Check to see how many outlets you have, how many circuits you have, how many phone jacks you have, and how many cable outlets you have. Most of us probably have stories about the apartment where every plug in the place was on the same circuit, and plugging two things in at the same time anywhere in the apartment blew the circuit breaker. You should have at least a couple of electrical outlets in each room, and only a couple of plugs on each circuit (I think the fridge and stove usually have their own circuits, but don’t quote me on that). You can’t just build onto one existing electrical outlet, either - you’ll blow the breaker or create a fire hazard.
I second this one. A friend signed a lease on a place a couple of years ago when the leasing agent said “Oh, parking’s great.” WRONG. I used to visit her and sometimes it would take me 30-40 minutes of driving around looking for a space.
What are phone jacks for? Do I plug my cell phone in to recharge it?
Oh yeah, you young whipper-snappers have no use for a telephone jack. Well, look for them if you still use a landline.
I suggest renting a condo rather than an apartment. If you’re in a big complex, the manager has less incentive to fix things promptly. If you rent from an individual who owns the unit, they are always looking at resale value and will tend to keep the place up better. They’re also less likely to automatically raise the rent a set amount each year (my last apartment I lived in 13 years without one penny of rent increase because I kept it nice).
Make sure that what matters to you personally is on your list. For me, I prefer to pay for my own utilities but I need to be able to switch the heat and air on when I want to. There’s nothing quite like an 85 degree day in May when the apartment AC doesn’t function because they don’t turn it on until Memorial Day.
Definitely drive by (and try to park if you have a car) at several times of the day.
Check your parking space, assuming you have a vehicle and an assigned parking spot. I made the mistake of not doing this at my last apartment and ended up with a narrow spot between a concrete post and an SUV. I actually hated leaving because I knew I was going to have to come back and maneuver my car in that narrow spot. One day I made a tiny mistake and now I have a large scratch on my bumper. Anyway, check your parking space, and as others have said, make sure there’s ample parking for guests.
Actually, you can update this one - make sure you have decent cell service in your place. Last thing you want to do is find out that you can only use your phone in one small corner of that luxurious apartment in a restored building from the 1940s. Or worse yet, can’t get a signal at all inside.
I think the best time to go view is between 5pm and 7pm. That’s when people come home from work. They are tired and they tend to plop down and turn on their TV and radios. This is when you get the true noise level
Look around the complex’s garbage. Is this well taken care of? If it’s not immaculate or has garbage all around the dumpster or stuff, forget it.
Check for wood and cracks. With bed bugs becoming more and more an issue, the more wood you have in a flat the easier it is for bed bugs. Cracks in wood are places for bed bugs and roaches. If you want to spend a lot, you can hire a bed bug dog to certify the place is free, but they are only about 95% effective.
It’s all to easy to buy cheap paint and carpet to make the place look good. Also pay attention to those websites. People that post there have legit gripes. Ask the landlord to explain why? He’ll say it’s not true, but you can get a take on whether it’s true or not.
I have one review of the place I’m in, and it’s all true. There’s one review saying the others have to be lying but I know that was written by management, cause everything else could be verified by walking down the hall at any given time.
Renting a condo can be good, but often not. I lived in a nice condo once, and the owner didn’t give two shits about me or anything that went wrong. She also didn’t inform the board someone under 21 would be living there, and she went apeshit on me when I asked them to fix something in my place.
13 years without a rent increase sounds like a dumb and unsavvy owner, not like they thought you were a nice person and didn’t want to charge you more ;).
I’ve lived in many apartments (15? something like that), and I wouldn’t disagree with any of the stuff said above. But, there is also something to be said for having reasonable expectations of what you’re going to get based on the price you are able to pay. The list of ‘must-haves’ is really a great idea, but if you have a limited budget you’re going to have to decide where you are willing to compromise. Personally I place a safe and convenient neighbourhood at the very top of the list, and I would recommend that especially to single females (sorry, don’t know if you’re of the male or female persuasion) and to people who do not own a car. But to stay in a nice area that is not a million miles from school I’ve had to give up on the idea of having my own bathroom, or hardwood floors, or other things I’d ideally like to have.
I say all this because my first apartment off campus was a little disappointing to me in some ways. I had grand plans but was living in an expensive city without a car, so I wanted to stay in the general area of the university. I ended up with a perfectly serviceable, but small, basement suite that fit my budget but it was nothing like what I pictured when I started looking. My parents were also kind of shocked when they saw it, but they were completely unaware of the rental situation in a larger city - this might be something to think about with your mom along. It’s unlikely that her standards will be the same as yours at this point in your life.
It takes a bit of research to figure out what you should be getting for the money you have, but it sounds like you are doing your research. If you have any friends living off campus already, ask them what they’re paying of you feel comfortable doing so.
Of course, if you live in a very affordable city or have a lot of dough, disregard all of the above!
Meyer6 is spot on. Don’t take your mom if you go to school in an urban area and she’s been in a suburban area for 20 years in a house she and your father maintain. Just don’t. Trust me.
Because what happens is if your mom is anything like mine, she will almost dissolve into tears when she sees your first apartment and beg you to come live at home. Nevermind the fact that I had the nicest apartment of any of my friends. She will be in tears at the shaggy carpeting and the old fixtures and the ratty door and and and…
Location/safety and reliability of landlords is key. Probably a dishwasher too. Everything else is just gravy.
