What a renter should actually inspect before signing

A rental viewing tends to be a look at the kitchen and the view. The things that make a year miserable are elsewhere and take minutes to check. Run the water in every sink and the shower, hot and cold, and watch the pressure when two are open. Flush the toilets. Look under the sinks for stains and warped board. Turn the air conditioning on and let it run — in Florida this is the single most consequential system in the unit, and its age is a fair question. Open and close every window and the sliding door. Check that interior doors latch, which is a cheap tell for settling. Look for water history: ceiling stains, fresh paint in one patch, a smell of damp in closets or under cabinets. Mould remediated badly comes back. Test the practical things. Phone signal in the bedroom. Noise at the hour you will actually be home, which usually means visiting twice. Where the rubbish goes and how far. Parking — how many spaces, assigned or not, and where visitors go, because in many buildings the answer is nowhere. Ask for the association rules before signing, not after: move-in hours, guest policy, pet limits, what can be on the balcony. Those are binding on the tenant and are not in the lease. And photograph everything at move-in, dated, before the furniture arrives. It costs twenty minutes and it is the entire security deposit conversation a year from now. This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Rules change and every deal is different — check your own case with a licensed professional. Alberto Zaltzberg — Adonait · adonait.com