Housing
5guides
How to rent safely in the US — including the hard part: renting before you have any US credit history.
How to find rental listings in the USWhere Americans actually search (Zillow, Apartments.com, Trulia, Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace), when a broker is involved, and how to spot a rental scam before you send a cent.
Leases, security deposits and your rights as a tenantUS leases are usually 12 months and legally binding. Deposit limits, notice periods and eviction rules are set by your STATE, not by Washington — so the answer depends on where you live.
Renting when you have no US credit historyThe single biggest wall newcomers hit: landlords run a credit check, and a brand-new arrival has no US credit file at all. Here's what actually gets you the keys anyway.
Renters insurance — why landlords ask for itMany US landlords make renters insurance a lease condition. It's cheap — typically $15–30 a month — and covers your belongings and your liability if something goes wrong in the flat.
Setting up electricity, gas, water and internetIn most US rentals the tenant opens their own accounts for electricity, gas and internet. Utility companies run a credit check too — a newcomer with no file may be asked for a refundable deposit instead.