Ottawa Property Guide · ottawapropertyguide.ca
Rental viewing question card
Tick each step as you complete it. Statuses below are the ones saved in your browser when this sheet was printed.
Date printed: 22 September 2026, 7:07 pm
Who you are dealing with Owner, manager, leasing agent — they want different things
| Done | Step | Action | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.1 | Are you the owner? If not, how are you paid — a share of the rent, or a one-off placement fee? | Not Done | |
| 1.2 | Will you still be involved after I move in, or does your role end at the lease? | Not Done | |
| 1.3 | Who do I actually contact when something breaks, and how fast do they respond? | Not Done | |
| 1.4 | Confirm the property is theirs to rent before any money moves — names, receipts, a paper trail | Not Done |
What it actually costs Rent is the part they tell you
| Done | Step | Action | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.1 | What do the utilities cost across a winter, in dollars? Not "tenant pays hydro" — a figure | Not Done | |
| 2.2 | How is it heated, and who pays for it? | Not Done | |
| 2.3 | What is being asked for at signing? Last month's rent is the deposit permitted; damage deposits are not | Not Done | |
| 2.4 | Is there a key or fob deposit, and is it limited to replacement cost? | Not Done | |
| 2.5 | When was the rent last increased, and by how much? | Not Done | |
| 2.6 | Was this unit first occupied recently enough to fall outside the rent increase guideline? | Not Done |
What "included" includes The most expensive assumptions live here
| Done | Step | Action | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.1 | Is parking included — and is it a specific numbered spot, or first come first served? | Not Done | |
| 3.2 | Storage and locker: included, extra, or not available? | Not Done | |
| 3.3 | Laundry — in the unit, in the building, coin-operated, or none? | Not Done | |
| 3.4 | Which appliances stay, and who repairs them when they fail? | Not Done | |
| 3.5 | Internet and cable: included, or my own account? | Not Done | |
| 3.6 | Who clears snow and cuts grass — and is that written down anywhere? | Not Done |
The unit itself Ten minutes in daylight hides a lot
| Done | Step | Action | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.1 | Is this a permitted unit? Ask directly, especially for a basement or secondary suite | Not Done | |
| 4.2 | Who is above, below and next door — and can I come back at a different time of day? | Not Done | |
| 4.3 | Run the taps and the shower. Check the water pressure and how long it takes to get hot | Not Done | |
| 4.4 | Do the windows open and close, and does anything look like it has leaked? | Not Done | |
| 4.5 | How long did the last tenant stay, and why did they leave? | Not Done |
What happens next Nobody volunteers the landlord's plans
| Done | Step | Action | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5.1 | Is the property for sale, or being listed soon? | Not Done | |
| 5.2 | Is there any chance the owner or a family member will want the unit back? | Not Done | |
| 5.3 | Is major work planned in the building, and would it mean access or disruption? | Not Done |
Before you sign The lease is where your position gets fixed
| Done | Step | Action | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.1 | Is this Ontario's standard lease? Read the added terms as carefully as the printed ones | Not Done | |
| 6.2 | Everything promised at the viewing — the parking spot, the new stove, the pet — is it written into the lease? | Not Done | |
| 6.3 | Photograph the unit's condition on move-in day and keep the file. It costs nothing and it is your record | Not Done | |
| 6.4 | Get a receipt for anything you pay, and pay in a way that leaves a trace | Not Done |
Summary
| Total checklist items | 28 |
|---|---|
| Completed | 0 |
| Not completed | 28 |
| Completion | 0% |
| Overall status | Not Started |