Updated: September 2025
Renting an apartment is a big decision for anyone. Since most apartment rentals require upfront costs and lock you into year-long leases, it pays to know exactly what you’re getting into before signing on the dotted line.
It’s easy to find out the basic facts about an apartment, such as the size, number of rooms, monthly rent and lease term. However, there is a lot more to consider to help ensure you can budget appropriately and avoid any unfavorable surprises. Beyond the rent itself, factors like location, noise levels, building amenities, and landlord responsiveness can make an impact on your experience.
Let’s review some top questions to ask before renting an apartment.
An apartment’s monthly rental rate isn’t all you’ll pay to move in. Be sure to ask your landlord whether there are security deposits or other non-refundable fees required. Security deposits are typically required for most rental properties, and they’re usually close to a month’s worth of rent or more.
In addition to security deposits, some landlords charge application fees, background check fees, or pet deposits. These fees aren’t always refundable and can add up quickly, especially if you aren’t prepared. If you’re applying for multiple apartments, you may face these fees with every application you submit, potentially reaching hundreds of dollars.
These extra fees could make the difference between whether an apartment is truly affordable or a bit too expensive for your budget. Make sure you understand what will come out of your wallet.
These days, utilities don’t just mean heat, water, and electricity. They may also include trash services plus cable, phone, or internet bills. Therefore, if you’re wondering what things to ask a landlord before renting an apartment, definitely inquire about what utilities are included in the monthly rental payment and what utilities are separate.
If some are separate, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. For example, you may not want to be forced to pay for cable television you never watch. For utilities, you’ll want to know the details. It can be a good idea to ask how utilities are metered. Some buildings split hot and water costs evenly among tenants, while others bill individually based on usage. Older structures could have higher utility costs because of poor insulation, and outdated appliances could also leave you with significant monthly charges.
Getting a line-by-line breakdown of which utilities come with a place and which are optional helps you make a smarter renting decision overall.
The majority of landlords require tenants to pay each month’s rent by the day it’s due (typically the first of the month). But they might have specific requirements regarding how that rental payment is delivered, such as:
Online rental payments are by far the easiest. They’re also becoming more common across the country. Some landlords may even let you set up autopay to avoid late payments. Be sure to ask if electronic payments come with processing fees, which may take an extra percentage for using a debit or credit card.
Consider what payment methods work best for you and ensure you’ll be able to meet your rental requirements.
Most, but not all, landlords charge late fees to tenants who don’t deliver rent on time. If the late fee policy isn’t broken down on a rental agreement, ask your landlord what their policy is. This may not affect your moving plans much, but it’s still helpful to know in case you miss rent for one reason or another.
Many rental properties and landlords give tenants a five-day grace period for paying rent before beginning to charge additional fees or interest. Fees may be charged based on a flat rate or a percentage of your monthly rate. Strive to ensure all of your rental payments are submitted in full and on time to maintain a healthy relationship with your landlord and financial stability.
Renter’s insurance covers many “unexpected events” that you would otherwise have to pay for out-of-pocket, like damage to your apartment or stolen property. It’s very similar to homeowners’ insurance. Some landlords require every tenant to have renters’ insurance, so they include the cost of an insurance policy in their monthly rental rates.
Before renting an apartment, ask your landlord if they require you to have renter’s insurance. If so, it may also be wise to ask whether you can substitute their preferred renter’s insurance with your own. Sometimes, you can find cheaper policies by doing a little research. Policies are often affordable, ranging from $10-$25 per month with coverage of your belongings and situations like someone getting an injury in your unit. Despite the extra cost, many find the protection worth it.
Clarify with your landlord where you’ll be able to park. Some apartments require street parking, some have garages, and some have outdoor lots. Pay attention to how many parking spots are available near your apartment and what your walk could look like, including when you have groceries.
Make sure you understand any potential costs associated with parking, such as in a nearby garage, and budget for public transportation if needed. One last thing to keep in mind with parking is the weather. Are you okay with your car being out in the elements? Would you pay more to have covered parking? Think about what works best for you – and your budget.
