The questions worth asking during a video or self-guided apartment tour — including the ones people think of too late.
Questions to Ask on a Remote Tour
A camera shows you the walls. These questions show you the rest.
A video walkthrough is good at layout and condition. It is poor at noise, smell, water pressure, mobile signal and what the building is like at seven in the morning.
That gap is what your questions are for. Ask them while someone is standing in the unit, not afterwards.
Ask while they are in the unit
Run the taps, on camera
Ask to see water pressure and how long hot water takes. It is a thirty-second test that tells you a lot.
Point the camera out of each window
You want to see what you would actually look at, not a wall of daylight.
Ask them to stop talking for thirty seconds
So you can hear the unit. Most people never ask this, and it is the most useful part.
Check the mobile signal
Ask what bars they have standing in the bedroom.
Ask about the flooring and fittings
Age, condition, and what is being replaced before move-in, if anything.
See the actual storage
Cupboards open, not closed. Storage is where video tours are most misleading.
Want a walkthrough of a specific unit? Tell us which one and we will arrange it.
Ask before you finish the call
- Which utilities are in my name?
And roughly what a household like mine uses here. - Where do residents park?
And is any space assigned? - How are packages handled?
Delivered to the door, a parcel area, or neither? - How do maintenance requests work?
And what counts as an emergency? - What is the exact move-in date?
And what could change it? - What is due at signing?
Amount, method and timing.
What a camera cannot tell you
Video is good at layout, condition and storage. It is close to useless for noise, smell, water pressure, mobile signal and temperature — which is most of what determines whether you are comfortable living somewhere.
That is why the questions matter more than the footage. Every one of those gaps can be closed by asking someone standing in the room to do something specific: run the tap, stop talking, hold the phone by the window, tell you what is on the other side of that wall.
After the tour
- Ask for photos of anything you could not see clearly
- Get the answers to your questions in writing
- Confirm the unit number you were shown
- Verify the management company independently
- Read the full lease before paying anything
- Never wire funds or pay by gift card or payment app
Current ELM rentals
Our Memphis rentals include apartments in the Raleigh area of northeast Memphis. Availability changes frequently, so the listings page is the current source of truth.
Frequently asked questions
Can I record the tour?
Ask first, but it is a reasonable request — you will want to rewatch it when comparing units.
What if they will not show the specific unit?
Treat that as a warning sign. A model unit tells you very little about yours.
How do I check for noise remotely?
Ask for thirty seconds of silence with the camera running, and ask what is on the other side of each bedroom wall.
Is a remote tour enough to sign?
It can be, provided you have verified the management company and seen the actual apartment.
Related guides
- How to rent before moving to Memphis
- How to avoid rental scams when relocating
- Can you rent a Memphis apartment from another state?
- Apartments in Raleigh, Memphis
Ask Lia
Lia is ELM Property Management’s leasing assistant. Tell us which unit you want walked and what you want us to check. Send your question through our contact page, email info@elmpropertymanagement.com, or call 901-350-5502, and a member of our team will follow up.
Want to see a specific apartment?
Tell us which one and we will walk it for you, or book you a self-guided tour.