How to Rent an Apartment in the USA: Screening, Deposits, Leases and Your Rights

To rent an apartment in the USA, you fill out a rental application, allow a check of your credit and rental history, show your income, pay a security deposit and sign a lease. Without US credit history, a co-signer or a larger deposit usually helps, but New York and California cap deposits by law. Each state sets its own rules for returning the deposit.

Below: what landlords check, how much they can charge, what to read in the lease and how to avoid paying a scammer.

How to rent an apartment in the USA, step by step

The order is nearly the same whether you deal with a large management company in Chicago or a homeowner in Brooklyn.

1. Viewing. See the unit in person or by video. Send no money before that.
2. Application. Your job, income and past addresses. Landlords often charge an application fee.
3. Tenant screening. The landlord orders a report from a screening company: credit, evictions, rent payment history, sometimes criminal records.
4. Proof of income. An employment letter, pay stubs, bank statements.
5. Decision. Approval, denial, or approval with conditions such as a co-signer, a larger deposit or higher rent.
6. Lease and deposit. You sign, pay the first month and the deposit, and get the keys.

No law sets a universal "income must be N times the rent" rule. Each landlord picks a bar, so ask before you pay an application fee.

You will need a US bank account to pay. If you have no SSN yet, see our guide on opening a bank account without an SSN.

Credit and background checks: what the landlord sees

Tenant screening reports come from private companies. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) lists what they can include: credit history, eviction records, rent payment history, identity, income and employment verification, and criminal background data.

If a report leads to a denial or to conditions like a co-signer or a higher deposit, the landlord must give you an adverse action notice naming the screening company. Use that name to request your file and dispute errors.

Screening fees are capped in some places:

• New York: a landlord can charge at most $20 for a credit and background check, and only if you get a copy.
• Illinois: starting January 1, 2027, the application fee including background checks is capped at $50 for leases signed after that date, unless the actual third-party cost is higher and backed by receipts. Owner-occupied buildings with 6 units or fewer are exempt.

Renting without credit history

A new immigrant has no US credit file, and the report simply comes back empty. The CFPB names the usual conditions landlords set in that case:

• A co-signer or guarantor. Someone with good credit and income signs with you and is liable if you do not pay.
• A larger deposit. This only works where state law allows it. New York caps the deposit at one month's rent, and since July 1, 2024 California does the same for most landlords.

Besides a credit report, you can bring an employer letter with your salary, bank statements and a reference from a past landlord, even one abroad, translated. No law says a landlord must weigh these, so ask up front.

Start building credit now so the question goes away within a year. Our guide on building credit history in the USA covers how. If you want an agent used to working with newcomers, browse Russian-speaking realtors in our directory.

Security deposit rules in New York, California, Florida and Illinois

The deposit covers unpaid rent and damage. The state decides how much it can be and when it comes back.

Rules checked October 28, 2026 on the New York and California attorney general sites, the California Department of Real Estate (DRE) site and in the Florida and Illinois statutes.

Details that cost money:

• New York rent-stabilized and rent-controlled units follow a different rule: the deposit comes back at the end of the lease or within a reasonable time after.
• California landlords may use the deposit only for unpaid rent, damage beyond normal wear and tear, cleaning back to move-in condition, and replacing their own furniture if the lease allows. A "cleaning fee" or "move-in fee" counts as part of the deposit, according to the state attorney general and the DRE. Even a small landlord cannot charge a service member more than one month's rent.
• Florida: after a written claim, you have 15 days to object in writing.
• Illinois: if a court finds the landlord refused or gave the statement in bad faith and kept the deposit, the landlord owes twice the deposit plus court costs and attorney's fees.

Broker fees in New York City. Since June 11, 2025, the FARE Act bars brokers who represent the landlord, including those who list with the landlord's permission, from charging tenants. All required fees must be disclosed in the listing, and you sign an itemized fee disclosure before the lease. If you hire your own broker, you pay that broker.

Lease agreement: what to check before you sign

A lease runs for a fixed term. Read every page, including the parts past the rent.

On insurance: Illinois landlords must disclose in writing if the building is in a flood zone, and the required disclosure text says most tenant insurance policies do not cover flood damage. If you live near water, ask your insurer.

At move-in, photograph and film every room, especially stains, scratches and broken appliances, and email the files to the landlord. The California attorney general advises putting repair requests in writing, keeping photos and videos, and saving copies of all messages.

Tenant rights and national origin discrimination

The federal Fair Housing Act bans discrimination in renting or buying a home based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status and disability. A refusal because of the country you come from falls under that ban.

File with the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) online at hud.gov or by phone at 1-800-669-9777. HUD has time limits, so act quickly. Include who refused you, the address, what happened and the dates.

California goes further: private landlords cannot discriminate based on citizenship, immigration status or primary language. In most cases they may not ask about immigration status at all, and they may never threaten to report it to push a tenant out. California also allows eviction only through court; lockouts and shutting off water are illegal.

If you face eviction, a large withheld deposit or suspected discrimination, talk to a lawyer. You can find Russian-speaking attorneys in our directory.

Rental scams: how to spot a fake listing

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) lists the warning signs:

• the same address listed elsewhere under a different owner or company;
• rent well below similar places nearby;
• the "owner" is abroad and cannot show the unit;
• the home is actually listed for sale;
• pressure to decide fast;
• a request for your SSN or credit score before you agree to rent;
• payment only by Western Union or MoneyGram wire, gift cards or cryptocurrency.

The FTC warns that paying this way is like sending cash and you probably cannot get it back. See the place first, in person or by video. Verify the owner in city or county property tax records and the agent with their company.

If you were scammed, report it to local police, the site that ran the ad, your state attorney general and the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

Questions people ask

How much security deposit can a New York landlord charge?

No more than one month's rent. After move-out, the landlord has 14 days to return the deposit or give an itemized list of damage and its cost. Without that list in time, the full deposit must be returned. Rent-stabilized and rent-controlled units follow a different rule: return at the end of the lease or within a reasonable time.

Can I rent an apartment without an SSN?

No law requires an SSN to rent, but many landlords run credit checks and, without a file, set conditions such as a co-signer, a larger deposit or higher rent. The FTC notes a landlord does not need your SSN before you agree to rent, and an early request is a scam warning sign.

What should I do if a screening report got me denied?

The landlord must give you an adverse action notice naming the screening company. Contact that company, request your information and dispute anything wrong, as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau advises. The same notice is required when you are approved only with conditions such as a co-signer or a higher deposit.

Where do I report housing discrimination based on national origin?

To HUD, online at hud.gov or by phone at 1-800-669-9777. The Fair Housing Act bans discrimination based on national origin in renting. HUD sets time limits for filing, so report early and include who refused you, the address, what happened and the dates.