Any worthwhile landlord will keep their rental properties clean and safe. But it can be tough to know whether there are pest problems, especially from smaller pests like bed bugs and cockroaches. Before you move into a new apartment, a question to ask your landlord before renting is if there have been any recent pest problems. A follow-up question would be to ask how often they have pest control come out to the property for general upkeep.
Most well-taken-care-of multifamily rental properties should have pest control spray come out once or twice per year. If they’re unable to give you a clear and seemingly transparent answer, you may want to reconsider your apartment choice to prioritize your health and safety.
Similarly, wise apartment hunters should ask prospective landlords when the most recent crime was committed in the neighborhood. Note that some landlords might not know, but many will. If local crime is a big problem, that might affect whether a given apartment is a good choice for you (and your family). If the landlord does not know, the local sheriff’s department in your area most likely releases crime reports online that you can access.
Have a canine companion or cuddly cat to keep you company? Before renting a house or apartment, ask and make sure your landlord allows pets! Many landlords do allow up to one cat or dog per apartment, but they also usually charge extra fees. Ask for both the pet policy and how much your furry friends will cost you each month before moving into a new apartment.
Oftentimes, landlords of multi-unit rental properties don’t handle the day-to-day operations. They instead delegate tasks to property management companies or an on-site property manager. When viewing an apartment, ask your landlord who you should call as a point of contact if you have maintenance requests or in emergencies. If it’s a property manager, be sure to get their contact information.
While you hopefully won’t have many issues, it’s important to know who you can call should you get locked out of your apartment, have a question about your rent payment, or want to terminate your lease.
Even the best apartments may occasionally have broken appliances, leaks, and other issues. But not all landlords jump on maintenance problems or do everything they can to keep their tenants comfortable.
One of the best questions to ask a potential landlord is how they handle emergency repairs and maintenance requests, including:
Most apartment landlords offer leases for standard, year-long durations. Others may have alternative preferences, such as month-to-month lease agreements or lease agreements for other timeframes.
When renting an apartment, you should ask about those preferences so you can learn whether an apartment lease from that landlord will be a good fit for your schedule and housing needs.
Want to have friends over? Some landlords and property management companies can be pretty strict about that! But you can avoid unpleasant surprises for yourself by asking about the guest policy upfront, prior to signing a lease. Generally, restrictive guest policies are more common for apartments near college campuses and for multi-unit properties.
A few good questions to ask landlords are:
By the same token, before renting an apartment, ask if there’s a subletting policy and, if so, what the details are. When you sublet your apartment, you essentially rent the space out to another person while your name remains on the primary lease document. Many landlords don’t allow this at all, but some may be more flexible.
Before you sign a lease, check whether you’re allowed to terminate your lease early in the event of an emergency or for other reasons. Rental property managers can’t stop you from terminating your lease, but they can charge you exorbitant fees for doing so. Make sure you enter a lease agreement with full awareness of what those fees might be.
Finally, do yourself a favor and, when looking at an apartment to rent and considering questions to ask before signing your lease, ask your future landlord how much notice they plan to give you before entering your apartment. In most U.S. states, they are legally required to give reasonable notice, such as 24 hours, so long as they do not need to access the inside of your apartment for emergency purposes. These are called Right of Entry terms.
Asking this question not only shows that you know the law but may also protect you from overbearing landlords (or prevent you from renting from them in the first place).
Asking each of these questions before leasing an apartment will go a long way toward making sure your new apartment is exactly what you need (and that there aren’t any surprises!). Once you move in, you can have fun decorating your apartment knowing that you have a firm understanding of the ins and outs of your new home.
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Sources accessed September 19. 2025 –
https://www.consumerfinance.gov/housing/housing-insecurity/help-for-renters/
https://www.investopedia.com/terms/r/renters-insurance.asp
https://www.justia.com/real-estate/landlord-tenant/information-for-landlords/security-deposits/
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