# Evaluate a rental apartment before I sign the lease

A viewing checklist, questions for the landlord, and lease red flags to check before committing.

- Topic: Thinking & Decisions
- Framework: Few-Shot
- Level: Standard
- Tags: Legal, Write, Analyze, Fill-in Template
- Source: https://www.thinkwithprompt.com/prompts/evaluate-a-rental-apartment-before-i-sign-the-lease

## Prompt

```text
Help me check a rental before I sign.

**Listing details:** [RENT, deposit, fees, location, size, PASTE LISTING IF AVAILABLE]
**My must-haves:** [e.g. "laundry in unit", "allows a dog", "under 30 min commute"]
**Budget:** [MAX MONTHLY HOUSING COST including utilities]
**Lease draft (optional):** [PASTE KEY CLAUSES]
**Location:** [CITY/STATE - tenant laws vary]

Give me:
1. A viewing checklist: water pressure and hot water, signs of leaks, mold, or pests, windows and locks, heating and cooling, outlets, appliances, smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, noise, cell signal, and parking. Tell me what to photograph.
2. Questions for the landlord or property manager: total monthly cost (rent + utilities + fees), how repairs are requested and how fast, renewal and rent-increase terms, pet rules, subletting, and who to call in an emergency.
3. If I pasted lease clauses: a plain-language summary and anything unusual to ask about (e.g. automatic renewal, early-termination fees, tenant responsible for all repairs). This is general information, not legal advice.
4. Rental-scam red flags: landlord can't show the unit in person, asks for a deposit by wire or gift card before signing, rent far below the area, pressure to commit immediately.
5. An affordability check against my budget, including move-in costs.

End with a simple score sheet (Must-haves | Nice-to-haves | Concerns) and a go / ask more / walk away suggestion. For lease disputes, point me to a local tenant-rights organization.
```

## What to fill in

- MAX MONTHLY HOUSING COST including utilities
- PASTE KEY CLAUSES
- CITY/STATE - tenant laws vary

Free to copy and use. From ThinkWithPrompt (https://www.thinkwithprompt.com/), a library of 2,663 curated AI prompts.