The disadvantage of that is higher heating/cooling expenses.
People buy houses without seeing more than the building that still needs to be torn down, you know.
Check the policies’ pet provisions; if you’re particularly bothered by dog barking or have severe allergies to cat dander, don’t move into a building that’s pet-friendly.
If you have any respiratory conditions, don’t move into a building with forced-air heat. (Actually, even if you don’t have any medical issues, it’s still a bad idea; forced-air heat makes for dry, dusty air and constant dusting.)
“Free” utilities are never free; you’ll be paying for yours and your neighbors’ wasteful habits and will be subject to your landlord delivering heat, etc. in good faith and in accordance with local regulations. If you can find a place where you’ll have control and responsibility over these, you’ll be better off for it. It’s cheaper to wear a sweater and a pair of nice warm woolen socks than to turn up the thermostat… or pay for heat you can get by without.
Don’t just turn the taps on; take a clear glass with you and have a good look at the water while you’re at it, and taste it.
Try to get a good sense of the noise, traffic, and other environmental aspects of the immediate neighborhood. Depending on how noise-sensitive you are, you might want to take special notice of train lines, dumpster locations and various zoning issues. Dumpsters will be serviced on their own schedule, independent of residential garbage pickup. It’s one thing to sleep through it at 4 or 5AM during seasons when the windows are always closed, but your weather may be more open-window-friendly. I’ve found it surprisingly easy to ignore the sounds of trains (even the 2:55AM Acela Express going 85 mph), but the intermittent piercing shrieks of sirens is another matter. Be mindful that such public services as police and fire stations and hospitals will contribute their own share of sirens and horns. (I’ve cat-sit at a friend’s apartment located on a main avenue in a high-crime town with a university research hospital/trauma center and police/fire services just blocks away, and the sirens were unbelievable.) Also be on the lookout for garbage incineration facilities (this includes hospitals which can burn medical waste on-site), industrial sites and factories (which can have noisy or otherwise noisome 2nd and 3rd shifts and traffic), sewage treatment plants, electrical substations, freight train tracks, etc. Building construction and deconstruction/demolition present issues of noise (day and night), vibrations (which can threaten the foundations of older buildings adjacent; this happens with some frequency in NYC) and medically hazardous dust. Is there a Burger King next door? That’s convenient if you have a hankering for a Whopper, but there’ll be a lot of aromatic smoke and aerosolized grease wafting from that joint, too (because they really do flame-broil)…
Depending on how light-sensitive you are and your likely schedule, you might want to take special note of the bedroom window configurations and coverings. If the windows are unusually large (or shaped) or numerous, or if there’s a transom window over the door, etc., you might have to pay a lot more if you need to upgrade the blinds or curtains to block more light… if you live like a night owl or ever take a 2nd or 3rd-shift job. I have a friend who ended up shelling out of pocket for heavy-duty Roman shades because the cheap, white, non-precision-engineered horizontal blinds that came with her apartment didn’t do squat to keep out the sunlight that poured through her south- and east-facing bedroom windows (and her being on the 8th floor didn’t help matters, either).
Gosh, that turned out longer than I intended. I hope this helps.
As far as checking out the noise situation (this was a big one for me during my apartment days. Noise drives me crazy), go to the building on a saturday night around midnight. just sit in the parking lot and see what’s going on with parties, loud music, etc. If the neighbors are going to be noisy, saturday night is when they’re going to do it. If it’s quiet on saturday night, it will probably be quiet the rest of the week.
I lived above a Greek café for a while, and it was the smelliest apartment I’ve ever had. I can’t even describe the smell - it was just highly stinky, all the time.
Great advice! Thank you all for your input.
Actually, all of my utilities (except electric, so the lights and a/c) are included; there’s no “we see what the bill is and then ever tenant splits it”, it’s just a part of the rent. And my rent is about 20% less than the going rate in the neighborhood (largely because my landlord is reaaaaally stupid). Lots of older buildings or converted buildings are like this. So it’s actually a boon in many situations.
stop looking in my windows!
I think he means that sometimes landlords keep the building really cold, or have slow shitty internet, or will bitch at you about how much water you use. These things can certainly happen, but it’s hard to know if they will. I still like utilities included though - it helps a lot with the budgeting.
Some of the tips overlap with the advice people give for looking at houses to buy, so you may want to search around for those threads to get more advice.
Check around with people you know, see if any of them know of good places (or places to avoid).
You can use the on-line reviews if you look at them critically - are there themes to the complaints, how long have the similar complaints been going on, etc. Although, if a negative review complains that there’s always a cop car out front… make sure that said cop doesn’t live in the building. 
If the apartment has building-centralized heat/AC, make sure there are thermostats to let you control how much of that heat/AC is going into your place. Also ask about what their conditions are for turning on the heat/AC for the season are, you’ll want one that bases it on what the temperatures are doing, not on an arbitrary date. (Note that this may also be influenced by local laws.)
If you can, find out how old the place is and when the last time it was renovated (or will be renovated if it’s an older place that hasn’t been updated yet). Older and non-renovated places, older renovated places, and newer places all have their pros and cons.
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