Tag Archives: Apartment Searching

40+ Questions to ask when searching for an apartment

Apartment hunting can be fun, exciting, tricky, confusing, or filled with uncertainty.

Here are 40+ things I’ve thought of to think about when looking at a new apartment.

When comparing apartments, it might be good to build a spreadsheet and rank each apartment against each other. Or think about which items are a must have or like to have. We each rank things differently. For instance sunlight is very important to me, but for you maybe ceiling height is.

Feel free to use these as a starting point for you priorities in where you live!

Utilities
Water
Gas
Garbage
Recycling
Sewage
AC Units
Central Heating
Internet
Buy it yourself or provided?
Wired
Bike
Storage
Ok in Apartment?
Parking
Reserved
Indoor / Garage
Guest parking
Overnight guest parking
Items
Microwave
Dishwasher
Washer / Dryer
Smoke Detectors
Carbon monxided Detector
Aesthetics
Ceiling Height?
Amount of sun light
Street noise when windows open?
Wind / Breeze?
Curtains?
Fridge Noise
Coat closet
Neightbor dogs
Shower Height
Room for bed
Room for desk
Hot Water source?
Holes in wall?
Paint?
Cell service
Neighborhood
Bike paths / routes
Nearest Stores
Nearest Restaurants
Nearest Bike shop
Bus stops / Routes
Metra Station
Contract
Terms?
Breaking contract?
Sub-leasing
Downpayment
Credit Unions
Landlord terms, can they enter any time