Editor’s Pick
Renting a home has five stages: finding the right place, getting your application approved, signing a lease you actually understand, living there with your rights intact, and moving out with your deposit back. This guide walks through all five in order, with the rules, timelines, and documents that matter at each step.
We manage more than 40,000 rental homes across 35+ states, so we sit on both sides of these questions every day. Renters who know how each stage works get approved faster, argue less, and keep more of their deposit.
Stage 1: Finding the Right Rental
Start by deciding what you’re actually choosing between. A house versus an apartment is a bigger lifestyle difference than most people expect: yards and space against maintenance simplicity and amenities. Speaking of which, when a listing boasts about amenities, know what that word does and doesn’t promise.
A few honest decision points:
- Renting versus buying. Renting isn’t the consolation prize. Flexibility, predictable costs, and zero repair bills are real advantages. Here’s why many people choose to rent rather than buy.
- Furnished or unfurnished. Renting a furnished place trades higher rent for zero moving trucks. It suits shorter stays.
- Rent-to-own offers. They sound like the best of both worlds. Understand how rent-to-own actually works before signing one, because the details decide whether it’s an opportunity or a trap.
When you’re ready to look, you can browse homes for rent across our markets, and our rental market guides cover what rent costs and which neighborhoods fit in the cities we know best.
Stage 2: Getting Approved
Applications are more predictable than they look from the outside. Nearly every landlord or property manager checks the same four things: income, credit, rental history, and background. Get ahead of all four and you control most of the outcome.
- Most applications ask for income around three times the monthly rent, verified with documents. Have your proof of income ready before you apply: pay stubs, an offer letter, bank statements, or tax returns if you’re self-employed. Applications with documents attached move to the top of the pile.
- Rental history and background. Screening reports show your rental history and court records. If you have an eviction in your past, read how evictions show up on background checks. The honest answer is more nuanced than most people fear, and there are ways to get approved anyway.
One thing worth knowing: application decisions must comply with the Fair Housing Act, which prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, and familial status.
Stage 3: Understanding Your Lease
The lease is the single document that governs the next year of your life, and most people skim it. Don’t. Our guide to understanding a rental lease agreement walks through every section. These are the clauses that cause the most disputes later:
- Term and renewal. When it ends, what happens if you stay, and how much notice either side owes.
- Rent mechanics. Due date, grace period, late fees, and accepted payment methods (including whether you can pay rent with a credit card and what it costs).
- Deposits and fees. What’s refundable, what isn’t, and the condition standards you’re held to.
- Maintenance responsibilities. What the landlord fixes, what you handle, and how to submit requests.
- House rules. Guests, pets, subletting, alterations, and quiet hours.
If a clause matters to you, get it in writing in the lease. Verbal promises don’t survive move-out disputes.
Stage 4: Living There, With Your Rights Intact
Every state guarantees renters a baseline: a habitable home, working essential systems, and reasonable privacy (typically 24 to 48 hours’ notice before entry). The specifics vary by state, and the differences matter, so check your state’s landlord-tenant laws and our overview of resident legal rights.
The two situations renters ask about most:
- Repairs that never happen. Document requests in writing, give the landlord the legally required window, and know your state’s remedies. In some states that includes rent escrow, where rent is paid into an account until repairs are made. Done properly, that means going through the legal process, never just withholding rent.
- Rent increases. Outside of rent-controlled jurisdictions, most states allow any size increase at renewal with proper written notice. If your landlord raises the rent by hundreds of dollars, the real questions are whether the notice was legal and whether the price still makes sense for you.
Protect yourself with two habits: keep every communication in writing, and carry renters insurance. It covers your belongings for roughly the cost of a streaming subscription, and your landlord’s policy does not.
Stage 5: Moving Out (and Getting Your Deposit Back)
Move-outs go wrong in the same few predictable ways, so a little preparation covers nearly all of them.
- Give proper notice. Your lease sets the notice period, usually 30 to 60 days, in writing. If your landlord is the one ending things, they owe you notice too: here’s how much notice a landlord must give you to move out.
- Leave it documented. Photograph every room after your things are out. The standard you’re held to is normal wear and tear, not perfection: carpets wear, paint fades, and you don’t owe for that.
- Know the deposit clock. Most states give landlords a legal deadline, commonly 14 to 45 days, to return your deposit with an itemized list of any deductions. Here’s how long a landlord has to return your deposit and what to do if the deadline passes.
- If an eviction notice shows up, act on it the day it arrives. Notices run on court deadlines, and missing one costs you options. A notice starts a legal process. It does not end your tenancy by itself. Here’s what a 30-day notice actually means and what you can do inside that window.
Renting well isn’t about memorizing every law. It’s about knowing which questions matter at which moment.
FAQ
What do landlords check on a rental application?
Four things, almost universally: income (usually around three times rent, with documents), credit, rental history, and a background check. Having proof of income ready and being upfront about anything a screening report will surface are the two biggest things applicants control.
Can a landlord enter my home whenever they want?
No. Nearly every state requires notice before non-emergency entry, typically 24 to 48 hours, and entry must be for a legitimate reason like repairs or inspections. True emergencies, like a burst pipe, are the exception.
How much notice do I have to give before moving out?
Whatever your lease says, most commonly 30 or 60 days, in writing. Month-to-month arrangements are usually 30 days on either side, but several states differ, so check your state’s rules.
What can my landlord deduct from my security deposit?
Damage beyond normal wear and tear, unpaid rent, and costs your lease makes you responsible for. They cannot deduct for ordinary aging like worn carpet paths or faded paint, and most states require an itemized statement within a legal deadline.
Do I really need renters insurance?
Your landlord’s insurance covers the building only. Renters insurance covers your things against theft, fire, and water damage, plus liability if someone is hurt in your home. Many leases require it, and it’s inexpensive either way.
This article is general information, not legal advice. Laws change, and every situation is different. For guidance on a specific situation, talk to a licensed attorney in your state.
