Ah yes, the Pungent Sound...What a view :)

Don't forget the neighbors (listen for barking dogs, cigarette smoke, loud music, etc.)!

If the place you're looking at includes a basement or utility cabinet, find out what asbestos pipe-wrappings look like, especially removed-but-not-abated asbestos pipe wrappings.

Taste the water if you're in an area with wells. Run the shower hot and make sure it doesn't smell funky. Sulfurous water *might* just be an old water-filter...but maybe not. Consider testing the water, especially if you have kids.

Check the area near you even if it's not the same road. Shortly after moving into a suburban rental I woke up in the middle of the night convinced there was a fire. Exploring the curving streets later, I learned that there was a fish-smoking plant 200 feet downhill, on a parallel street that didn't have an intersection with mine.

Also consider looking at the place at night -- where do the neighboring streetlights shine? Are there high-brightness lamps that shine right into the bedroom window? If you can't sleep with open drapes due to the neighbor's security lighting, you may pay extra in air-conditioning costs during the summer.

Water Pressure Question: Is the pressure dictated by the City? Is there a way to increase it in an apartment? My landlord's plumber came last week to fix a leaky faucet & I asked him about increasing the shower's pressure. He told me the City is the one who controls how much pressure we get. Also, we are on the first floor so we get the best pressure in the building.

I'm a little hesitant to take him on him word. Our [cheap] landlord pays for the water so he might have instructed the plumber never to increase the pressure & thus his bill.

Thoughts?

Does the rental come with air conditioning? If you live where it gets hot and/or humid in summer, and you are viewing a rental in the winter one could easily forget to check for that.

Watch out for crazy landlords.

If a landlord requires you to sign a 13 page lease without being able to take it home to read over for 24 hours, beware. This happened at 750 Presidio SF.

If you can, talk to other tenants in the building to get an idea of who maintains the building - the landlord only or licensed contractors. Drive by the building late on a weekend and weekday night and observe noise and traffic.

Mmm, you can buy smoke detectors pretty cheaply. I wouldn't let that be a deal breaker.

Find out where the flight paths are for nearby airports. Look at a map of the area and see what kinds of plants, industrial sites, highways, train tracks, and other potential noise-makers are. Don't assume that because you can't see it it isn't there or that because you can't see it you won't hear/smell it. Don't assume that a nice residential street will be quiet. Some small and lovely streets are cut-throughs and be quite noisy. Do not assume that "you will get used to it."

It's also important to check if your cell phone signal strength. I haven't had a land line for over ten years and rely on my cell phone as my primary number. Six months before moving into my apartment, I had just signed a contract with T-Mobile and failed to notice that my new apartment was a black hole for T-Mobile. I had just enough signal to know that I had missed a call. While ending your contract with your cell phone company isn't a bank breaker, it is a MAJOR annoyance.

In Washington State, tenants have pretty decent rights. Seattle is very strong. Check your state & local laws. A lease which contravenes law cannot be upheld, so if you're signing a lease that has onerous stipulations, be wary. Even if you cannot be held to it, it represents the thinking of the landlord, and who wants to be in that kind of relationship?

Add Train tracks to the list.. find if you are near any tracks. and if so, how loud they can be.... I've learned the hard way on this one.

kiacook -- smoke detectors are required in rentals in most communities. The lack of detectors is the sign of a sloppy landlord!

Visiting the apartment at night is a must. If you can't get into the actual unit during late hours, at least try to get into the building just so you can get an idea of what the neighbors are like in the evening. If you can- get a layout of the BUILDING! You don't want to find out (after you move in) that the next door neighbor's laundry room is right up against your bedroom wall.

My dad, a city planner, advised me to visit a potential apartment at least twice: once in the daytime and once later in the evening. Some places that are charming in daylight are poorly lit and dangerous at night.

My dad, a city planner, advised me to visit high-potential apartments at least twice--once in daylight and once at night. Places that seem charming by day can be poorly lit and sinister at night.

Like you said, checking windows in a MUST. If the landlord does not maintain the windows, its a sure sign that they don't care/don't take care of the rest of the things in the apartment. I made that mistake once and will never do it again. When I moved into the apartment I realized that 10 out of 12 windows in the unit were either broken, caulked shut or barely functioned. Kind of defeats the purpose. And I realized soon after that they treated all other maintenance issues with excuses and poor quick fixes, same as the windows.

For me -- a fellow Seattle resident -- good access to public transportation is way more important than parking. If I need parking and the street parking options aren't good, I'd rather pay for a spot than live in a neighborhood that doesn't have good bus service. It's a quality-of-life issue.

