Kitchen and everyday life · Some practice · a few weeks of planning before you move
Rent Your First Place
Renting your first apartment is a big money step and a legal one. A lease is a contract, so you need to know what you're signing. This guide covers budgeting, spotting scams, reading the lease, deposits, renters insurance and the move-in check. Tenant laws are different in each state, so always check your own state's rules.
👪When to teach it: Talk through a rent budget together from about 12, compare real listings from about 15, and sign a lease yourself once you're an adult.
Money for move-in costs, such as the first month's rent and a security deposit
A phone camera
A notebook or move-in checklist
A folder for your lease, receipts and photos
Before you start
Look up your state's tenant rights before you sign anything. USA.gov points to state housing agencies, attorneys general and state tenant handbooks.
Step by step
Tick each step as you go if you like; ticks stay on this device.
Economics
How it works: The 30 percent line, and why a lease is a contract
Rent is usually the biggest bill a renter pays each month. HUD uses 30% of income as a common line. When housing costs, including utilities, take more than 30% of a household's monthly income, HUD calls that household cost burdened. Less money is left for food, transportation and savings.
You can turn the line into a quick check: multiply your monthly income by 0.30. With a made-up monthly income of $2,000, that's 0.30 × 2,000 = $600 for rent plus utilities. If a place costs more, you'd need more income, a roommate or a cheaper place.
Renting has a civics side too. A lease is a contract, a set of promises the law will enforce. Most rules about deposits, repairs and evictions come from state and local law, which is why they vary so much. For example, the Massachusetts Attorney General says a landlord there can never force a tenant to move out without going to court first.
most you'd spend on housing ≈ 0.30 × monthly income (rent + utilities)
Try it: Pick a real apartment listing near you. Add the rent and your best guess for utilities. Then work backward: divide that total by 0.30 to find the monthly income you'd need to stay at or under 30%.
Look at real rental listings together and add up the full monthly cost.
Read a sample lease out loud and circle anything confusing.
Practice a move-in walk-through in your own home: list every scuff and take photos.
Talk about scams. What would make a deal seem too good to be true?
Tips
Rent that's much cheaper than similar places nearby can be a sign of a scam.
Get every promise in writing. Email counts.
Keep your lease, receipts, photos and repair emails together in one folder.
Ask whether a renters policy pays replacement cost (new items) or actual cash value (what your used items were worth). Replacement cost costs more but pays more.
Common mistakes
Mistake
Instead
Budgeting for rent but forgetting utilities.
Ask which utilities you pay and add them to the total.
Paying a deposit for a place you haven't checked out.
Visit if you can, search the address and owner, and never pay by wire, gift card or crypto.
Signing a lease you only skimmed.
Read every line and get any promises written in.
Skipping the move-in check.
List every problem and take photos on day one.
Assuming the landlord's insurance covers your stuff.
It doesn't. Get renters insurance.
Safe habits
Never pay rent or a deposit by wire transfer, gift card or cryptocurrency. The FTC says anyone who insists on those is running a scam.
Where to get help
If you can't settle a problem with your landlord, look for free or low-cost legal aid, or contact your state attorney general or housing agency.
Free how-to guides for families, with nothing to earn, pass or send in. They follow U.S. rules and sources; your owner's manual, product labels and state and local rules come first.
🔑 Rent Your First Place
Name ____________________ Date __________
You'll need
Your monthly income and a simple budget
Money for move-in costs, such as the first month's rent and a security deposit
A phone camera
A notebook or move-in checklist
A folder for your lease, receipts and photos
Before you start
Look up your state's tenant rights before you sign anything. USA.gov points to state housing agencies, attorneys general and state tenant handbooks.
Steps
Set your budget. HUD counts a household as 'cost burdened' when housing costs, including utilities, are more than 30% of its monthly income. Aim to keep rent plus utilities at or under that line.
Ask what's included. Ask which utilities you'll pay, such as electricity, gas, water, trash and internet. Get the answer in writing.
Watch for scams. See the place in person if you can. Search the address along with the owner's or company's name to check for copied listings. Walk away if someone rushes you or wants payment by wire transfer, gift card or cryptocurrency.
Read the whole lease. Read every line before you sign, and ask about anything you don't understand. Don't count on promises that aren't written in the lease. Keep a signed copy.
Understand the deposit. A security deposit is money the landlord holds in case of unpaid rent or damage beyond normal wear and tear. State law sets the limits. In Massachusetts, for example, the deposit can't be more than the first month's rent.
Get renters insurance. Your landlord's insurance covers the building, not your belongings. Renters insurance can pay to repair or replace your things if they're damaged or stolen, and its liability part helps if you're blamed for someone's injury or property damage.
Do a move-in check. On move-in day, walk through every room. Write down every problem and take photos. If your state uses a move-in 'statement of condition' form, fill it out. This keeps you from being blamed for damage you didn't cause.
Pay and keep records. Pay rent on time and get a receipt every time you pay. Massachusetts, for example, gives tenants the right to a receipt for every payment.
Ask for repairs in writing. Report problems to your landlord in writing; email counts. Keep copies of what you send and what you get back.
Know where to get help. If you have a dispute, reread your lease first. Then contact your state's tenant rights agency, your attorney general's office, or legal aid.
Safe habits
Never pay rent or a deposit by wire transfer, gift card or cryptocurrency. The FTC says anyone who insists on those is running a scam.