How to rent an apartment in the USA

Income. The near-universal convention is gross income of 2.5 to 3 times the monthly rent, evidenced by recent pay stubs, an offer letter, or bank statements for the self-employed. It is a convention rather than a law, which means it is negotiable in ways people rarely test.

Credit. Most landlords and nearly all large management companies pull a credit report and score. Expectations vary by market, but mid-600s is a common informal floor, with competitive urban markets expecting more. A screening report may also include eviction records and, where permitted, criminal history — both increasingly regulated at state and city level.

Rental history. Previous landlord references, and in larger buildings a check against tenant screening databases. A past eviction filing — even one that was dismissed — can appear and cause rejections, and several states have moved to seal eviction records for exactly this reason.

Application fees of $25 to $75 per applicant are standard and generally non-refundable, covering the screening. Some states cap them or require refunds of unused amounts. A landlord collecting fees from many applicants for one unit with no intention of screening them is running a known scam pattern — be wary of fee-first listings you have not seen in person.

You have rights in the screening itself. If you are rejected based on a credit or screening report, the Fair Credit Reporting Act requires the landlord to tell you, identify the screening company, and inform you of your right to a free copy of the report and to dispute it.

This is the newcomer's core problem, and it is solvable. The key is to volunteer alternatives before being asked, because a complete application with compensating evidence beats a thin one that triggers a rejection rule.

Offer proof of income and savings: an employment contract or offer letter stating salary and start date, several months of bank statements, and evidence of savings. Some landlords will accept a higher income multiple in place of a score.

Offer a larger deposit or additional months upfront, where state law allows it — some states cap total deposits, so check first.

Offer a co-signer or guarantor: a US-based person with good credit who signs the lease and becomes liable if you default. Where no personal guarantor exists, commercial guarantor services fill the role for a fee of typically 70 to 100 percent of one month's rent.

Bring a foreign credit report and a bank reference letter. They are not part of the US system, but individual landlords — as opposed to large management companies with rigid criteria — can and do consider them.

Target individual landlords over large management companies for the first tenancy. Companies apply algorithmic criteria; individuals make judgment calls.

Some employers relocating staff will provide a guarantee letter or corporate housing bridge — ask before arriving.

American leases are typically for a fixed term of 12 months, converting to month-to-month afterward or requiring renewal. Breaking a lease early generally makes you liable for rent until the unit is re-let, though most states require the landlord to make reasonable efforts to re-rent — the duty to mitigate.

Read for: the total move-in cost (first month, deposit, sometimes last month, fees); who pays which utilities; the guest policy; the pet policy and pet deposit or monthly pet rent; the renewal and rent increase terms; the early termination clause; and any mandatory renters insurance requirement.

Watch for junk fees, which have proliferated: mandatory 'amenity fees', 'convenience fees' for paying rent online, and administrative fees layered on the advertised rent. Ask for the full itemized monthly cost in writing before applying.

Renters insurance at $15 to $30 a month covers your belongings, liability and additional living expenses if the unit becomes uninhabitable. The landlord's insurance covers the building only. Many leases require it, and it is worth having regardless.

Document the unit's condition at move-in with dated photographs of everything, and email them to the landlord so they are shared, timestamped evidence. This is what decides the deposit dispute at the end.

Servicemembers have special lease termination rights under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, including on deployment orders.

The federal Fair Housing Act applies in every state. A landlord cannot refuse to rent, set different terms, or advertise a preference based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, familial status or disability. Sexual orientation and gender identity are covered by HUD's enforcement position, and many states add further protected classes including source of income — meaning housing vouchers — and immigration status.

Disability rights are concrete: you are entitled to reasonable accommodations, such as an assigned parking space or an assistance animal despite a no-pet policy, and to make reasonable modifications at your own expense.

Familial status protection means a landlord cannot refuse families with children or restrict them to certain floors or buildings, with narrow exceptions for qualified senior housing.

Every state implies a warranty of habitability: the unit must be fit to live in, with working heat, plumbing, electricity and locks, regardless of what the lease says. Remedies for violations — repair-and-deduct, rent withholding, lease termination — vary sharply by state, and withholding rent without following your state's exact procedure can get you evicted even when the landlord is in the wrong. Check the procedure first.

Eviction requires a court process everywhere. A landlord cannot change the locks, remove your belongings or shut off utilities to force you out — self-help eviction is illegal in every state, and in most it carries penalties.

Fair housing complaints go to HUD, free, within one year, and to state and city agencies which often have longer lists of protected classes.