I will echo XO's "Watch out for crazy landlords." I once rented a beautiful apartment in a converted mansion in Mill Valley, California. When I looked at the place, I thought the landlord, who lived in the building, was odd; he seemed overly friendly and made a semi-sexual remark. I should have followed my instincts but I loved the apartment. It turned out that he had a long history of renting only to women, who he proceeded to sexually harrass at every opportunity. He once told my 14-year-old daughter, who was home alone at the time, that she reminded him of a movie in which a man poured a bottle of wine over the head of a naked woman. The water pipe in my kitchen broke in the middle of night and leaked onto his bed in the apartment below. It was obviously an emergency so I let him in to fix it dressed only in a short bathrobe tied at the waist (with nothing on underneath) and he said to me, "I'll bet it's not every night that a naked man comes into your apartment in the middle of the night." I could go on and on with disgusting stories about the creep. We finally had to move because I didn't want my daughter anywhere near him.

All these are so true! I live in my almost-dream apartment. It faces southeast, so there's tons of light. The kitchen is big (for NYC, anyway). It's on the top floor, so no neighbors above me and I have a view. It's by a church (bells!) on a quiet street. But... I've spent over a year in court to get the landlords to (drumroll please): clean common areas (food, vomit and cigarettes are common), fix the leaky roof, get rid of mold, replace the broken stove and fridge and windows, repair the floor, treat the bug infestation, provide adequate heat and hot water.

I've been partly successful, and my rent is fixed at a relatively low rate till the lease expires. Lesson learned: if you see enough red flags, know that your own fixer-upper efforts have limits you can't improve. In my own defense I should add that this place was the best I could (and can) afford. So the light, the view and the space are wonderful quirks that almost offset living in a slumlord's dump with crummy neighbors. NYC rent-stablilzed rent laws are nice on paper but it is very difficult to enforce them.

You may be able to put smoke detectors in YOUR unit, but will you buy them for the other tenants?? If the unit your looking at does not have them, most likely others dont' either, and it's the other people you would have to be concerned with.

A note on water pressure. You might want to try changing out the shower head or cleaning it (baggy with vinegar and rubberband for a few hours) and the little screens in the faucets. There was a aerator on the kitchen faucet when we moved in. I changed that and it was amazing. The thing must've been so clogged! I change it yearly now.

We live with well water and the pump was old. Even with the new pump pressure is not optimal. There is no filtering system either so we only drink / cook with bottled water. Pain in the butt. When we go away my hair never looks cleaner!

Also check the foundation of the place for any holes that mice can get in, even if you're not going to be on the first floor. Some of the farmhouses around here are real charmers...big and cheap...but you could put your fist in the holes I've seen in old, not maintained, stone foundations. Attics, too. If you see light coming through and decide to take it anyway(like we did), fine steel wool shoved in the spots where you see light is a definite.

Check cabinets for mouse poo and trails of pee. They run along the edges and leave a distinct yellow trail. I also agree that you can clean anything that's dirty but it's a better bet to move into a place that's already clean.

Cannot say enough to potential renters/buyers to turn on all the faucets to the max and watch the hot and cold water production, as well as pressure. I had an apartment last in line for the hot water heater and waited up to twenty minutes for hot water during peak periods.

Also check the fusebox and count the number of connections, add up the amps and see if you can plug in a coffeepot and a fan at the same time without blowing a fuse.

Both experiences were educational and made me appreciate the restoration of adequate hot water and enough electricity to heat coffee and toast for the same meal, but I could have easily avoided the lesson.

Lordy, I wish we could have seen all of the problems when we first toured our last rental house. I had actually gone back a few times to check it out as we were moving our 4 kids, too. It seemed clean and bright and the landlord was punctual and decent looking. Well, about 2 months after living there, a host of awful problems cropped up: rats and roaches and a leaking pool. The landlord acted as though these were new problems but he apparently always used the same "handymen" to "fix" these issues and when I chatted them up they spilled the beans. Basically, we were renting a lemon. We ended up giving our notice and running out of there after my husband had to erect a washing machine protector to keep the rats from chewing the hoses, we had plumbers routinely replacing the water lines to the kitchen sink and I had to buy plastic containers for all of our pantry items to protect them from vermin. Horrible! I wish I could have seen the signs (especially as we were paying top dollar) but it looks like he had it thoroughly cleaned before we looked at it.
We are now renting from a reputable management company and have had a great 2 years.

@Spencer: Great suggestion! I'm currently looking at a place and didn't consider that. On occasion, I've visited a potential place a few times to check out the vibe. To be sure, it changes between day and night.

If you don't know the neighborhoods, find a beat cop and ask. He'll tell you far more than a real estate agent.

