Property Showing Checklist

Reach the prospect by their preferred channel (text first, email backup) the day before the showing. Confirm the unit address, the access method, and the showing time. No-shows correlate strongly with weak confirmations — a real two-way reply matters more than a one-way reminder.

If the prospect hasn't responded to the first reminder, try the alternate channel (call if you texted, text if you emailed). If still no response by the morning of the showing, mark the slot as no-show-risk so another prospect can be offered the time.

Open the lockbox or pull a fresh code from Tenant Turner, Showdigs, or Rently. Confirm the keypad battery is healthy — dead batteries during a showing are a common cause of cancelled tours.

Re-read the Zillow / Apartments.com listing so you can speak fluently to features the prospect already saw. Note one or two comparable units (rent, square footage, amenities) so you can frame the asking rent against the local market if asked.

Pick up flyers, dog waste, and stray trash. Confirm landscaping looks recently maintained — overgrown grass and dead shrubs are the #1 reason a prospect's first impression goes negative before they even step inside.

Capture date-stamped photos of cracked walkways, loose handrails, missing exterior bulbs, and any damage. Anything that could trip a visitor needs a same-day work order — slip-and-fall during a showing is a liability risk that owners' GL policies don't always cover.

Sweep the entry, salt or shovel in winter, and confirm porch lights work for evening tours. Prop the storm door open if it sticks — fumbling with the door while the prospect waits is a trust-killer.

Flip every switch in every room. Replace burnt bulbs with the same color temperature already in the unit — mismatched bulbs make a unit look cheaper than it is. Closets and bathrooms are the most-missed fixtures.

Open windows for at least 15 minutes in vacant units, then set HVAC to a comfortable temperature 30 minutes before the showing. Avoid plug-in air fresheners — they signal cover-up. If the unit smells musty, that's a mold/HVAC issue, not a Febreze issue.

Open every blind and interior door. Confirm all rooms are accessible — locked bedrooms and closed pantries make prospects assume something is being hidden. If staged, fluff cushions and straighten any decor.

Press the test button on each detector and replace any 9V batteries that chirp. Most states require working detectors before a unit can be leased — finding a dead one during a showing is better than finding it on the move-in inspection.

Test the deadbolt, the patio slider lock, and at least a sample of window latches. Prospects who tour at dusk often ask about security — a confident answer matters. Note any lock issues for the make-ready punch list.

For pre-1978 buildings, bring the EPA lead-paint pamphlet and the federal disclosure form. Bring any state-specific disclosures (mold, bedbug for NYC, Megan's Law for CA, flood for applicable states). Disclosures stay with the lease packet, not the showing folder.

Bring two paper applications plus the FCRA consent for credit and background checks via TransUnion SmartMove or your built-in screening tool. Most prospects apply online, but having paper on hand removes the friction excuse.

One page: rent, deposit, lease term, utilities included, parking, pet policy (and the service-animal carve-out — service animals and ESAs are not pets), school district, and the application URL. Apply screening criteria uniformly to every prospect to stay clear of source-of-income and Fair Housing exposure.

Decide whether this is an agent-led tour or a self-show. Self-shows via Tenant Turner / Showdigs / Rently require ID verification before a code is released and a different post-showing follow-up cadence than in-person tours.

Confirm the prospect's ID has cleared verification, then release a single-use, time-windowed code from Rently or Tenant Turner. Codes should expire within an hour of the scheduled time so the unit isn't accessible after the slot ends.

Walk every room, lock every window and door, reset HVAC to vacant-unit setpoint, return keys to the lockbox or rotate the smart-lock code. Confirm no lights or faucets were left on — small things drive owner-statement complaints.

Record what the prospect liked, what concerned them, and any objections about price, layout, or amenities. Patterns across showings (e.g., five prospects flag the kitchen) are the signal for a price adjustment or a make-ready follow-up.

Mark whether the prospect submitted an application, asked for time to think, or walked away. The 24-hour window after a showing is when most applications come in — anything beyond 48 hours is usually a passive no.

Trigger the credit / background / eviction-history screening through TransUnion SmartMove, RentPrep, or your PMS-native tool. Apply the same income (3x rent typical), credit, and rental-history thresholds you apply to every applicant — uniform criteria is the FCRA / Fair Housing defense if a denial is later challenged.