Use this guide at the property with a phone or notebook. Score what you can see and test, record any warning sign and decide whether it needs a follow-up before you apply. The blog’s viewing questions cover the wider conversation with the agent; this checklist focuses on the home itself.
Key steps for tenants
Check each room against the same condition scorecard.
Test working parts with the agent’s permission.
Record warning signs and where you saw them.
Separate a fixable issue from a reason to reject the home.
Score the rooms consistently
For each room, note the condition of walls, floors, windows, sockets, light and ventilation. Mark each as ready, needs clarification or needs repair. A simple repeated scale is more useful than a general impression that a property felt nice. Note where a concern appears so the agent can identify it later.
Test the parts you will use
With the agent’s permission, try taps, window catches, internal doors and heating controls. Look under sinks for visible leaks and at ceilings or external walls for staining or mould. Ask for an appliance to be demonstrated if its operation matters to your decision. Do not attempt electrical or gas checks yourself.
Check the building around the flat or house
Walk the route from the entrance to the home. Notice locks, lighting, stairs, lifts, bin areas, bicycle storage and any shared outdoor space. Stand in the main rooms long enough to notice daylight, road noise and whether a normal furniture layout is possible. Photograph a concern only with permission and avoid capturing another person’s belongings.
Turn observations into a decision
List each issue as acceptable as seen, needs a written answer or needs work before move-in. Ask which repairs will be completed and by when. If several homes are under consideration, compare their scores room by room rather than letting one newly decorated space outweigh persistent damp, poor access or a layout that does not work.