Also, remember that research has consistently shown that people tend to overestimate the effect of lots of space on their quality of life and underestimate the effect of commute length. Shorter commute=happier person, most of the time, even if they don't think it matters that much. Since commute time for space is a common tradeoff, it's worth remembering to load the value of a short commute a little more than seems warranted.

i agree with changing faucet heads. a plumber cannot increase your water pressure if you have already fully opened the valves - not faucet valves, the shut off valves. one issue with water pressure has to do with modern amenities. if a building was piped prior to dishwashers and [in unit] washer dryers adding them often siphons off too much water resulting in low pressure. as a landlord of such a building, i replaced the main to the house with a bigger line to accomodate. which resulted in so much pressure i had pin hole leaks throughout and ended up replacing more than half of the plumbing in the building, one leak at a time. learning the hard way why so many charming older buildings dont add modern amenities.

regarding old windows and landlords - windows in old buildings are a huge expense as they are odd sizes not manufactured in large lots today. many of these buildings are under 'protection' of various historic preservation and thus restricted in what windows are allowed to be installed. to replace my 37 windows would cost over 60K. instead I do the best i can to keep them operating.

do be very afraid of buildings that dont have up to code wiring. check the panel when you look at the apartment.

Check the bedbug registry. Our city has an online map that shows addresses where bedbug infestations have been reported.

Also, if it's an apartment or multi-unit dwelling, inquire about the soundproofing between suites.

Definitely agree with these comments. I'm in my early 20s and had a bad experience with my landlord while I was in University. Water would pool around the edges of the windows (no surprise there was mould), his response? All windows have mould. His daughter was living with us at the time and he decided to defrost her mini-fridge by putting it in the bathtub while we had all gone home (i know -_-) for Christmas break, needless to say the coating on the tub chipped off, his solution? Bring us a bath mat from the dollar store. He took such advantage of us since we were all students, he wouldn't reply to our emails, and would come by unannounced for issues concerning the house. However the worst was when we found out that because his daughter lived in the house we had NO tenant rights

Also in addition to water pressure check for the height of the shower head! An old roommate and I looked at a few places with comically low shower heads, which would've made for some uncomfortable and challenging hair washing.
Beware of proximity to hospitals, too (or at least those with ERs). This may seem like a good thing at first, until ambulance sirens go by all the time.

Mid-C Frank and designrchick are right on with the smoke detector concerns. Also, in our state, inspections of rentals are required, and about the only thing they do is count the smoke detectors. Your state may have different regulations, but if they are missing, it is a sign that the rental property might be not properly registered with the city/state.

I've lived in 20+ apts... so adding to the above, I always do the following:

-NEVER go alone. You always want a 2nd opinion. Plus, safety in numbers.
-Flush the toilet to make sure it works, and isn't leaky.
-Look at the quality of the water. Older buildings can have flaky lead pipes.
-Check how long it takes for the faucet to turn hot & cold.
-Make sure all burners on the stove work.
-Bring a tape measure! Will your furniture fit? And if not, are you willing to part with it?
-Find out where the garbage goes... is it outside your window?
-Never make a decision same day. If you are worried, ask if you can put down a refundable deposit while you sleep on it.

If you are new to a city:
-Visit the neighborhood at night. Things that look good during the day, can be sketchy at night.
-Don't trust Google Maps.
-Check with the building department if there have been complaints against the building/landlord, if the building is up to code, past bedbugs issues, etc.

Out of desperation with time running out, I signed the overpriced lease on a single family Edwardian converted into units. Each room was either dark red, mustard yellow or robin's egg blue saturated in oil-based paint. I noticed a moldy smell and the black/brown/yellow pasty substance around floor base boards. I also noticed the most disgusting kitchen I had ever seen. I just sucked it up, rolled up my sleeves and began scrubbing the place followed by 3 coats of white paint. I stepped in to the shower and there was nothing more than a trickle. I soon relized that my bug problem was due to cracks and chipped holes in aged window framing and though the place stilled smelled of mold, I did not realize the seriousness of it until the ceiling above my bedroom collapsed, water, wet plaster, black mold and drywall covered and ruined everything. Building inspector asked me if the walls throughout were always damp, why yes, they were. End of story, I was forced to salvage my own stuff, clear out the bedroom, throw out all ruined things, do at least a couple dozen loads of laundry to salvage what I could, find a new apt and deal with sleeping on a wet sofa until I could find a new place after a full work day. I slept on that wet sofa, breathing in the molded plaster for 24 days until I found a place. All the while the landlord asked when I would be out. He never lifted a darn finger. I managed building inspectors, repairmen, etc. The kicker is that I found the most amazing apartment a few blocks away - 900 sqr ft, 12ft celings, hardwoods, fireplaced, deck, parking, amazing property mgmt and adorable neighborhood for same price I was paying at the dump. BUT 30 days after moving in, I was now confronted with the scariest experience of my life...knocking on doors and walls, moving closer to me each day, slamming of doors, banging around in closet, technology manipulation, blinking lights, etc. It built up until I finally could not ignore it or the increasingly rancid smell emanating from one closet, the closet where initial knocking began. I'm not someone who buys in to ghosts and demons so it took a lot to even have me consider it. I had already been through so much that I had to decide to flee or fight for my new place. A friend hooked me up with a "healer" who said I had a predatory, parasidic beast. She said she removed it to "a layer above". I never paid her. She was freaked out and did not want to charge me. This was all too much but in a fight for my sanity and new abode, I forced myself to sage the place twice/day, call out to Michael, chant given chants and sleep with rosary beads on me and around my body. 8 months later, I did not feel or hear it any longer. I am making light of it because it is not something I want aligned with myself but yeh, I had to fight for this place.

all these things seem like a bit of a "duh."

