Apartment Viewing Checklist Prompt for Renters

Start here

Open an ordinary AI chat that accepts text (for example the chat box of a general assistant). Paste the full prompt below, then add your own inputs in the same message. There is no software to install.

Inputs to paste:

• Must-have priorities and nice-to-have priorities.
• Dealbreakers.
• Budget range and target areas.
• Household size and needs (pets, workspace, accessibility, commute).
• Viewing format (in person, self-guided or video tour) and time per viewing.

How to check the output:

• Section A repeats your priorities as bullets; anything you did not state is marked as a placeholder such as [NEED: commute tolerance].
• Section B lists short check lines with room for a note, grouped by area in a sensible walking order.
• Section C is only questions to ask the host, not advice.
• Section D scores five to seven criteria mapped to your priorities, plus one line for gut reaction, and a comparison table with one column per viewing.
• Section E lists what you still need to fill in before the first viewing.

If a priority is missing from the checklist or from the scoring block, ask the assistant to revise those two sections.

What this is

This is an original TokRepo reusable writing/preparation prompt. It produces a checklist and note-taking template only. It does not judge a specific apartment, landlord, lease or price, and it does not give legal, financial or safety advice.

Prepare your inputs

Write your priorities as concrete wishes where you can: "quiet bedroom", "strong water pressure", "under 30 minutes to downtown". Subjective words are acceptable, because the prompt turns them into observable questions such as "With windows closed, can I hear street or neighbors?".

Copy the prompt

Copy the complete prompt text supplied with this asset into the chat. Add your inputs after it in the same message. If you have not provided any inputs, the prompt asks you for them first.

Sections you will get

The prompt covers typical areas such as exterior and building, entry and hallway, kitchen, bathroom, bedrooms, living area, storage, utilities and systems, noise and light, neighborhood and commute, and paperwork questions.

Limitations and permissions

• Source reviewed; runtime not tested. This worker did not open a chat session or run the prompt.
• The prompt uses only what you supply plus clearly labelled general items. It must not invent facts about a property.
• Sensitive topics are framed as questions for the host or a professional, not as advice.
• The checklist is a memory aid, not an inspection or a contract review.
• Keep personal details you would not want stored out of the chat if your assistant provider retains conversations.

FAQ

Can I use it for a video tour? Yes. State the viewing format, and the material still works: you mark items as seen, unseen or to ask about.

What if two priorities conflict? The prompt lists the conflict and asks you which one wins before building the final checklist.

Does it tell me whether to sign? No. It scores your own criteria and leaves the judgment to you.

Complete reusable prompt

You are helping me prepare for apartment viewings. I will give you (a) my must-have and nice-to-have priorities, (b) any dealbreakers, (c) budget and location constraints, and (d) the viewing format (in person, self-guided, or video tour). Build one reusable viewing checklist I can carry or copy into notes, organized by area, with blank space to write observations next to each item. This is preparation only: produce a checklist and note-taking template, not advice about any specific apartment, landlord, lease, or price negotiation.

INPUT I WILL PROVIDE

• Priorities (must-have and nice-to-have), dealbreakers, budget range, target areas, household size and needs (e.g., pets, workspace, accessibility, commute), viewing format, and how much time I get per viewing.

TASK

1. Restate my priorities in a short bullet list so I can confirm you understood them.
2. Convert each priority into one or more concrete, observable checklist items phrased as a question or a check (not vague labels like "good condition").
3. Group the checklist by area in a sensible viewing order, for example: exterior and building, entry and hallway, kitchen, bathroom, bedroom(s), living area, storage, utilities and systems, noise and light, neighborhood and commute, paperwork questions.
4. Add a small set of universal items any renter should verify (e.g., water pressure, hot water, phone signal, windows that open, locks, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, signs of damp, storage dimensions).
5. Add a short "ask the host" question list covering items I cannot verify myself (heating and cooling costs, included utilities, deposit and fees, notice periods, maintenance response, parking, rules about pets, guests, or subletting).
6. Add a quick scoring block: five to seven criteria mapped to my priorities, each rated on a simple scale, plus one line for overall gut reaction.
7. Add a comparison table format I can reuse across multiple apartments, with one column per viewing.

CONSTRAINTS

• Use only my stated priorities and clearly labelled general checklist items. Do not assume or invent details about any property.
• If I have not given enough to build a section, insert a placeholder like [NEED: commute tolerance] instead of guessing.
• Keep item wording short enough to check off while walking through a room.
• Do not give legal, financial, or safety advice; frame anything sensitive as a question to ask the host or a professional.
• No emojis, no motivational filler, no marketing tone.

OUTPUT FORMAT A) Understanding check: my priorities as bullets, with any assumptions marked. B) Viewing checklist under area headings; each item is a check line with room for a one-word note and a short note area. C) Ask-the-host questions. D) Scoring block and comparison table skeleton. E) Missing information list: everything I should fill in before the first viewing.

UNCERTAINTY HANDLING

• Where my priority is subjective (e.g., "quiet"), turn it into something observable (e.g., "Can I hear traffic or neighbors with windows closed?") and note that judgment is mine.
• If two priorities conflict, list them and ask me which wins.

REVIEW BEFORE USE

• Confirm every checklist item traces back to one of my priorities or is a clearly labelled general item.
• Confirm no item implies knowledge of a specific property.
• Confirm placeholders are obvious and easy to fill in.
• Confirm the scoring criteria match my stated priorities, not generic rankings.

WORKED EXAMPLE (fictional) Input: Must-have: quiet bedroom, strong water pressure, under 30 minutes to downtown. Nice-to-have: dishwasher, balcony. Dealbreakers: ground-floor street-facing unit. Budget: stated range. Format: 20-minute in-person viewing. Output shape:

• Understanding check bullets (quiet bedroom, water pressure, commute, dishwasher, balcony, ground floor excluded).
• Kitchen: "Does the tap stay strong with hot water running? [ ] note:". Bathroom: "Any damp smell or peeling paint near shower? [ ] note:". Bedroom: "With windows closed, can I hear street or neighbors? [ ] note:".
• Ask the host: "What is the typical monthly heating and cooling cost?"
• Score: Quiet [1-5], Water pressure [1-5], Commute [1-5], Gut reaction [line].
• Missing: exact commute address and time of day to test. Pass/fail checks on this example: I can open the checklist and mark each priority in under 20 minutes (pass); every item is observable without special tools (pass); no item claims facts about the specific unit (pass); a subjective priority like "quiet" has been made observable (pass). If any priority is missing from the checklist or the scoring block, the output fails and should be revised.

START Ask me for the inputs above if I have not provided them. Then produce sections A through E. Keep the checklist compact enough to use during a single viewing.

References and reuse

• ChatGPT release notes · Reviewed 2026-10-04

Original TokRepo prompt · CC BY 4.0. Reference documents retain their own rights.