Renting

Moving into your first apartment is exciting. Whether you’re in school or you’ve decided it’s time to leave the nest, there’s a lot you should know about finding a suitable apartment.

Budgeting, apartment hunting, and furnishing your apartment can be tiresome and expensive if you don’t approach them in the right way. Below, we’ll give you a first apartment checklist to guide you through the process from start to finish.

1. Determine your budget

The national median rent currently sits at $1,752, although rent prices vary greatly depending on the area, the size of the apartment, and market trends. You can use this number as a general guide to determine how much rent you can afford.

From there, you can also determine your monthly budget by totaling your current monthly bills (e.g., food, gas, and car payments) and subtracting that from your monthly income to see how much money you have left over.

You should also ensure your credit score is strong since many rental agreements require you to agree to a credit check conducted by the landlord. The landlord wants to see a decent credit score—preferably above 670 on the FICO scoring model.

2. Create an apartment wish list

Now that you’ve determined your budget, it’s time to create a realistic wish list of the characteristics and amenities you’d like your apartment to include. There’s always a chance you won’t get everything you want—especially if you’re on a strict budget—but it’s helpful to keep your wish list in mind as you search.

The wish list you create should have two sections:

Must-haves:

This section includes the amenities and features that you absolutely can’t live without (e.g., a parking spot if you have a car or pet privileges if you have a dog or cat).

Nice-to-haves:

This section includes perks that aren’t deal breakers (e.g., a gym or a laundry area).

Below are some of the top amenities and features that you can consider putting on your wish list:

• Your ideal apartment size and number of bedrooms
• Your preferred neighborhood
• Outdoor space for your pet
• Adequate security
• Close proximity to public transportation
• Certain kitchen appliances
• Parking spots
• A pool or play area
• Nearby laundry facilities

3. Begin apartment hunting

You can start apartment hunting several months ahead of your ideal move-in date by looking at neighborhoods, apartment blocks, centrality, and so on.

In most cases, finding an apartment can take two months to two weeks—depending on the person. For that reason, give yourself ample time to search listings and view properties in person.

To help in your search, you can visit Realtor.com®. Type in the neighborhood, city, or ZIP code you’re interested in living in, and add various filters to make it easier to find options that meet your budget and criteria.

When you’re down to your last few apartment options and want to choose one, make sure you take detailed tours in which you do the following:

• Turn on the faucets to make sure they’re working
• Look for evidence of pests
• Make sure your cellphone has service in different rooms
• Try out the appliances to make sure they’re working properly
• Flip on the light switches and note any burned-out bulbs
• Inquire about the amenities
• See if available parking is relatively close to the apartmentYou can also use this time to ask the landlord questions, such as what traffic is like during rush hour or the average monthly cost of utilities.

4. Complete a rental application

Once you’ve found your dream apartment, you’ll need to complete a rental application. Bring a form of identification, Social Security card, referral letters, last three pay stubs, and most recent bank statement with you.

This is because rental applications will typically request the following information from you:

• Name, email address, and date of birth
• Residence history
• Employment history
• Income
• Standard questions, such as whether you’ve ever been evicted, if someone else will be living with you, or if you’ve been declared bankrupt within the past seven years.If you plan to apply for more than one rental, you can manually complete a rental application each time or create a renter profile on Avail, which has all the information your landlord might need from you. This is one option that’ll save you time and money, as well as limit credit checks.

You might also need a co-signer if you don’t have an extensive credit history. The co-signer will also need to provide the same information to the landlord and complete a rental application.

5. Sign a lease agreement

Remember to read the lease agreement carefully before signing. While additional expenses might not be hidden, they also might not be obvious. For example, your rent might not include parking, Wi-Fi, or utilities.

Don’t be afraid to ask for clarification if you don’t understand something. Things to look out for in the lease agreement include the following:

• Any fees that aren’t included in the rent
• When rent is due and the payment methods
• How to submit maintenance requests
• How parking works
• The guest policy
• The late rent policy
• Whether you can decorate the unit by painting or putting decor on the wallsEnsure you agree with everything on the lease agreement before you sign it. If you want something in it to change, discuss it with the landlord, and make sure it gets added to the lease in writing.

6. Get furniture and other apartment essentials

Buying the essentials for your new apartment can be overwhelming and expensive if you don’t approach it correctly.

Here’s a list of items most first apartments must have if you want to live comfortably. However, you can leave out some of them, such as a TV or rug, if you don’t have the budget.

Living room items

• Comfortable couch or chairs
• Coffee table
• TV and TV stand
• Curtains
• Mirror
• Rug

Kitchen and dining items

• Pots and pans
• Dishes and bowls
• Coffee mugs and drinking glasses
• Cutlery
• Kitchen towels
• Oven mitts
• Mixing bowls
• Cutting board
• Small appliances (such as a toaster)
• Paper towels

Food storage containers

• Kitchen cleaning supplies
• Dish towels and sponges
• Dish drying rack
• Trash can

Dining table and chairsBedroom items

• Bed frame
• Mattress
• Bed sheets
• Pillows
• Mattress protector
• Duvet
• Curtains
• Nightstand
• Full-length mirror
• Bedside lamp

Bathroom items

• Bath and hand towels
• Shower mat
• Shower liner and curtain
• Shower organizer
• Bathroom cleaning supplies
• Toilet brush
• Personal items (such as shampoo and conditioner, a loofah, and soap)
• Laundry basket

You will also need miscellaneous items, such as a broom, lightbulbs, an iron and ironing board, a sewing kit, scissors, and a first-aid kit.

Here are a few tips when getting apartment furniture and other essentials:

Start saving early:

Start saving for essential items several months before moving. That way, you can pick up items on sale and have money left over to buy the remaining items you need a week or two before moving.

Shop around:

Consider going to stores that sell pre-owned furniture, retailers that frequently run clearance sales, or garage sales in your area.

Ask family members for hand-me-down furniture:

Your family members might have furniture or other essentials that they aren’t using or are planning to replace soon.

Don’t buy furniture without measuring the room first:

If you’re planning on buying big pieces of furniture, such as couches, bed frames, or dressers, measure the rooms they’ll be going in to ensure that they’ll fit.

Don’t buy everything at once:

You don’t have to (and shouldn’t) buy everything on the checklist immediately since that’ll be extremely expensive. Instead, you can keep the list on hand and refer to it as necessary. In 2021, the average expenditure per consumer on furniture amounted to just over $715.

7. Move into your new apartment

You might have a minimal amount of furniture to move since this is your first apartment. If so, this makes things a lot easier.

However, if you do have lots of stuff to move, here’s what you need to do:

• Hire and schedule movers
• Buy packing supplies and have your boxes packed and situated close to the door on move day
• Ask your friends and family to help
• Create a spreadsheet to help you keep track of everything that needs to be moved

Take a look at our moving checklist to ensure everything is ready for your move. You can also get free moving quotes.

Find your first apartment on Realtor.com

Now that you have a checklist to guide you through finding and moving into an apartment, you can go ahead and search for your ideal apartment on rental sites such as Realtor.com.

Realtor.com can make your apartment search much easier by letting you filter by cost, location, apartment size, and more. That way, you can find an apartment that fits your budget and your needs. You also won’t have to worry about scams since our listings are verified. And if you have a pet, you can easily find pet-friendly options.