To you, maybe. I know I never had closet demons on my rental caveats checklist.

I second the suggestion of bringing someone along--someone that does not have to live there. they can look at a place objectively. I always want to feel the place and this makes me overlook things. like the fact that the former tenant had space heaters in all the rooms. so while I love the "feel" of the place, I freeze my a$% off each night.

if it's a small 2-3 family house, ask about all the spaces in the house and who has access to them. We almost signed a lease for a wonderful apartment until we learned that the landlord's collage age nephew from oversees occasionally came for visits and was allowed to stay in the basement (no, not the basement apartment, the basement). we could only imagine what this young man would be up to in a forgein country with no supervision (landlords did not live in building).

college not collage. TGIF!

Check out the trash facilities or dumpster. If there's trash spilling out of the dumpster or all over the parking lot (like my current apartment) you might get the sense that management doesn't get very involved. Also, this speaks volumes about your potential neighbors. You may end up surrounded by some very literally trashy people.

Also, check the news and ask your friends what they've heard about a place. I almost signed a lease for an apt in a sketchy area. Thankfully a friend sent me a news story about a group assault and stabbing that had just happened at that complex the same week.

I agree with everything except 9, 11 & 12. You can tell the landlord/agent that you'll take the place, but that these issues must be remedied before you move in. Of the three, #11 the smoke alarms would not be a deal breaker for me, they are cheap to replace by myself.
All the other concerns are valid and valuable.

There are so many things to look for in evaluating an rental apartment. The best advice I can suggest is that one evaluate the rental as though they were going to buy it. After all you are in effect "buying it" for a prescribed time period.

Here are my additional suggestions:

Make sure the unit has carbon monoxide alarms or combined smoke/CO alarms.

Take extensive pictures of the apartment so you can remember its features and spot potential problems.

Measure the rooms, including ceiling heights and make sure they have sufficient space for your furniture.

Water
Check the ceiling for water stains which are indicators of a roof leak or water problems from the unit above. Bath and kitchen ceilings should be especially examined as leaky plumbing fixtures and pipes will leave tell-tale stains, peeling paint, or wall damage to ceilings.

Turn on the hot water taps of the kitchen and bath faucets and measure the amount of time for hot water to arrive. If the water takes an inordinate amount of time, there could be hot water tank problem.

Water pressure
Most municipalities provide sufficient water pressure to have great flow up to 5 floors up from the street without supplementary pumps in the building. If you're getting a trickle or shower heads seem weak, pass on the place as the building probably has bad plumbing. Usually the culprit is galvanized steel pipe, which rusts from the inside out and whose rupture could cause a flood in your apartment.

Windows
Check windows not only for moisture issues but draftiness. This could be difficult to do during warm periods of the year, but easy to pinpoint on a winter day. Test the window locks and make sure they lock securely. If heat and hot water are supplied by the building, make sure to ask other tenants about the adequacy of the building's heat. Contact the municipality and ask whether the building has any heat related problems.

Heating
Many apartments, especially those built in the last 20 years, require the tenant to pay for their own heat and hot water. Make note of the apartment's address and unit number, contact the local utilities, and ask for the electric and gas bill amounts for November - March of the previous two years. This information will automatically give you a monthly heating cost estimate and indicate whether the unit is well insulated. Conversely, in a hot climate, you should ask for billing amounts during the hottest months. If the previous tenant had an annual payment plan, the monthly billed amounts will be similar . If the building is new and you are the first tenant, copy down the heating system name and model number and search for the unit's Energy Efficiency Rating online.

Electrical Wiring
Ask to see the fuse or circuit breaker box. This box should be in your apartment or in an area of the building with 24 hour access to residents. Note and count the number of 15 or 20 amp circuits. If there are less than 10, you could have a very serious electrical load problem depending on the size of the apartment. Lack of electrical capacity can severely limit or prohibit your running an air conditioner, a necessary appliance in most areas of the country. The kitchen and bathroom should have GFCI protected circuits.

Vermin
In the absence of mouse and insect traps, and insecticide odors, tell tale signs of mice are pinhead sized pellets along the floor baseboards, kitchen and bath cabinetry shelves,and room corners. If you see this avoid the apartment.

Make up a checklist of issues and items important to you and evaluate carefully.

I couldn't agree more. My windows are so leaky that the wind that blows through in the winter is strong enough to put out the flame on a lighter. Imagine trying to heat this place! Another "window" that you should check is the air conditioning box, if you have local a/c. If the box isn't sealed properly, it's akin to having an open window in your house at all times. I covered mine with plastic and a blanket, but it doesn't do much good, and I can hear every noise as outside as if there was a window open.

