Guide
Apartment unit walk checklist
A unit walk is where a value-add deal is won or lost. What you find behind the doors becomes your renovation budget, your offer and your lender's scope of work. This checklist goes room by room through a unit, then the building, the roof, the site and the common areas.
Updated Oct 27, 2026
Before you walk
Ask the seller or the property manager for the rent roll with unit numbers, floor plans and which units are vacant. Then plan the day so you are not stopping to look for keys.
- A unit list with floor plans, so every photo ties to a unit number
- Access: who unlocks the vacant units, and what notice residents of occupied units were given
- A charged phone with room for photos, and a power bank
- A flashlight for under sinks, mechanical closets and attic hatches
- Optional: a tape measure and a plug-in outlet tester
- One way to record everything: a numbered notes page, or an app that ties each photo and voice note to the unit and room
How many units to walk
There is no single right number, and your lender or inspector may set a minimum, so ask them early. A sensible approach:
- On a small property, walk every unit.
- On a larger one, walk every vacant unit first. They are open, and they show the worst case.
- Add occupied units across every building, every floor and every floor plan. Pick some yourself from the rent roll instead of letting the seller choose all of them.
- Ask to see units that look worse from outside, such as covered windows or stained balconies.
- If a floor plan has only a few units, see at least one of each.
Variety matters more than the raw count, because one measured unit can stand in for every unit of its floor plan when you price the work. The cost guide shows how: How to estimate renovation cost per unit.
Occupied and vacant units
Vacant units
Check everything. Open every cabinet, look under every sink, open the panel door, run every faucet and shower, switch on every light and appliance. Run the water for a minute, then look under the sink again, because small leaks show up only when the pipes are wet.
Occupied units
Be quick and respectful, and follow the notice the seller gave. Do not open personal belongings. Look at ceilings, windows, under sinks and the furnace or air handler. Write down what you could not see, such as a room blocked by furniture, and treat it as a risk to price, not as good news.
Inside each unit
Tick each box as you go. Add a photo whenever something is wrong, with the unit number and room in the note.
Entry and living area
- Entry door closes, seals and locks; deadbolt and peephole work
- Floors: soft spots, cracks, lifting, stains
- Walls and ceilings: cracks, patches, water stains, mold, musty smell
- Windows open, close and lock; seals and glass are intact; screens are present
- Lights and outlets all work; cover plates present; nothing scorched or loose
- Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are present and the test button sounds
Kitchen
- Cabinets: doors, hinges, drawers, and water damage in the sink base
- Countertops: chips, peeling edges, open seams
- Sink and faucet: flow, drips, drain speed; look under for leaks and rust
- Appliances present, working and roughly how old; range hood vents out
- Dishwasher and disposal run
- Floor and backsplash condition
Bathroom
- Toilet flushes, stops running, does not rock or leak at the base
- Tub or shower: tile, grout, caulk, surround; soft floor beside the tub; drain speed
- Vanity and sink: leaks, rot in the cabinet, faucet
- Exhaust fan runs and moves air
- Ceiling and walls: stains, mold, peeling paint
- Hot water arrives in a reasonable time
Bedrooms
- Closet doors and tracks
- Window opens and works as an exit
- Floor, walls and ceiling
- Outlets, lights and detectors
Systems
- Heating and cooling: type and age from the data plate, runs in the season you can test, filter, condensate line, thermostat
- Water heater: age on the label, rust, leaks, pan, vent, relief valve and its drain pipe
- Electrical panel: cover on, no scorch marks or rust, breakers labeled; photograph the label
- Plumbing: leaks at shutoff valves, supply lines and drains; water pressure; note the pipe material you can see
- Washer and dryer hookups; dryer vent clear
Building exterior and roof
Each building
- Roof: age and material against the seller's papers; lifted or missing pieces, patches, ponding, flashing; do not climb unless it is safe, and hire a roofer for what you cannot see
- Gutters and downspouts carry water away from the foundation
- Siding, stucco or brick: cracks, rot, loose pieces, paint, trim
- Foundation: stair-step cracks, bulges, doors that stick
- Balconies and stairs: railings solid, no rot or rust, treads tight (a safety item)
- Fire panel, sprinkler and extinguisher tags are current
Site and common areas
Grounds
- Parking: cracks, potholes, striping, space count
- Drainage: standing water, ground sloping toward buildings
- Landscaping: trees near roofs, irrigation, dead areas
- Lighting: visit once after dark
- Fencing, gates, signs, mailboxes, dumpster pads
Shared spaces
- Laundry room, clubhouse, leasing office, fitness room
- Pool: fence, gate, deck, equipment, water
- Sewer cleanouts, smells or backups
Rate every unit
Give every unit one of three ratings the moment you leave it, while you still remember it:
- Good: rentable as it is.
- Needs work (a turn): the usual work between residents, such as paint, flooring, cleaning or an appliance.
- Can't rent (a down unit): water damage, fire damage or missing fixtures, for example.
Unit number: ____ Rating: Good / Needs work / Can't rent Photos taken: ____
Bones before cosmetics
Sort every finding into two piles. Bones are the things that keep a unit safe, dry and working: roof, plumbing, electrical, heating and cooling, structure and water damage. Cosmetics are paint, flooring, fixtures and finishes. A new kitchen cannot make up for a failing roof or a leaking stack, so price the bones first and decide on cosmetics afterward. If a plan spends more on cosmetics than on failed bones, look at the plan again.
Next, turn your notes into numbers with How to estimate renovation cost per unit, and use the due diligence checklist for the documents and specialists that go with the walk.
Walk with your phone
DoorWalk is a phone app for this exact walk. Photos and voice notes save to the unit and room you are in, even with no signal, and a cost table by market turns your confirmed list of fixes into a price range. Open the example property to see how a finished walk looks.
Printed from DoorWalk by DoorRaise: https://unitwalk.doorraise.com/guides/apartment-unit-walk-checklist
Questions
- How many units should I walk before buying an apartment complex?
- There is no fixed number. Walk every unit on a small property. On a larger one, walk every vacant unit plus a spread of occupied units across each building, floor and floor plan, and ask your lender and inspector whether they require a minimum.
- What should I check first in an apartment unit?
- Start with the bones: water stains on ceilings and under sinks, the water heater, the electrical panel, heating and cooling, and windows and doors. Cosmetic items such as paint and flooring come after the things that keep the unit safe and dry.
- Can I walk occupied units?
- Yes, with the notice the seller gave residents. Be quick, do not touch personal belongings, and write down anything you could not see so it is priced as a risk.
- Is there a printable version of this checklist?
- Yes. Use the Print this checklist button or Ctrl+P. The print view keeps only the checklist, with a tick box beside every line.