This list of questions can help you consider the different features of an apartment that may or may not be important to you. You will ask the landlord for answers to some of these questions. Other questions you will ask of yourself to determine your preferences and needs.

As you view an empty unfurnished apartment, picture yourself living there. Consider whether the apartment could meet your needs. Are the rooms large enough to hold the furniture you plan to bring? It is often best to view an apartment during the daylight hours instead of viewing it in the evening after dark.

Some apartments have only a few built-in ceiling lights (most likely in the bathroom and kitchen) that can be turned on to provide lighting as you view the apartment. The living room and bedrooms may have no lights available--until a tenant moves in and brings his own lamps, that is. It may be hard to adequately view these rooms if you tour the apartment in the evening after dark. You can also get a better view of the neighborhood and the outside of the apartment if you tour it during the daylight hours.

You can start your apartment search by considering these questions:

Question #1 : What features do you want or need the apartment to have?

This is a broad category and can be broken down into additional questions such as:

• What floor is the apartment on? Is it on the street level, in the basement, or a higher floor? Consider whether stairs are a problem for you. If you rent a 3rd floor apartment you will be carrying or lugging all your bags of groceries and possibly loads of laundry up these three flights of stairs.
• Does the apartment have a private entrance or will you be sharing a front door with several other tenants?
• Does the bathroom have a shower and a bathtub or only a shower?
• What type of heating system does the apartment have? Is it gas or electric heat? Are there baseboard heaters or is it forced air heating?
• Can you control the heat and air conditioning yourself? Can you add your own window air conditioner?
• What appliances are present in the kitchen? Does the apartment come with a refrigerator, stove, and oven provided?
• Is there a washer/dryer hookup available inside the apartment in case you want to install these now or in the future? Is there a coin-operated washer and dryer available in the apartment building for you to use?
• Is there enough storage space in the apartment? Are there enough closets? Are there enough cupboards in the kitchen?
• Does the apartment come with blinds, shades, or curtains on the windows or must you put up your own? This might be an important consideration if the apartment has lots of large windows that you will have to provide curtains for.
• Is it well lit outside the apartment at night?
• Is there a front and back entrance to the apartment? Is there a sliding door leading out to a back patio, for example?

Question #2 : Can you afford the apartment?

Besides the monthly rent payment, consider what other expenses there will be.

• Are utilities included in the rent? Does the rent include heat and hot water? Does it include electricity?
• Does the rent include basic cable service?
• Is there a security deposit that must be paid before moving in? If so, how much is it? Is it one full month's rent payment or less than that?
• How much of the security deposit can you get back when you move out, assuming you leave the apartment in good condition. Some landlords state upfront that a "cleaning fee", often ranging from $50-$75, will be deducted from the security deposit before you get your deposit returned to you. They might use this fee towards cleaning the carpets after you move or for any other needed cleaning of the apartment. Of course, they must make this cleaning fee known to you before they rent the apartment to you.

You may also want to consider whether your landlord requires you to provide references before you can sign a lease or rent the apartment.

Question #3 : Do you want to live in an apartment complex or a private home divided into apartments?

You may be more likely to have your own private entrance if you live in a private home divided into apartments. If you live in a building in an apartment complex, you will be sharing a front door with the tenants of the apartments on your floor. If it's a building with three or more floors, you may be sharing a front door with many people. This front door to the building is usually a locked security door and each tenant has his or her own key. But there are also apartment buildings out there with front doors having no lock and which are open to anyone at all times of the day or night.

In addition, when living in an apartment with no private entrance, you are likely to hear the noise and conversations coming from the shared hallway outside your apartment as the other tenants come and go.

Question # 4 : Must you sign a one year lease or is there just a month-to-month oral agreement?

This is an important question to ask in case you are not sure whether you will be living in the apartment for a full year. If something comes up and you end up moving to a different city before the year is up, you could always sublet the apartment to another person. Consider whether you want the hassle of dealing with this, especially if you have already moved to your new location and the tenant who is subletting is causing you problems or not paying the rent.

There may be other reasons why you would rather have the terms and conditions for renting the apartment formally written out for you in a lease. The lease could address such things as whether pets are allowed in the apartment and whether you can paint the apartment or make any changes to the inside of the apartment.

Question #5 : Does the landlord live on site?

If the landlord does not live in your building, does he live nearby or at least in the same city or county? Consider how hard or easy it will be to contact the landlord if you have a problem that needs attention. Will you have an emergency number you can call on the weekends or in the evenings?

Question #6 : Where will you park your car if you have one?

• Is there off-street parking? If you live in an area with snowy winters, you will need somewhere to put your car during the time periods when the municipal snowplows are out plowing and are requiring that your street be removed of cars so that plowing can be done.
• Is a garage available for your car? Again, if you live in a climate with much snow in the winter, do you mind giving yourself the extra time required each day to scrape the ice and snow off your car?

Question #7 : Who will be moving your furniture and belongings into the apartment?

Consider how hard or easy it will be to move into the apartment. Will you be using professional movers or just a couple of friends to help you move?

Will it be just you and another friend who will be transporting all your possessions into the apartment? If you are moving into a 3rd floor apartment, will you two be able to carry the heavy furniture and boxes up there? If moving into a 3rd floor apartment in an older home, there may be a tight and narrow staircase leading upstairs with some sharp right angle turns needed to get up to the third floor.

Question #8 : Do you like the atmosphere of the apartment?

• Do you like the layout of the rooms?
• Do you like the amount of windows in the apartment allowing for natural light to come in?
• Do you like the view out of your front or back windows? Do you look out at a dumpster in a parking lot? Does the view matter to you at all?

Question #9 : Is there any additional storage space outside the apartment for your belongings?

Some apartments offer a storage locker in the basement of the apartment or a shed outside in the backyard area where you can store your additional items. Consider whether you have too much stuff to fit in the apartment and will need additional storage space -- perhaps to store seasonal items or things that you don't often use.

Another option is to rent a storage garage located at a self storage company's site. This involves a monthly storage fee. The dollar amount to store your stuff for a year in one of these garages can end up being as much as or more than an entire month's rent.

Question #10 : Does the apartment allow pets?

• If you have a pet, find out what types of pets are allowed. Are only cats allowed?
• If dogs are allowed, must they be below a certain weight? Are certain breeds not allowed?
• How many pets will you be allowed to have in the apartment?

Check whether an additional fee will be charged to have a pet in the apartment.

Making Your Decision

You may not be able to find or afford an apartment with ALL the features you'd love to have. You will want to like at least some features of the apartment. Then there will be some features that you definitely must have and would not consider renting the apartment without. Choose wisely. After all, this is the place that will be your home--at least for the near future.