Also check out the heaters! The ones I have are electric rads under the windows in every room. These are very expensive to run and even though I set them to 55 in the winter, they keep turning on, but the heat escapes through the windows and they fail to heat the room. :( I notified my landlord, but fixing windows is extremely expensive and I nothing has been done to help me.

It seems obvious, but Google your landlord by name and/or company name. My small Midwestern city has a notorious slumlord who is always being cited by the city for violations of this/that/the other, & it's reported in the local paper. He seems very kind & plausible in person, but there's a lllooonnngg paper trail proving the contrary.

And you would think because his daughter lived there he would want it to be the best apartment he owned. What a friggin jerk! Sorry you had that experience.

Be wary of landlords that don't check references. I found my dream place, told the landlord it was perfect, filled out the application with several references, and then when I was driving away the landlord called to tell me I could have the apartment and did I want to come right back and sign the lease?

It was nice for me, until I realized she's probably not checking the other tenants references and a certifiably crazy drug addict college girl moved in across the hall from me and screams all night long at her boyfriend.

Sigh.

Also, take a CLOSE look at the closets, and even measure them! My brother and sister in law lived in a lovely, recently redone Davis Square apartment but when they moved in they discovered that the bedroom closet, though it had a clothes rail, was NOT DEEP ENOUGH FOR FULL SIZE CLOTHES HANGERS. She is petite and got children's size hangers for her clothes, and my brother had to put his clothes in the hall closet.

Check the basement! I used to be a phone installer and you would not believe what goes on in some basements of otherwise lovely buildings. If the basement is a filthy mess it is a tip-off that nothing else is being taken care of either.

While location isn't everything, it can be the difference between living the lifestyle you want and ... not. After years and years of compromising on cheaper, larger places which gradually got further and further away from the inner city due to rising rents, I finally moved into an apartment in the residential section of an iconic cafe and bar strip, Acland Street, in the inner beachside suburb of St Kilda in Melbourne. The difference it has made is monumental. The beach is 500 metres, so I go there every day the temperature's over about 24C (76F), which is every day in summer, even just for an hour after work. I have the choice of two trams to town/work - which takes 30 mins door-to-door - and lots of other public transport, including direct to the largest and best shopping centre/mall in Melbourne, and a taxi rank across the road, so I've got rid of my car (I'm hiring one in a couple of days for a day trip to the hills - much cheaper than having one full time). I have two supermarkets and three liquor stores within 500 metres and a minimart and a small organic grocer across the road. There are three medium-sized music venues that host local and international acts (saw Dinosaur Jr last night, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion next week) within 600 metres, and four bars with live music most nights a week, including one just across the road. There are two monthly farmer's markets and a community garden within 700 metres. The St Kilda Festival is an annual event that closes our streets and draws half of Melbourne - I walk to it and pop home for the bathroom. In summer there's a weekly night market with food, music and crafts in gardens just around the corner. There are cafes and restraurants ranging from excellent coffee to fine dining all within 500 metres, and there's something open almost 24 hours. If I open my balcony door I get street ambience, including great live music from the bar across the road; if I close it I get almost complete silence. There's a very strong local community, including a lots of musicians, and it's very easy to get to know people and see them everywhere. Living here has completely changed my lifestyle, I completely love it, I wish I'd done it years ago, and it is thoroughly worth any trade-offs.

I always check the blinds when I drive by. If most of them are broken, I don't waste my time going in.
There has usually been a least one person in the complex that I ask about their experiences living there
At my current place, I overlooked that every time I stopped by the leasing office someone was calling in a work order.

UrbanMammal, I think I love you. Do you have a blog?

pyewacket and UrbanMammal make good points about location. You can clean the apartment, you can get some things fixed, but you can't relocate the apartment!! I bought an apartment and could have had a much bigger one a bit further out. But the location is fantastic - I can walk to work, great public transport, walk to the library, cinema, shops, cafes, my favourite pub. It is a one bedroom - I had two bedrooms previously, but honestly just filled the other bedroom with stuff and didn't have guests that often. The time I get in my day from being close to everything and the money I have saved by being able to walk everywhere are utterly worth it.

My tip would be if it comes with allocated parking, look at the spot allocated to you and see if you could actually get your car into it. I rented a place where they had not given adequate room to each car space, so I could only get into mine (up against a wall), if other cars were not in the car park.

I just wanted to add ,check the fixtures for watersavers if you have low pressure.Im all for helping the enviroment,but I just wont do it with dirty hair.

Several people have mentioned visiting in the evening or nighttime to check out lighting, atmosphere,etc. I would add also check out security, if they are claiming they have on site security. Also, I have yet to live in a place that was totally crime free, but how management handles it is important. The previous place I rented failed on both accounts. Never actually saw any of the supposed security patrol vehicles around the complex. And when a woman's apartment was broken into and she was assaulted and raped; the management sent out a "safety letter" that essentially blamed the victim. Talk with residents whenever possible.

