day and listen for a minute with the door closed.

• Entry and lighting: is the entrance lit and does the main door lock?
• Mail and packages: where do deliveries go, and are they secure?
• Parking and bikes: is a space included, and what does it cost?
• Laundry: in the unit, in the building, or nearby?
• Noise: listen with the windows closed and open; ask about the neighbours and nearby bars or roads.
• Phone signal: check your signal in every room, including the bedroom and bathroom.

On paper: what to ask for and photograph

Most surprises after move-in are on paper, not in the walls. Ask for the documents and the fee list during the tour, and photograph anything you are shown. The hidden apartment fees guide (see More renter guides on this page) lists the charges that are most often left out of listings.

• A copy of the lease to read before you pay anything.
• The full list of fees: application, admin, pet, parking, amenity, move-in.
• The security deposit amount and where it is held.
• Which utilities are included and which you set up yourself.
• Pet terms, guest rules and the renewal terms.
• A move-in condition form, if the landlord uses one.

Photo and note routine (two minutes per room)

Photos taken now protect your deposit later and make it easy to compare units after several viewings.

• Stand in the doorway and take one wide photo of the room.
• Photograph any damage close up, with something for scale.
• Take a short video of the water running and the heating turning on.
• Note the room name and anything to ask about in your phone's notes.
• Keep the photos in one album named after the address and the date.

Before you pay anything

The viewing is not the end of the checks. Renters in our research describe being asked to send money by wire after they had seen a unit, so the payment step deserves its own pause. According to the FTC's December 2025 Data Spotlight on rental scams (https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/data-visualizations/data-spotlight/2025/12/rental-scams-hit-home-65-million-reported-losses), about half of people who reported a rental scam said it began with a Facebook ad, and money requested up front is one of the patterns it lists. Ask these questions before you pay, and slow down if the person cannot show you the unit, asks for a wire transfer or a payment app to a personal account, or sends payment instructions that change between messages.

• What exactly is this payment for, and is any of it refundable?
• Who receives it: the name on the account, and how it connects to the property?
• Can I pay by a method that leaves a record, and will I get a written receipt?
• Can I read the lease before I pay?

Message you can send the landlord after the tour

Thanks for showing me [unit] today. To help me decide, could you send in writing: the monthly rent and the full list of fees (application, admin, pet, parking, move-in); the security deposit amount; the lease term and renewal terms; which utilities are included; and the move-in date. I would also like a copy of the lease to read before I pay anything. Thank you, [your name].

Questions renters ask