Booking and the surrounding area
Register for a scheduled inspection or arrange one with the agent. Before leaving, check for cancellations, the correct address and registration for you or your proxy. Review older advertisements to identify things to compare on site.
- Record the entry, corridor and access arrangements, including locks, visitors and mail.
- Walk from the actual address to transport and check campus/city journeys, waiting and transfers.
- Note real walking access to groceries, pharmacies, convenience stores, restaurants, parks and exercise facilities.
- Identify roads, construction, airport or other noise and consider the times you will be home.
Ask permission before photographing an occupied home and avoid residents’ belongings and documents.
Inspect the rooms and facilities
| Location | What to check |
|---|---|
| Every room | Orientation, sunlight and obstructions; opening windows, ventilation, walls, ceilings, mould and smells |
| Living/bedrooms | Heating/cooling and which rooms it serves; noise with windows shut; storage and furniture condition |
| Bedroom size | Measure bed frame, wardrobe, desk and circulation space; do not infer exact sizes from photos or blurry plans |
| Kitchen | Cooktop, extractor, dishwasher, microwave, oven, fridge, taps and drainage |
| Laundry | Washer/dryer provision, condition, drainage and shared-machine charges |
| Bathroom | Locks, extractor, shower, separation, pressure/drainage and smaller fittings |
| Balcony/garden | Orientation, outlook, privacy, street noise and maintenance duties |
| Shared facilities | Actual operation, maintenance and access to lifts, gym, pool and entry systems |
The source’s approximate 1.6 × 2.0 metre queen-bed example is only a measuring prompt. Allow for the frame and walkways. An advertised facility may still need operational checks.
What a proxy inspector should return
Send the checklist in advance, including your non-negotiable requirements. Ask for continuous or panoramic records of each room, the route through the corridor to the door, window/balcony outlooks, key equipment, close-ups of issues and items that could not be verified.
Record inspection time, lighting, weather and other conditions affecting observations. Recording is not a substitute for measurements, tests or questions. Mark untested items as untested rather than working.
Confirm bills, furniture, application channel, start date, facilities and unanswered questions. Do not turn historical suggestions about higher offers or large advance payments into proxy tasks; record the advertised terms and actual answers.
Sources and additional experiences
Qrent rental handbook, 6 April 2025 edition supplies the relevant handbook sections. The collection date is its compilation date; original post dates appear below.
Move-in condition report checklist
译文儿 · 2024-01-25
Record walls, locks, drainage, appliances and existing damage, with photos tied to report items.
Following up after an inspection
勾勾勾大姐 · Edited 2023-01-29
Check property history, inspect, confirm the application channel, submit truthful evidence and follow up.
A checklist for someone inspecting on your behalf
我不是闲狗 · Edited 01-10 (year not shown)
Covers travel, facilities, noise, light, bills, application channels and room-by-room inspection recordings.