I agree with all the comments about windows! Very good indicator of how someone keeps a place up or let's it slide into disrepair.

Our current place was literally the only place we could find off-season in a very tight rental place in a smaller town. We noticed after a week or so that it was extremely drafty near the windows, and then discovered that the windows had gaping holes in them — a big open crack in one and a chunk of glass missing in another. When we called our landlord, he sent a guy over to fix the windows with duct tape and caulk. And wouldn't you know, he's taken that approach to just about every other issue. (Big draft in the kitchen from insulation missing in the side of the house, shower head not working, boiler stopped working, then hot water and heat had to be turned off because they discovered not one but three gas leaks in the basement.) It's been fun. Our landlord only owns a couple of properties and has a full-time job. I'm glad we're going to move to a place that's run by a professional property management company, although I hope they are the evil variety.

Other suggestion: look for a place with heat included, or get an accurate assessment of how much the heating bill runs. Every landlord I have ever met has ensured me his unit is very warm, or conveniently neglected to mention the $200 monthly winter heating bills. I won't move into a place now in my cold climate without the landlord covering heat, or an accurate estimate of what the bill will be from a previous tenant.

:O omg. omgomgomg.

Haven't I read this exact story somewhere before? Or maybe I'm psychic! Still, that is a terribly creepy landlord.

I am the poster child for poor renting experiences

1. Make sure you know EXACTLY who are the owners and where they live/work - I've have multiple units sold underneath me or the owner abandoning them leaving me with their debt - in Florida you will be liable for home owners association dues, ammenity fees etc if your owner doesn't take care of them - also take in account landscaping, trash etc if in a home - doesn't help if you're paying rent to some agency or third party either

2. Turn the AC and Heat on when viewing the unit and actually run it, no matter what time of the year it is - twice I've been freezing with no heat to be had because it hadn't ran in years on end

3. Make sure the water heater is no more than 5 years old - water heaters literally dump their contents whenever they feel between 5 and 7 years of use - twice I've been in older homes whose water heaters let out more than 40 gallons of water to damage everything

Surely, these are major issues but if I'd only been warned and checked before hand - I'm convinced now that should I hire an appraiser before I actually rent anything else

I cannot believe no one mention www.ApartmentRatings.com, which tenants from mostly complexes can post reviews.
In this site there is also a link to a police report on crimes and sex offenders.

I search for properties on behald of clients in the south of France and I absolutely endorse all the suggestions offered in this post and the comments.
In my experience people do not spend enough time looking at the building and the area, whether thinking of renting or even buying (when it's more difficult to get out of a bad deal). It is easy to 'fall in love' with a property without noticing the downsides. When searching and visiting, I recommend taking along a disinterested third party who will spot the things you miss. Such a person is a real estate agent's worst nightmare but he/she can be your best ally when it comes to making the right decision.

yar...#6...ciggies are a big no-no...

Sometimes when viewing a place; more likely a single family home, the electricity, water, gas will be turned off (if it's vacant). If utilities are still on, in my case, my 1917 place, I made sure to try all the (few) electrical outlets with a portable fan; thankfully, all worked. The shocker (no pun) was the water, garbage pick up service; I really conserve water and create little garbage, but the bill was double my previous place; mainly padded with charges for paying citywide sewer upgrades, and administration fees. One also needs to cut some slack for very old places; my place is cold for three months because of the old (not broken or cracked) windows. I'll know next winter to do some early preventive insulation; otherwise, just been wearing multiple layers. One other point on location; previous place was a huge hillside backyard will tons of stadium style gardens, but the rest of the neighborhood was really run down; not dangerous, just a dump. But, I'm not a gardener, so the backyard got old after a while. Moved to virtually no yard, but can walk to the downtown area.

I used to live in an apartment complex (in NJ) and eventually went to work for the landlord. I second the commenter who mentioned checking references, but my employer did a complete credit and criminal background check. Good to know that your neighbors are not convicted child molesters.

Also our town required a certificate of occupancy for each vacant apartment. It was a revenue source for the town but we made them earn their fees by actually inspecting the apartments. You might want to ask whether this is the case in your town and whether an inspection was done.

Smelly demons in the closet are definitely a deal breaker.

Also check the size of the water heater. I once leased a very pretty apartment and neglected to do so. Turned out it was a small water heater located under the kitchen counter. It didn't put out enough hot water to fill the bathtub-- a huge deal for me since that's my way to decompress after a long day. Plus if my roommate took a shower it was at least 30 mins before I could take one. We ended up on split schedules- she took her shower at night and I took mine in the morning. Ever since then, I ask to see the water heater. I've had a few realtors tell assure me the place had a big one, but I always insist on actually seeing it myself. A couple of times it turned out to be the same small one that I'd lived with years back.

