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Apartment Condition Checklist

A Help Resource Whether You’re Checking Out, Moving In, or Leaving a Rental Property

Renters routinely have to walk through apartments to inspect their condition.

From floors to ceilings and everything in between, there’s A LOT to look at — and overlooking a problem with a rental’s condition could come back to bite you in various ways.

To help you avoid those problems and thoroughly review the condition of any rental, here’s a helpful apartment inspection checklist you can use for your next walk-through.

This handy resource is for renters looking at potential apartment homes, as well as those who are about to move into or out of a unit (and need a way to document the condition pre-move in or immediately after moving out).

What to Inspect in Rentals: A Helpful Apartment Condition Checklist

Taking you room by room, this generic checklist can serve as a great guide for examining the layout, features, and other details of rentals. By each item listed for each room, the questions prompt you to look for specific types of issues, problems, or areas of concern.

Pro Tip: Take pictures and/or videos of any damage or areas of concern, so you have a way to specifically reference those issues later (if needed).

Living & Dining Room

  • Floors: Do you see any scratches, buckling, holes, chips, or uneven areas? Are there any stains or tears on the carpets?

  • Walls and ceilings: Are there any signs of water damage? Are there any scuffs, stains, chipping paint, or other areas of damage?

  • Lights: Do they work? Where are the fixtures and are they safe?

  • Other: Are the windows or screens damaged? Do the blinds or window coverings work? Do door locks (on sliding glass doors, for example), smoke alarms, and/or other features function properly?

Kitchen

Along with the floors, walls, ceilings, and lights, other items to check in the kitchen include (and may not be limited to) the:

  • Refrigerator: Do the fridge and freezer work? What are the temperature settings? Do any built-in ice machines or other features work too?

  • Dishwasher: How does it function and is it running properly? Are all of the racks inside?

  • Stove and oven: Do these appliances work and are they properly vented? Is there a fire extinguisher and/or fire alarm in the unit (or nearby)?

  • Microwave: Like the other appliances, does this one work? Does it have a plate or any other features it should be equipped with?

  • Plumbing: Does the sink drain properly? Does the garbage disposal work? Does the plumbing drain properly when the garbage disposal and dishwasher run at the same time?

Bedrooms

Beyond the common items you’d check in any room, specific items to inspect in bedrooms include (and are not limited to):

  • Closets: Is there enough space, an area for hanging clothes up, and shelving in each closet? Are there lights in walk-in closets?

  • Smoke alarms: Is there one in each room and is each alarm working?

  • Locks: Do the bedroom doors lock (if they should)? What about the windows?

  • Fixtures: Are there enough outlets in the room? Where are the light switches located and are there enough?

Bathrooms

In addition to the common features you’d check in other areas of a rental, here’s what’s key to inspect in the bathroom:

  • The toilet: How does it flush and refill (is it lagging)?

  • Sinks: How long does it take to get hot water? Do the sinks drain quickly?

  • Shower and tub: What’s the water pressure like? How long does it take for the water to get hot? How does the tub drain, and does it look clean?

  • Mirrors, counters, and other surfaces: Do you notice any cracks, stains, or other damage?

Other

Beyond the room-to-room features and details to inspect, other items that can be important to get your eyes on can include (and are not necessarily limited to) the:

  • Water heater: What temperature is this set at? Is it leaking anywhere (is there any pooling water at the base of the unit)?

  • HVAC unit and thermostat: How do you set the thermostat and is it working properly? Is there a new filter in the HVAC unit? How often is the filter changed or when was the last time it was changed out?

  • Clothing washer and dryer: Are these appliances operating properly? Can you run them at the same time? How loud are they and when should they be cleaned (or when were they last cleaned)?

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