How to Rent an Apartment
Set a rent budget against HUD's 30 percent line, spot a rental listing scam, tour and apply with your documents ready, check the lease and your state's deposit rules, and document the move-in condition.
You will end up with a rent budget you can stick to, a short list of apartments you have toured in person, an application ready to send the day you find the right one, a lease you have read line by line, and a record of the apartment's condition on move-in day.
The process is the same for a first apartment or a move to a new city. Deposits, fees, and repairs are set by state law, so where your state decides the answer, the steps tell you what to check.
A list of your monthly income and expenses A phone or camera for photos during tours A copy of your credit report (free at AnnualCreditReport.com) Government-issued ID for the application Two to three recent pay stubs or other proof of income
Figure out what you can actually afford
Keep rent plus utilities at or below 30 percent of your gross monthly income, the line HUD uses for housing cost. HUD defines cost burden as monthly housing costs including utilities above 30 percent of monthly income, not rent on its own. If you make $4,000 a month before taxes, $1,200 is the ceiling for rent and utilities together. If utilities at the places you are considering run $200 a month, your rent limit is $1,000. Ask each landlord what the place costs beyond rent. Add up utilities (electricity, gas, water, internet), renter's insurance, parking fees, and laundry costs if the building does not have in-unit machines. Utilities come out of the same 30 percent rather than sitting on top of it, so a cheap-looking rent in a building where you pay for heat can cost you more than a higher rent that includes it. Before you start browsing listings, sit down and make a budget that accounts for all of these costs. Settle on the number before you tour. The 50/30/20 split in that guide works from after-tax pay, so its 50 percent for needs and HUD's 30 percent of gross pay for housing are two different measures, and you can check your rent against both.
Good to know: Budget for first month's rent and a security deposit at signing. Some landlords also ask for last month's rent, but state law can cap the total. California caps the deposit, including any advance rent, at 1 month's rent, or 2 for some small landlords. New York's Attorney General says its 1-month limit means a landlord cannot ask for both last month's rent and a security deposit. Where no cap applies, plan for 2 to 3 months of rent plus moving costs, and start saving early if you are not there yet.
Decide what you actually need
Make two lists, one for things you absolutely need and one for things that would be nice but are not deal-breakers. Must-haves are things like a specific number of bedrooms, pet-friendly policies, in-unit laundry, or a maximum commute time. Nice-to-haves are things like a balcony, a dishwasher, or a gym in the building. The list keeps you from touring places that were never going to work, and it lets you decide the same day when one meets every must-have.
Start searching early
Start looking 60 days before your move date, so you see units whose tenants give 30 or 60 days' notice (FAQ 3). Search listing sites such as Apartments.com, Zillow, and Facebook Marketplace, and search locally too. Drive through neighborhoods you like and look for "For Rent" signs. Ask friends, coworkers, and family if they know of anything opening up. Some landlords fill units through word of mouth and never post a listing. Set up alerts on listing sites so you get notified the moment something matches your criteria. Answer a matching listing the same day it appears. Before you send money or personal details, check that the listing is real. The FTC's guide to rental listing scams describes fake owners who say they are out of the country or cannot show the place, rush you to decide, and ask for the application fee, deposit, or first month's rent by wire transfer, gift card, or cryptocurrency. Money sent those ways is like cash, and you probably cannot get it back. Walk away from any listing that works like that.
Tour every apartment in person
Tour every apartment before you sign or pay anything. If you cannot go, the FTC suggests sending a friend or watching a video tour, though it warns that a tour does not prove a listing is real. Listing photos show the best angles, and they cannot show water pressure, noise, or smell. Bring a checklist and go through it methodically. Check water pressure in the kitchen and bathroom. Open every cabinet and closet. Test all the light switches. Check your phone signal in different rooms. Look for signs of pests, water damage, or mold. Flush the toilet. Run the stove. Open and close every window. Take photos and videos of everything, including things that look fine right now. You will want these later when it is time to compare apartments or do your move-in inspection. If you are bringing existing furniture, measure the rooms while you are there so you know what fits before you sign.
Good to know: Ask the landlord or property manager about average utility costs, how maintenance requests are handled, and whether there are any planned renovations or construction nearby. Get the answers before you apply.
Visit the neighborhood at different times
An apartment can look perfect at 2 p.m. on a Tuesday and feel completely different at 11 p.m. on a Friday. Visit the area at different times of day and on different days of the week. Pay attention to noise levels, street lighting, parking availability, and how the neighborhood feels after dark. Walk to the nearest grocery store, pharmacy, and transit stop to see how convenient they actually are. Check if there is street parking if you have a car, and whether it requires permits. Talk to a neighbor or two if you get the chance. They can tell you things no listing ever will, like whether the walls are thin, how responsive the landlord is, or whether packages disappear from the lobby.
