Rent an apartment

Renting in the United States commits you to more, and costs more up front, than most newcomers expect. The advertised rent is not the monthly cost, the lease is a binding contract for its full term, and the deposit comes back only if you can prove what the place looked like when you arrived.

Move-in cost

Typically first month + deposit; sometimes last month too

Application fee

$30–$75 per adult, usually non-refundable

Income rule

Most landlords want gross monthly income of 3× the rent

Lease length

12 months is standard

What a landlord asks for

• Photo ID
• Proof of income — pay slips, an employment offer letter, or bank statements
• A credit check
• References from previous landlords
• Sometimes proof of immigration status, though this varies and in some cities is restricted

If you have no U.S. credit file yet — which is everyone in their first year — that fourth item is the obstacle, and it has its own solutions: see renting a place with no credit history.

Work out the real monthly cost

The rent is rarely the whole bill. Before comparing two places, add:

• Utilities not included in the rent — see setting up utilities
• Parking, often charged separately even where it looks like part of the building
• Renters' insurance, usually required, usually $10–$25 a month
• Amenity, pet, trash and "administrative" fees, which some management companies add monthly

Then add the one-off costs: application fees for every adult, the deposit, sometimes the last month in advance, and a moving-in fee in some buildings.

Read the lease before you sign

A U.S. lease is a binding contract for its full term. Breaking it early usually costs a penalty of one to two months' rent. Check specifically:

• The full monthly cost and what is billed separately
• What the deposit covers and the deadline for returning it after you leave
• Whether renters' insurance is required
• Rules on guests, pets and subletting
• Who repairs what, and how you report a problem
• What happens at the end of the term — many leases roll into a month-to-month tenancy, others renew automatically for another year unless you give notice by a stated date

Your deposit

Most states cap deposits, require them to be returned within a set number of days after you move out, and require an itemised list of any deductions. Landlords may deduct for damage beyond normal wear, not for ordinary ageing of carpets and paint.

Give notice in writing by the date the lease requires, ask for a walk-through inspection before you hand back the keys, and leave a forwarding address — a deposit cannot be posted to somewhere the landlord does not know about. Where a deposit is wrongly withheld, many states allow you to recover more than the amount itself, and small claims court is designed to be used without a lawyer.

Warning signs

Never pay before seeing the property in person or through someone you trust. The classic fraud is a below-market listing whose "owner" is abroad and wants a wire transfer to hold it. Real landlords do not do this.

Two more: a landlord who will not put you on a written lease, and one who wants rent in cash with no receipt. Both leave you with no proof you live there — which you will need for the DMV, the bank and your child's school — and no rights to enforce.

Once you have signed, your rights as a tenant covers what the landlord owes you, several of which cannot be signed away whatever the lease says.