Before viewing a possible relocation, call or visit the police department in the city you are thinking of moving to. They can fill you in on the bad districts, streets, or apartment complexes.

Run an inquiry to the local Chamber of Commerce. They can also be of great assistance for finding the best locale to fit your budget.

Township/City Inspectors office can also provide good info on problem construction areas or landlords.

Check with a realtor to see if the building you are considering is up for sale. Could mean a quick move, or a big increase in rent next time.

Ladies Who Punch: I don't know where you live, so take my words with a grain of salt (as with any internet post, I suppose). I am a handyman in and around Baltimore and I do some work for a reputable property management company. While it is true that the municipality controls the water pressure, that water pressure is always (remember: grain of salt) too high for the fixtures and appliances in a home. That's why there is a pressure-reducing valve installed in the main water line as it enters the home. The reasons for low water pressure at a faucet are many, but the city's pressure setting is not one of them. I don't have any experience with high-rise apartment buildings, so I can't speak to their specific systems, though. For a shower, a simple, inexpensive place to start is trying a different shower head, one that's not "low-flow."

I really wish my boyfriend had this list when he applied for the house we live in now! He had gone alone, loved it, and signed the papers right away. I had trusted his instinct, but when I finally got to see the house... I HATE IT!
Sure, it's a cute space (750 sq ft, 2/1 to share with our 2 year old daughter, two cats, and a husky). But the windows hardly function, the closets are rickety and dirty, the heating is sketchy (it's an old 70s furnace in the living room), the counter tops in the kitchen are starting rip up from the cabinets, there is no venting system in the bathroom, so the bathroom is smelly and probably moldy. I really don't enjoy taking a shower with the door open. The "laundry room" doesn't even fit our washer and dryer correctly. And there were newspapers stuck between the walls and baseboards, and between the window a/c units and the windows! And the gas range burst into flames our FIRST night here, so even though the landlord replaced the range, we have fire damage on the walls and the once beautiful hardwood floors that has not even been touched! Living here has become a nightmare for me! At least we have a spacious backyard for our husky and daughter! Except that there's a dead tree threatening to fall over at any moment! *help*
Needless to say, I will be doing the house shopping next time around, and I will keeping this nifty list with me when I do. Unfortunately, our lease doesn't end for another 6 months, and we really want to save to buy a house.

you don't "buy into ghost", lol. right. I'm surprised the story didn't end with a skeleton under your bed or something. Not surprisingly, only people who believe in ghosts have ghost stories to tell.

I've contributed to Apartment Ratings on several occassions. While it does give you an overall picture of the community, it mostly pertains to managed apartment units. What I'm noticing here is that many people rent from private owners or smaller (or older) units that are not included on Apartment Ratings. The only other downside of it, is that one individual may have had a bad experience (probably due to their own personal issues) and then they paint the entire community as horrible.

I grew up in a fairly modern house - 1950s, but built by a rocket scientist (no relation), so surprisingly ahead of its time. I'm totally hooked on vintage and history, so needless to say I jumped at the chance to live in a victorian house during university. While my landlord was wonderful about fixing everything that went wrong (and very promptly with no extra costs to us), soooo many things went wrong purely because of the age of the house. I loved it and its many quirks but I would suggest thinking twice about overly romanticising old places. Plumbing was especially difficult because the pipes were built considerably smaller in those days and are not compatible with many modern systems (the apartment had to run on a saniflow system - not sure if anyone's had to deal with these before... not the best idea). I think we would have left if our landlord hadn't been so great about getting things fixed right away. This was really a total fluke since we did not get a chance to look round for very long (in competition with six other interested parties who were all viewing it at the same time) and we signed the lease the next day.
Not sure I will ever want to live in another old house... but who knows. Something to be somewhat wary of though.

Open the doors of any bathroom vanities and under the kitchen sink. THEN turn on the water. Check for leaks and/or mold even if you have to move a current tenant's possessions (but put them back as found). Check the flooring around water sources (including hot water radiators) to make sure it doesn't seem spongy.

There are some great ideas here. I have a couple to add...
Aside from talking to a policeman, many cities offer crime mapping on their websites now so you can see how much and what type of crime has occured in the area. Also, I'd encourage talking to neighbors. They are usually quick to tell you what the problems are with the home, landlord and other neighbors. Observe the type of heating system (and stove and water heater as well). An all electric place comes with just a power bill but if you have oil heat and a gas water heater, there are two additional ones to consider. Also, ask the landlord or call utilities and ask what the average bill for the place is. It has been years since I moved but they util co's at that point were happy to tell me what the average bill had been for my house by the previous resident. I am also a firm believer of visiting at night. Many good reasons have been listed. Another is that sound carries farther at night. During the day, you couldn't tell that there is an airport or train track near my home but at night you can hear both inside the house. My final suggestion is to check to see if the property is in a flood zone, especially if you are not familiar with the area. IT is not a standard question for renters but many in my city have found out their apts were in the flood zone the hard way - losing all of their belongings including their cars that were parked in the lot.

