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Guides

Getting a Cosigner for Your Apartment Lease

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A young adult and a parent sign apartment lease documents together at a table.

If your income, credit, or rental history is not quite strong enough to qualify for an apartment on your own, a cosigner can make the difference between approval and denial. A cosigner is a third party, usually a parent, relative, or close friend, who agrees to be financially responsible for your lease if you fail … Read more

Why Rental Applications Get Denied: Common Reasons

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A renter reads a rental application letter at a desk near an apartment window.

Getting denied for a rental apartment is frustrating, especially after you paid an application fee and gathered pay stubs, references, and identification. Denials are common in competitive markets, and they are not always about something you did wrong. Landlords screen every applicant against the same set of criteria, and understanding those criteria is the fastest … Read more

Apartment Application Fees: What’s Legal by State

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A person fills out a rental application form at a leasing office desk.

Applying for an apartment usually comes with a fee. Landlords charge application fees to cover the cost of running credit checks, criminal background screenings, employment verification, and rental history checks. For renters who apply to several apartments in a competitive market, these fees add up fast, sometimes reaching hundreds of dollars before a single lease … Read more

Last Month’s Rent Upfront: Rules and Protections

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A wall calendar with a stack of US dollar bills and coins on a desk in a home living room.

Some landlords ask for more than a security deposit before handing over the keys. In certain states, they can also require the last month’s rent upfront, meaning you pay for your final month before your tenancy even begins. For renters, this can add thousands of dollars to an already expensive move. Is it legal? Sometimes. … Read more

Taking Your Landlord to Small Claims Court

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A classic American courthouse building with tall stone columns and an American flag under a clear sky.

You do not need a lawyer to take your landlord to court. Across the United States, small claims courts handle thousands of landlord-tenant disputes every year, from wrongfully withheld security deposits to unpaid repair reimbursements. The process is designed for ordinary people, the filing fees are low, and judges in these courts are used to … Read more