With the exception of moving, there are very few activities one can engage in that are more exhausting than apartment hunting. Once you leave the comfort of your computer chair and you are out pounding the pavement looking at suites, you can tire quickly, which is why being organized is so important. You should create a list of questions that are of the upmost importance so you can rattle them off when you finally see a place. Here are just a handful of must-ask questions for every apartment hunter.

It is too bad that apartment ads aren’t uniform in nature. Some ads may answer every major question you have while others don’t seem to tell you a thing. For many, the first question asked is about pets. Some buildings will advertise that they don’t allow pets, but once you strike up a conversation with the landlord, you may learn that a cat is fine, but a dog isn’t. Whatever you do, don’t try to sneak a pet into an apartment. It is a quick way to get evicted.

Next, find out about laundry. Is there in-suite laundry or is there on-site laundry or do you have to take your things to a Laundromat? If there is on-site facilities, do they take a card or do you need coins? How secure is the facility? If you have your own washer and dryer, do they work properly? Have they needed repair anytime recently? Be sure to ask these questions in a polite tone, you don’t want to come off like you are accusing anyone of anything.

You also need to ask about other basics, such as if heat and hot water are included in the price of rent, when the quiet hours of the building start and what kind of decorating you are entitled to do. It pays to sit down and make a list of what is important to you before you head out to see your first apartment.