@kiacook - In most states, fire prevention (including smoke detectors) is the landlord's responsibility. Tenants who do never say anything and just buy them on their own allows landlords to claim - unlawfully - that smoke detectors are the tenant's responsibility. Read up on your state's laws and know what you have to buy and what your landlord has to furnish. You'll save money and keep your landlord honest, helping you and any future tenants!

When you have time to look for a place, what helped me a lot was to make a list of minimum requirements and the ideal place. Make sure too have in your mind for what things you are willing to give up certain requirements. For me location is very important, as I depend on either walking or cycling and I love walking in my free time. However when I had to move from my ideal location (with the most terrible neighbors imaginable), I moved to a bigger place with better facilities, and better neighbors. I love my place, and even though I still hate the location, it was definitively worth it.

This was a problem when i moved into my last apartment. It was really strange, I tested the hot water pressure when we visited the apartment, and when we moved in it was completely different. Check your city's renter's rights (you should have gotten a copy when you signed for the apartment but they are also available online most places). At least in Chicago, there is a minimum hot water pressure amount in gallons per minute. We were supposed to get 3 gallons per minute minimum in the kitchen sink and the bathtub, but when I checked it with a 3 gallon bucket, we were getting less than one. They had said there was nothing they could do about it at first, but if you bring up the renters rights and let them know that you have every right to break your lease if they don't get on it, things have a tendency to suddenly change.

Also, make sure before you move in that you pull out the gas stove and make sure that it has emergency shutoff valves! I have moved into two apartments now that don't have this basic (and required!) safety feature.

If you really hate it that much, look for something in your city's renters' rights that will enable you to break the lease. you have to give your landlord two weeks to fix anything that is violation, but it sounds like your landlord might be the type to not get that stuff done.

My first apartment was so awful. I had never rented before and I really wish I had known some of these tips. I was young, overly excited, and ended up signing a lease too quickly. Based on the problems I ended up having, I would recommend the following:

- Definitely check to make sure that faucets will turn on/off and that the proper temperature of water is coming out.
- Look inside cabinets for evidence of pests and pest prevention. Look under the fridge and stove too. Bring a flashlight.
- Flush the toilet and make sure there's adequate pressure and that it doesn't run for a while.
- Make sure your windows, especially ones to fire escapes, can open.
- If it's an apartment building, hang around the outside for a while, and see what kinds of people are coming/going.
- Also if it's an apartment building, schedule your initial tour during "normal" working hours and see how many people are around. I once toured a large high-rise building and there were people everywhere at 2pm on a Monday afternoon. I did some research and it turns out that it was a mixed building, with many unemployed Section 8 tenants. There were people loitering in one of the laundry rooms, smoking and drinking. Not really cool with that.

ground floor apartments are a big BIG NO for me.

I work for a property management company and I'm a renter, so I get both perspectives (joy)...

A note on smoke and CO detectors:

Why should smoke detectors be new? These things last AGES. The batteries should be new and they should be tested as part of your walk-through, but the detector itself does not need to be new.

CO detectors don't do anything in an all-electric apartment. In California, they are now required in any dwelling with "fossil-fuel" burning appliances/fixtures. So things like fireplaces, gas stoves, gas heat, wood stoves, pellet stoves, anything like that. An apartment or house with electric heat and electric stove, and no fireplace, wouldn't benefit from having a CO detector.

GOOD questions that people ask/consider:
Do all the units in a building share a water heater? Any complaints about no hot water during peak times?

Many single women don't want ground floor apartments for safety reasons.

What is planning to be done to the apartment after the current tenant leaves (if it's still occupied)?

BAD question:
What are the neighbors like? Okay, this is a tough one...the thing is, while it's totally reasonable to want to know some things, we can't tell you much about the neighbors. We can't tell you how old they are, if there are lots of kids, and definitely not race (yes I've been asked). Answering these questions can be perceived as discrimination or encouraging discrimination. I find that usually this question is really trying to find out about noise. We are fortunate to not have many noisy tenants, but it happens from time to time. Here's the catch: when you move in, your neighbors may be quiet as church mice. But they might leave before you do, and new neighbors come in. And most previous landlords don't want to deal with angry tenants giving bad references, and won't tell you much about previous noise complaints, so we know nothing until they throw a rager the first night they're there.

(cheap) landlords have an answer for everything - funnel web infestation- 'that's living in australia' cockroach infestation- 'it's already been sprayed' rats nest in the celing corner dropping shit on the floor- 'it's impossible to do anything' drafts and no heating- 'it's an old house' um is 24 in house years old? my landlord gives me that angry sick feeling in my stomach but finding any place to live let alone a good place is a struggle.
Also check your taps because after first moving in i went to have my first bath in years ran the hot water tap and it BROKE OFF filling the tub (house) with scalding hot water while waiting for emergency repair guy = not fun