The Downtown Move Checklist: 30 Things to Check Before You Sign

Moving downtown is mostly a trade: less space for more time, more noise for more choice. The trade only pays off if the specific apartment works. Listings show the good angles; this checklist covers everything else. Use it on tours, save it to your phone, and don't sign until most of the boxes are ticked.

Before you tour

1. Set a hard budget. Decide your maximum all-in monthly housing cost — rent or mortgage plus fees, utilities and insurance — before you see anything. Our rent budget calculator gives you a range based on income and other debts.
2. Map your real commute. Plot door-to-desk time for the trips you'll make most: work, school, the gym, family. Check it at the actual hour you'll travel, not at noon.
3. Look at the block on a street-view tool. Note bars, nightclubs, hospitals, fire stations and bus depots. All of them make noise at hours you'll be trying to sleep.
4. Search the address for construction. A permit for a tower next door can mean two years of jackhammers. City planning portals usually list approved projects.
5. Read reviews of the management company, not just the building. A great building with a slow manager is a slow building.

On the tour: the unit

6. Check mobile signal in every room. Concrete towers can block reception, and a dead zone in your home office is a daily cost.
7. Run the taps and shower together. Low pressure on upper floors is common in older buildings.
8. Open and close every window. Check the seals and listen to how much street noise gets through when they're shut.
9. Find the heating and cooling controls. Some buildings switch between heating and cooling seasonally for the whole tower, so you can't cool your unit on a warm April day.
10. Note which way the windows face. South and west light is warm and bright; it also means heat in summer. North light is steady but dim.
11. Look for storage. Count closets and ask about storage lockers. Downtown units are often short on both.
12. Measure for your largest furniture, including the turn from the elevator and the hallway into the unit.

On the tour: the building

13. Count the elevators against the floors. Two elevators for forty floors means long waits at 8:30 a.m. — and real trouble when one is out of service.
14. Ask how packages are handled. A secure parcel room or lockers matter if you order often.
15. Check waste and recycling. Chutes on every floor are convenient; a single bin room in the basement is not.
16. See the laundry. In-unit is ideal; if it's shared, check how many machines and whether they're app-paid.
17. Ask about bike storage and whether bikes can go up in the elevator.
18. Read the house rules on pets, subletting, short-term rentals, balcony barbecues and quiet hours.
19. Ask about upcoming special assessments or major repairs if you're buying. In a condo, the reserve fund study tells you whether big bills are coming.
20. Visit after dark. Walk the route from the nearest transit stop to the front door at 10 p.m. and see how it feels.

The neighbourhood within ten minutes

21. A full-size grocery store, not just a convenience shop.
22. A pharmacy with evening hours.
23. A frequent transit stop — ideally a line that runs late.
24. A park or waterfront you'll actually use.
25. School options and catchment boundaries, if you have or plan children.

The lease or purchase

26. Read the renewal terms. How much notice do you need to give, and how is the next rent set?
27. List every fee: amenity, parking, storage, pet, move-in, key fob. Add them to your monthly budget.
28. Clarify which utilities are included. Heat and water are often in the rent; electricity and internet rarely are.
29. Do a written move-in condition report with photos, signed by both parties, to protect your deposit.
30. Book the elevator and loading dock for moving day as soon as you sign. Many buildings require a deposit and a certificate of insurance from your moving company, and some cities require a permit to park a truck on the street.

Documents to have ready before you apply

In competitive downtown markets, good apartments often go to the first complete application. Build a digital folder before your first tour so you can apply on the spot:

• Photo ID for every adult who will be named on the lease.
• Proof of income: recent pay slips, an employment letter stating your salary and start date, or tax returns if you're self-employed.
• References from previous landlords, with their permission to be contacted.
• A credit report, or consent for the landlord to run one. If you're new to the country, an employer letter, proof of savings or a guarantor can stand in for local credit history.
• Pet records: vaccinations, licence and, if you have one, a reference from a previous landlord.

Know the local deposit rules before you hand over money. They vary widely: Ontario generally limits deposits to last month's rent plus a refundable key deposit, Québec doesn't allow landlords to demand a security deposit, and in England most deposits are capped and must be protected in a government-approved scheme. Wherever you are, pay by a traceable method and get a receipt. If you're working with an agent, our guide to apartment locators and rental agents explains who pays them and how to spot a scam.

Moving day, downtown edition

Moving into a tower is a booking exercise. Most of the stress comes from timing, not lifting.

When	What to do
Six to eight weeks out	Get moving quotes; give notice at your current home; start selling furniture that won't fit.
Four weeks out	Book the service elevator and loading dock at both buildings; ask each for its move rules, fees and insurance requirements.
Three weeks out	Send both buildings your mover's certificate of insurance; check whether the street needs a parking permit for the truck.
Two weeks out	Book internet installation, which can have a waiting list; arrange tenant's insurance from your move-in date.
One week out	Confirm times with the movers and both buildings; pack an essentials box with bedding, chargers, a kettle, basic tools and toilet paper.
Moving day	Do the condition report before the furniture arrives; protect elevator walls if the building doesn't; keep the building's contact number handy.

Many buildings only allow moves on certain days or within set hours, and some charge a fee or hold a refundable deposit against damage. If your move-out and move-in slots don't line up, a mover with overnight storage can bridge the gap. Narrow streets and short loading bays may call for a smaller truck or two trips, so tell your mover about access in advance. Our moving cost calculator estimates the bill.

Your first week in the new place

• Test the smoke and carbon-monoxide alarms, and find the fire exits and the building's assembly point.
• Locate your unit's water shut-off valve and electrical panel before you need them.
• Register with the concierge or resident portal for parcels, visitor access and repair requests.
• Update your address with your bank, employer, government services and the post office.
• Photograph anything you missed on the condition report and send it to the landlord in writing.
• Walk the neighbourhood in the morning, the evening and at the weekend, and note what's open when.

One last check: is downtown right for you?

If you're still deciding between several city centres, our Find Your Downtown quiz ranks the downtowns we cover against your priorities. If you'd like a person to help, tell us about your move and we'll connect you with local help.

This guide is general information, not legal, financial or real-estate advice. Read our editorial policy and disclaimer.