Before you begin to search for a rental property or unit, you must have a clear understanding of your wants, needs, and priorities. Certainly, these are malleable items in that they may change over the course of your rental search. But starting with a clear idea is a benchmark that every tenant must have a strong handle of.
Reminding yourself of your priorities outlined here will also assist you in making sure you're always on the right track with what's truly important to you. Searching for a rental property to call home is fraught with distractions, emotional reactions, impulses, and complications.
To avoid making a mistake on a place that you'll end up regretting, I highly encourage you to do the following task below. There's two components sort of built into each other. The first asks you if you've done the task item, are still working on it (To Do) or not applicable to you (N/A). The other components gets you to drill down to specific answers to get a build a clear idea/vision of what you and your other residents/roomies/family/spouse/guests etc. will want.
Feel free to print out this webpage.
| Done | To Do | N/A | Checklist Task Item (Q = Question, A = Action Answer) |
| ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | Q: Have I considered, evaluated and decided on a firm budget range? A: My Budget is $________________ to $__________________ |
| ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | Q: Have I decided what type(s) of rental would suit me? A: ☐ Home ☐Apartment ☐Condo ☐ Room ☐____________ |
| ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | Q: Am I looking for a fully, partially, or unfurnished space to rent? A: ______________________________________________ |
| ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | Q: Do I (or any of my co-tenants) require a parking space? A: ☐ YES ☐ NO ☐ _____________________________ |
| ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | Q: Do I (or any of my co-tenants) have or intend to have pets? A: ☐ YES ☐ NO ☐ ________________________________ |
| ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | Q: Have I decided on the minimum # of bedrooms & bathrooms? A: _____________ Bedrooms ____________ Bathrooms |
| ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | Q: I'm open to at least 3 locations I'm willing to rent in: A: 1)_______________ 2)_______________ 3)______________ |
| ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | Q: Am I (or any of my co-tenants) smokers? A: ☐ YES ☐ NO ☐ ___________________ |
| ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | Have I considered the requirements for my kids? A: ☐ YES ☐ NO ☐ ________________________________ |
| ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | Do I (or any of my co-tenants) have any special needs to consider? A: ☐ YES ☐ NO ☐ _____________________________________ |
| ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | Q: Do I (or any of my co-tenants) require high-speed internet? A: ☐ YES ☐ NO ☐ ________________________________ |
| ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | Q: Do I (or any of my co-tenants) require extra security? A: ☐ YES ☐ NO ☐ ________________________________ |
| ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | Q: Do I (or any of my co-tenants) require a porch or backyard? A: ☐ YES ☐ NO ☐ ________________________________ |
| ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | Q: Do I (or any of my co-tenants) require an elevator or main floor? A: ☐ YES ☐ NO ☐ ________________________________ |
| ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | Q: Do I (or any of my co-tenants) require in-unit or building laundry? A: ☐ YES ☐ NO ☐ ________________________________ |
| ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | Q: Do I (or any of my co-tenants) require cable or satellite TV? A: ☐ YES ☐ NO ☐ ________________________________ |
| ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | Q: Do I (or any of my co-tenants) require a dishwasher? A: ☐ YES ☐ NO ☐ ________________________________ |
| ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | Q: Do I (or any of my co-tenants) require extra storage? A: ☐ YES ☐ NO ☐ ________________________________ |
| ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | Q: Have I discussed all these items with my co-tenants/family? A: ☐ YES ☐ NO ☐ ________________________________ |
