A viewing lasts about eleven minutes and most of it is spent looking at the finishes. The things that decide whether you are happy in a place are almost never visible in that time, and almost all of them can be found out by asking.
Ask the questions in front of the person showing you the unit, and write the answers down.
Water
- When does the supply run? Not "is there water", because every unit has water in theory. Which days, which hours.
- Is there a tank, and whose is it? Communal, per-unit, and how often it is filled.
- Who pays for water, and how is it measured? Per-unit meter, shared meter divided somehow, or a flat charge. A shared meter divided by occupancy is the most common source of billing disputes.
Power
- Whose name is the meter in, and is there anything outstanding on it? Inheriting arrears on a prepaid or postpaid meter is a real and avoidable problem.
- How often does it go, and for how long? Ask a neighbour, not just the agent.
The building
- Who is the caretaker, and how are repairs reported? A named person and a stated route suggests things get fixed. A vague answer suggests they do not.
- What is the service charge, what does it cover, and when did it last change?
- How is security handled at night? Gate, lighting, who is on duty and until when.
- Where does the drainage go, and does this block flood? Ask directly. In the rainy season this is the difference between an inconvenience and a disaster.
Money and terms
- What is the deposit, and what would take it back off me?
- Is there anything payable beyond rent and deposit? Get every recurring charge named.
- Who do I pay, into which account, and in whose name?
- How much notice do I have to give, and how much do you?
The ones that reveal the most
"How long was this unit empty, and why did the last tenant leave?" You may not get a straight answer, but the way it is answered tells you plenty.
"Can I come back at a different time of day?" A place at 10am and the same place at 7pm are different places: traffic, noise, water pressure, lighting, who is around. A landlord with nothing to hide has no reason to refuse.
"Can I talk to a neighbour?" Thirty seconds with someone who already lives there is worth more than the whole viewing.
Write the answers down
Not because anyone is lying, but because you will see four places today and you will not remember which one had the tank. Keep the same five headings for every unit, being water, power, building, money and terms, and the comparison at the end makes itself. Planning a day of viewings covers the rest of that routine.