Renting a flat is a big step, and the viewing is your best chance to spot the things that will annoy you in February at 7am. Landlords and letting agents are legally required to show you certain documents and meet certain standards, but the quality of day-to-day life in a flat comes down to details you have to test yourself. Here's what to check before you part with a holding deposit, and what to ask before you sign.

Safety certificates you should be shown

Before you commit, ask to see the paperwork. A reputable landlord will have it ready, and any hesitation is worth noting.

• Gas Safety Certificate (CP12). If there's a gas boiler, hob or fire, an annual check by a Gas Safe registered engineer is a legal requirement. Ask for the current certificate, not last year's.
• Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR). Required every five years, with any urgent remedial work completed. It covers the fixed wiring, sockets and consumer unit.
• Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). The flat must meet the minimum energy efficiency standard to be let legally. A poor rating often means high bills and a cold winter.
• Smoke alarms on every storey, tested on the day you move in. If there's a solid fuel burner or open fire, there should also be a carbon monoxide alarm.
• Portable appliance testing for any electrical item the landlord supplies, such as a kettle, microwave or freestanding heater.

Heating, hot water and water pressure

This is where viewings quietly fail. Run the hot tap in the kitchen and the bathroom and see how long it takes to warm up. If there's a combi boiler, ask what happens when two taps run at once — some older models struggle to serve a shower and a sink simultaneously.

Turn the heating on if you can, even briefly, and feel the radiators. Cold patches at the bottom usually mean they need bleeding or sludge is building up. Check the boiler pressure gauge: most systems sit comfortably between 1 and 1.5 bar. Look for any sign of a leak around the boiler, and ask when it was last serviced.

Water pressure matters more than people expect. A weak shower in a top-floor flat can be a daily frustration. Also check for damp: look behind furniture and in corners for tide marks, peeling paint or a musty smell, and ask about ventilation, particularly in bathrooms and kitchens without windows.

Locks, windows and security

You should be able to lock up properly and feel safe doing so.

• Front door: a working deadlock and, ideally, a British Standard lock. Ask whether the landlord will change the cylinder before you move in if previous tenants may still have keys.
• Windows: check they open, close, seal and lock. Stiff or painted-shut windows become a fire risk and a ventilation problem.
• Communal entrance: does the entryphone work, and does the main door actually latch? Ask who arranges repairs to shared areas.
• Fire safety: in a flat in a converted building, ask about fire doors, a working smoke alarm and a clear escape route.

Deposit protection and the money side

Since the Tenant Fees Act, most fees are banned in England. You can be asked for rent in advance, a refundable holding deposit of no more than one week's rent, and a tenancy deposit capped at five weeks' rent where the annual rent is under £50,000.

Your deposit must be protected in a government-approved scheme within 30 days of payment, and you should receive the prescribed information confirming which scheme holds it and how to challenge deductions. Ask which scheme is used and get it in writing. Also confirm what the rent includes — water, heating, broadband, council tax — and check the council tax band yourself, as a surprise bill is rarely welcome.

Repairs, responsibilities and everyday practicalities

Ask directly who fixes what, and how quickly. Landlords are responsible for the structure, exterior, heating, hot water, drains, gas and electrical safety. You'll typically be responsible for keeping the flat reasonably clean, reporting problems promptly and not damaging the property.

It's fair to ask how previous repair requests were handled, and whether there's a managing agent or the landlord deals with things personally. Get an emergency contact number before you move in. If you struggle with stairs, check bin access, parking and how the post arrives — small things that shape daily life.

Condition, inventory and before you sign

Photograph everything: walls, floors, appliances, furniture, any existing damage. Ask for a written inventory or schedule of condition and compare it line by line at check-in, adding anything missed and getting it acknowledged in writing. Note meter readings on day one.

Read the tenancy agreement properly. Check the term length, the notice period for both sides, whether there's a break clause, and the rules on pets, guests and subletting. Ask for the government's How to Rent guide, which a landlord or agent should provide.

If something needs fixing before you move in, get the promise in writing with a date. Any respectable landlord will be happy to put it in an email — and that email may be the most useful thing you own.