HPD Online
Search the building for complaints, violations, property registration, litigation and vacate orders. Look at patterns and recency—not only the total count. Open HPD Online.
Renter inspection guide
Inspect the apartment before you sign.
A polished kitchen cannot tell you about street noise, weak water pressure, window condition or the hallway outside the unit. Use a consistent viewing protocol before committing to the lease.
Send a Gander →When you cannot be there
Real tour detail · windows and exposureInsiderooms, fixtures and storage
Outsidebuilding and immediate block
Sensorynoise, smell and light
Recordedphotos, video and notes
Start here
Look for problems the listing cannot show.
A renter viewing is not a technical home inspection, but it should still be systematic. Start with the expensive and difficult-to-change realities: water, moisture, noise, windows, heat or cooling, access and the condition of the building. Decorative finishes come later.
Ceilings and moistureLook around windows, under sinks and at ceiling corners for staining, bubbling paint or musty odor.
Water pressure and drainageRun accessible faucets, observe hot and cold water and watch how quickly sinks and tubs drain.
Windows and exposureOpen windows when permitted. Document the view, seals, nearby walls, fire escapes and street exposure.
Noise at the actual timePause in each room. Listen for trains, traffic, construction, elevators, equipment and hallway activity.
Storage and usable dimensionsOpen accessible closets and cabinets. Measure the specific walls or rooms that determine whether your furniture fits.
Entrance and common areasRecord the buzzer, locks, lobby, stairs, elevator, mail or package area, laundry and refuse areas when accessible.
Document the evidence
Close views make the report useful later.
A wide shot establishes the room. A close shot records the fixture, surface or concern. Both matter when you compare apartments after several showings.
NYC apartment due diligence
Pair the viewing with public building records.
The tour documents what is visible today. Public records add context about recurring complaints, unresolved violations, permits and whether the space is legally presented for occupancy.
Department of Buildings
Review building history, permits and legal occupancy. NYC DOB specifically recommends checking safety features and whether the apartment can legally be occupied as presented. Read DOB guidance.
Match records to reality
Use the showing to investigate what the records make important: recurring water complaints, active construction, altered rooms, missing exits or other conditions you can visibly document.
Due diligence is layered: records do not replace a visit, and a visit does not validate a lease or replace a qualified inspector, attorney or environmental professional where one is needed.
Ask the listing contact
Questions that need a human answer.
Repairs
What will be repaired before move-in, who approves it and can that commitment be documented in writing?
Building operations
How are maintenance requests handled? Is there a live-in superintendent? Where do packages and trash go?
Known disruptions
Are renovations, facade work, nearby construction or major building projects expected during the lease?
What Gander does
When you cannot perform the viewing yourself.
You schedule a legitimate showing. Your local Gander attends, follows a consistent documentation protocol and focuses on any concerns you submit. You receive photos, walkthrough video, neighborhood footage and a written field report.
Important limitation: Gander documents visible conditions and sensory observations at the time of a showing. It does not provide engineering, environmental testing, legal advice, appraisal, brokerage or a licensed home inspection.
Get independent eyes inside.
Have a local Gander document the confirmed showing before you make the rental decision.
Book a tour for $125 →