What to actually check at an apartment viewing.
A viewing is your one chance to catch the stuff photos hide. Cold rooms, weak water pressure, a damp smell, a landlord who takes three weeks to fix anything. Fifteen minutes of paying attention beats a year of regret, so here's the run-through.
Run the water
Turn on the shower and a tap at the same time. You're checking two things: does the hot water actually get hot, and does the pressure hold when more than one thing is running. Weak or lukewarm water is a genuinely miserable thing to discover in January, and it's easy to miss if you just glance at the bathroom.
Ask about heat, then find the source of it
Nova Scotia winters are long, and heating can be the biggest hidden cost of a place. Find out how the unit is heated, whether heat is included in the rent, and if it isn't, roughly what a winter month runs. Electric baseboard heat in a drafty old flat can cost a lot to keep warm. This one question changes whether a "cheap" place is actually cheap.
Look for damp and drafts
- Around windows and in corners, check for dark spots, peeling paint, or a musty smell. That's moisture, and moisture means mould and cold.
- Open the windows. Do they actually open, close, and lock? Painted-shut or broken windows are common in older Halifax housing stock and a pain in both summer heat and winter cold.
- The bathroom fan and kitchen should vent properly, or you'll fight condensation all winter.
Check the things you'll use every day
- Cell signal. Pull out your phone and see if you have bars in the actual rooms. Thick old walls and basement units can be dead zones.
- Laundry. In-unit, in the building, or a laundromat down the street? Coin, card, or free? It matters more than you think over a year.
- Noise. Stand still for a minute. Traffic, a bar downstairs, thin walls between units. If you can, ask what it's like at night.
- Parking and bike storage, if you need them. Don't assume they come with the unit.
Photos sell the place. The viewing is where you find what the photos left out. Treat the fifteen minutes like it's worth a year of rent, because it is.
Pin down what's included
"Rent" can mean wildly different things. Before you get attached, get a clear answer on what the number covers: heat, hot water, electricity, internet, laundry, parking. A place that looks fifty dollars cheaper can end up more expensive once you're paying separately for heat and power. This is also where a lot of the real cost differences between listings hide, so it's worth being annoyingly specific.
Talk to the person who lives there
If a current tenant is home, they're your best source of truth. Landlords describe the place they want to rent. Tenants describe the place they actually live in. Ask them why they're leaving, whether the landlord fixes things quickly, how it handles the seasons, and if anything drives them up the wall. You'll learn more in two honest minutes with them than in the whole rest of the viewing.
The one rule that outranks all of this
See the place, or have someone you trust see it, before any money changes hands. A landlord who won't allow a viewing and wants a deposit first is the clearest scam signal there is. Verification on SubSwap removes the anonymous-account version of this problem, but the habit protects you everywhere. For the full picture, read how students get scammed and how to avoid it.
View real places from real students.
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Frequently asked questions
What should I check when viewing a student apartment?
Run the taps for hot water and pressure, ask about heat and how it's paid, look for damp or mould around windows and in the bathroom, test that windows open and lock, check your cell signal, and listen for noise. Then confirm exactly what's included in the rent.
What questions should I ask at a rental viewing?
Ask what's included in the rent, how heat and utilities are handled and roughly what they cost, the laundry and parking situation, why the current tenant is leaving, and how quickly the landlord handles repairs. A current tenant's answers are the most honest ones you'll get.
Should I view a student rental in person?
Yes, always view it in person or have someone you trust view it for you. Never pay a deposit for a place you or a trusted person haven't seen. A landlord who refuses any viewing and pushes for money upfront is the biggest rental scam warning sign.