What to check when touring an apartment

Teach: What to check when touring an apartment

What to say

On an apartment tour, test things rather than admire them: run every faucet and flush the toilet, open windows and doors, look under sinks and in closets for leaks, mold or droppings, check the phone signal in each room, and ask what utilities cost and who handles repairs. Listen to the building for a minute with the windows shut. Photos cannot show any of this.

What to show, in order

1. Bring a phone charger, a small flashlight and your scorecard.
2. Run hot water at the kitchen sink and the shower, and flush the toilet to check pressure and drainage.
3. Open and lock every window and exterior door.
4. Shine the light under sinks, behind the fridge and in closet corners for stains, mold or droppings.
5. Plug the charger into a few outlets and check the phone signal in the bedroom and bathroom.
6. Stand still with the windows shut and listen for traffic, neighbors and the building's machinery.
7. Ask the landlord what the average utility bill is, how repairs are requested and how fast they are usually done.
8. Ask when the smoke alarms were last tested and where the water shutoff and breaker panel are.

The check question

Ask: What does running the hot shower on a tour tell you? Answer: The water pressure and how long hot water takes

From EveryManKnows. General information, not professional advice.