Get your application ready
Expect to fill in a rental application and hand over supporting documents. Having everything prepared before you find your apartment means you can submit the same day you decide. A typical application requires your government-issued ID, proof of income (two to three recent pay stubs or a tax return), references from previous landlords, and authorization for a credit and background check. Budget for an application fee for each adult who applies. Some states cap it. California limits it to the landlord's actual screening costs, with a ceiling of $30 per applicant that may rise with inflation each year since 1998. Check your state's rules if a fee looks high. Under the federal Fair Housing Act, a landlord cannot turn you down because of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, or disability. If you believe that happened, you can file a complaint with HUD. Your credit report matters. Landlords use it to gauge whether you are likely to pay rent on time. You can get it free at AnnualCreditReport.com, the site the FTC sends you to. Other sites may charge you or be fraudulent. The FTC records that all three bureaus have made free weekly reports permanent, so you can pull all three before you apply rather than rationing one a year. Review them and dispute any error before you apply. A landlord can also buy a tenant screening report, which can include eviction records and criminal history. If a landlord denies you because of one, the CFPB says you can get a free copy if you ask within 60 days.
Heads up: Some landlords and listing sites charge fees that are not refundable even if you do not get the apartment. Ask upfront which fees are refundable and get the answer in writing before you pay anything.
Read every line of the lease
The lease is a legally binding contract. Read every page, including the fine print. If something is unclear, ask about it before you sign. If the landlord cannot explain a clause in plain language, that is a red flag. Pay special attention to the rent amount and due date, late fees and grace periods, security deposit terms and the conditions for getting it back, maintenance responsibilities, rules about subletting and guests, early termination penalties, and the lease renewal process. In most housing built before 1978, federal law requires the landlord to give you the EPA pamphlet Protect Your Family From Lead in Your Home and to disclose any known lead-based paint before you sign. What a landlord may put in a lease is mostly a question of state law, so look up your own state's landlord-tenant rules before you sit down at the signing table. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau covers the money side of renting, including tenant screening reports, what to do when an application is denied, and your rights if a debt collector comes after unpaid rent. If your landlord asks for a voided check to set up automatic rent payments, here is how to void a check properly.
Document everything before you move in
Before you bring a single box into your new apartment, do a thorough walkthrough and document the condition of everything. That record is what protects your security deposit when you move out. Take timestamped photos and video of every room, every wall, every floor, and every appliance. Note any scratches, dents, stains, scuff marks, cracked tiles, or broken fixtures. Open every cabinet, check under sinks for leaks, and test every outlet. Ask whether there is a move-in condition checklist. If there is, fill it out in detail and send a copy to your landlord in writing. Email works best because it creates a paper trail. If they do not provide one, make your own and email it to them with the photos attached. Keep your copy somewhere safe. You will need it when you move out and want your full deposit back.
Set up your new home
Once the lease is signed and the inspection is done, handle these things before or right after move-in day. Set up utilities. Contact providers for electricity, gas, water, and internet. Some buildings include certain utilities in the rent, so check your lease before setting up duplicate accounts. Schedule service to start on or before your move-in date so you are not sitting in the dark on your first night. Update your address. Notify the post office, your bank, your employer, your insurance company, and any subscriptions that ship to your door. If you need to send mail from your new place, make sure you know how to format an apartment address on an envelope so your mail gets delivered correctly. If you are hiring movers, get quotes from at least three companies and book early. Know how much to tip your movers for their work.
If an application is denied, ask which report the landlord used, request your free copy within 60 days, and dispute any error before you apply again (step 6). If a landlord asks for more than your state allows as a deposit or fee, point to the rule and ask in writing for the excess back. When you move out, use your move-in photos from step 8 to contest any deduction for damage that was already there. FAQ 1 below covers upfront costs, FAQ 2 renting with bad credit, FAQ 3 lease types, FAQ 4 renter's insurance, and FAQ 5 repairs.
Questions we get asked about this
Answers from experience, not a textbook.
Plan on first month's rent plus a security deposit. Some landlords also ask for last month's rent, but state law can cap the total, as it does in California and New York (step 1). Add application fees and moving costs, and where no cap applies, the total to get through the door can reach 4 months of rent. If you have pets, expect a pet deposit or monthly pet rent. In California, a pet deposit counts toward the same deposit cap.
Yes, but it takes extra effort. Some landlords accept a co-signer, proof of steady income, or a larger security deposit where state law allows one, in place of a strong credit score. Be upfront about your situation and come prepared with references and bank statements that show you can cover rent. Ask for the landlord's screening criteria before you pay an application fee, so you do not pay to be turned down.
A lease locks you in for a set period (such as 12 months) at a fixed rent. A month-to-month agreement renews automatically each month and either party can end it with 30 days' notice, sometimes 60 depending on your state. On a month-to-month agreement, the landlord can raise the rent with written notice, within any limits your state or city sets.
Yes. Get two or three quotes to see what it costs where you live. It covers your belongings if they are stolen, damaged by fire or by water from something like a burst pipe, or destroyed in another covered event. The Insurance Information Institute says a standard policy does not cover floods or earthquakes, which need separate coverage. A policy also includes liability coverage if you injure someone or damage their property, and it pays extra living costs, such as a hotel, if a covered disaster forces you out during repairs. Some landlords require it as a condition of the lease.
Submit a maintenance request to your landlord in writing immediately. Email is best because it creates a record with a timestamp. Your lease and your state's landlord-tenant law decide which repairs are the landlord's job, such as plumbing, heating, electrical systems, and appliances that came with the unit. Do not attempt major repairs yourself, as it can breach the terms of your lease or make you liable for further damage. If your landlord does not respond, check your state's tenant rules before you act. Do not withhold rent or pay for a repair and deduct it from rent unless your state allows it and you follow its steps exactly.