smarter RENTER
What to Look For In An Apartment That Hasn’t Been Built
A COMPLETE CHECKLIST FOR RENTING NEW CONSTRUCTION OR LONG-DISTANCE
Talk about your nerve-wracking experience. It’s tough
enough to rent a new apartment after you’ve toured
the place. But what if the apartment building hasn’t
even been constructed, or if you’re out-of-town and
can’t take a physical tour?
Renting an apartment sight unseen is becoming a
common challenge in Madison. With a surge in new
apartment buildings in the downtown area, renters
must now rely on blueprints and renderings to
determine if an apartment is a good fit.
The problem with renting sight unseen is that you
won’t have the luxury of a tour, which is where
people usually spot the quirks of an apartment.
Our Checklist Covers It All
To help you cover all the bases of renting sight unseen,
we’ve created this checklist. The checklist allows for
comparisons between three different apartments, but
feel free to print extra copies if you’d like more.
This PDF is interactive: You can enter information right
into this digital form and then save it!
If you’d like a more detailed explanation of what each category means, refer to our Smarter Renter Blog
post – 16 Things You Must Know When Renting Sight-Unseen.
1. 2. 3.
The tour
Did you see a model unit?
Did you see renderings?
Were photos available?
Outdoor spaces
Balcony? Patio? Deck?
View from outdoor space?
Enough privacy? Protected from rain?
Sunny? Shady?
On a busy street? Noisy?
Notes:
Ceilings and windows
Ceiling height?
Windows in each room? Do they open?
How do windows open? Is opening limited?
Notes:
Flooring
Carpeting: Padding? Pile height?
Hardwood floors: Sealed? Special cleaning products?
Tile floors: Ceramic (cracking)?
Notes:
Enter apartment names here >
1. 2. 3.
Closets
Do the closets have doors? Curtains?
Closet organizers? Shelving? Clothes rods?
Is there a linen closet?
Is there a closet in each bedroom?
Is there a kitchen pantry?
Is there storage anywhere?
Notes:
Furniture
Leather? Vinyl? Fabric?
What quality? Metal? Wood?
Notes:
Appliances
Full size? Apartment sized?
Stove: # Burners? Gas? Electric? Range? Cooktop?
Microwave: Size? Turntable? Over range?
Garbage disposal
Laundry: Front load? Stacked? Full size?
Notes:
HVAC
Heating source: Baseboard? Forced-air?
AC source? Wall? Central?
Can you adjust the temperature?
Where are vents in each room?
Notes:
Cabinets
Type of cabinet: Solid wood? Veneer? Metal?
Enough kitchen storage?
Enough bathroom storage?
Notes:
Seasons
Will driveway or parking lot be plowed?
Will the apartment receive much sun?
Notes:
Fireplaces
Type: Wood? Gas?
Where does it vent?
Can you recirculate the heat?
Notes:
A COMPLETE CHECKLIST FOR RENTING NEW CONSTRUCTION OR LONG-DISTANCE, Cont.
Steve Brown Apartments has leasing agents that can work with you to ensure you find an
apartment that fits your budget and your lifestyle.
We’ve built plenty of new apartment buildings and continuously work with renters from out-of-
town, so we know how to get you the information you need to make the right choice. After all,
we’re the folks you made this checklist for you in the first place!
You can call us at 608-255-7100, email us at info@stevebrownapts.com, or visit us online at
www.stevebrownapartments.com.
Have Questions? We Can Help.
©2013 SBA Management Services. All rights reserved.
Additional Resources for Renting Long-Distance
If you’re renting long-distance, use our checklist, but also be sure
to review the following articles filled with helpful tips:
How to Rent a Madison Apartment Sight Unseen
Hunting Long-Distance for Apartments in Madison, Part 1
Hunting Long-Distance for Apartments in Madison, Part 2
1. 2. 3.
Doors & Trimwork
Solid core? Hollow core?
Baseboard? Moulding? Painted? Stained?
Security locks? Peepholes? Deadbolts?
Notes:
Sound proofing
How thick are walls? Are wood floors soundproofed?
Types of neighbors?
Rules for late night noise?
Notes:
Location
What are you close to?
What do you wish was closer?
Distance to: Elevator? Pool? Street? Garbage? Laundry?
Notes:
Overall Summary
A COMPLETE CHECKLIST FOR RENTING NEW CONSTRUCTION OR LONG-DISTANCE, Cont.