Looking the place over
Make sure that you inspect the actual unit that's up for rent. It's not good enough for the landlord to say that the current tenant is still there, and show you another suite "that's exactly the same". You need to see the actual apartment; accept no substitutes.
Look at the condition of the floor, ceiling and walls, checking for signs of mildew or leaks.
Test the water pressure by flushing the toilet while running a tap, make sure the hot runs hot, and don't forget to watch how well the water drains.
Open and close windows to make sure they're not stuck, and look the appliances over carefully.
Be quiet; can you hear the neighbors through the walls?
Look out the window; did you realize that your apartment was directly above the basketball court?
Really kick the apartment's tires.


