There’s no doubt that renting your first apartment feels super exciting, but it can also be incredibly stressful. As I write this, I can see myself staring at my first signed lease a little short of breath and wondering what I had gotten myself into. Spoiler alert: I was fine!

Getting your first apartment is a big step, and I’m here to walk you through the process of finding an apartment, budgeting for the move, and moving in. Ready? Let’s go.

The common rule of thumb when determining your rental budget is to pay approximately 30 percent of your monthly salary. There is some wiggle room, and only you know what you can afford, so make sure you do some calculations before falling in love with a place that’s outside of your budget.

Rental laws vary from city to city and can dictate how much landlords can charge for a security deposit and application fees. These laws also determine what landlords are required to disclose about a property. The only federal disclosure requirement is that landlords have to provide information about lead-based paint for buildings built before 1978. Beyond that, all other disclosures are regulated at the state and local level.

To find the perfect apartment, enter your criteria into an apartment search site like Apartments.com or Zillow. You can also look on Facebook Marketplace or check with apartment buildings or property management companies directly to find available units.

Once you’ve narrowed your search down to a few places, set up an appointment to check them out. When you’re touring a new place, check for any repairs that may need to be made, turn on the faucets, flush the toilets, ask about amenities — and check those out, too. Most importantly, decide if you can see yourself living there.

The landlord should be able to give you a good idea of the cost of utilities, but you can also call the utility companies and ask what the tenants at the property typically pay.

Once you find the place you want to rent, you’ll fill out the rental application. It will ask for things like your credit score, references, income, past addresses, and rental history. Don’t freak out if you haven’t rented before — everyone has to start somewhere. But work with the landlord or management company to see if there are any added requirements for first-time renters. 

Application fees vary depending on your location and the actual apartment. Make sure to include these in your budget. You may also have to pay utility deposits to have the utilities turned on and switched into your name.

You’ll have to pay your first month’s rent and likely a security deposit to your landlord or rental company, so make sure you have the money to cover this upfront cost.

Moving doesn’t have to break the bank (we’ll give some tips in the next section), but you will have to spend some money moving and setting up your new place. Make sure you’re ready!

This isn’t a moving company commercial — you don’t have to have all of your things perfectly packed in matching moving company boxes. While you can always buy boxes, you can also ask at a local grocery store to see if they can save boxes for you. (By the way, here are 15 places to find free moving boxes.) There’s also the option to pack your things in storage containers, bags, and baskets you already have. 

Pro tip: Leave your clothes on hangers and drop them into a trash bag with the hooks up. Tie the handles around the hangers. When you get to your new place, all you have to do is hang them up and remove the trash bag!

You may need to rent a truck in order to move all of your things. Or you can enlist the help of your friends and their vehicles. But any way you shake it, you need to get your things from point A to point B.

As someone who has moved a lot, this is the best moving tip I have. When you’re packing up your old place, pack your bed and bedding last. This way it will be the first thing that you unpack in your new place. 

Here’s the thing, at the end of a long day of moving, the last thing you want to do is realize that you still have to put sheets on your bed. Put the bed frame together and make the bed first, that way you can collapse into it when you’re exhausted from a day of moving!

Finding single-family homes to rent can be a bit like finding a needle in a haystack these days, thanks to all the complex factors at play in the housing market. 

But there could be some good news on the horizon: As the real estate market starts to cool off slightly, people who had planned to sell their homes may end up renting them out instead.

“Right now we are seeing sellers who aren’t getting the price they want for their homes deciding to pull them off the market altogether vs. settling for a lower price and rent them,” says Daryl Fairweather, the chief economist at Redfin. “Especially if they’re locked in at a low mortgage rate, they can take advantage of rising asking rents to rent it out and cover their monthly mortgage payment and then some. This could be good news for renters looking for single-family homes who have felt a lack of inventory in the past year.”

In the meantime, if you’re struggling to find a home to rent for your family, consider using some of these tips from real estate experts.

One of the best ways to find a home for rent is to tap into your vast network of family, friends, friends of friends, old coworkers, and even casual acquaintances (in real life or online!). You never know whose tenant just let them know they’d be moving out at the end of the month, and if you can nab a home before the landlord lists it, you’ll face much less competition for signing a lease.

Plus, many landlords prefer to rent to someone they have some degree of connection with, so it can be a win-win for everyone.

“Immerse yourself in the local community and let people know that you are in the market,” says Haley Cutter, a real estate agent in Boston and Cape Cod. “When I was searching for my own home, I found my local yoga studio to be a wealth of information. Everyone from the owner to the teachers and other members of the community were happy to make inquiries on my behalf. It takes a village!”

After scoping out Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, Nextdoor, Zillow, Redfin, and other common online platforms where people post homes for rent, check out Airbnb and Vrbo. If you’re in a pinch, you can likely find a short-term solution in your desired neighborhood while you continue your search. Or, best-case scenario, you may be able to negotiate with a short-term vacation rental owner and convince him to do a longer-term arrangement to help out your family.

“You may come across owners that are also open to doing longer-term leases vs. the typical short-term rentals that you find on the site,” says Brett Ringelheim, a real estate agent in New York. “Sometimes in the description, the owners put they’re open to year-round rentals as well.”

Similarly, strike up a friendly relationship with local real estate agents who represent sellers in your preferred location. They may have a client or two who just isn’t happy with the current market and could be open to an alternative.

“Especially if the property has been sitting on the market for a decent amount of time, the seller might be open to renting,” Ringelheim says.

Real estate agents more broadly — whether they represent buyers or sellers — can be a huge help when it comes to finding a single-family home for rent. This is especially true if you’re moving to a new area and have no idea where to look. Agents are familiar with neighborhoods, schools, public transit, commute times, and many other elements of day-to-day life. Plus, they’re incredibly in the know on all things real estate, and that includes rentals.

“They buy and sell houses, but they can also help with finding rental places with specific needs like one for a single-family,” says Texas-based real estate agent Robert Fischer. “Since they have wider networks, they can provide you with info on better rental deals that no one else can.”

This won’t work in every neighborhood, but driving (or walking) around and looking for good, old-fashioned “For Rent” signs can still be a winning strategy in some cases, says Fischer. (There are still some landlords who just don’t do technology, believe it or not.) Plus, at the very least, driving around will help you become more familiar with an area you’re considering, including stores, traffic patterns, libraries, gas stations, and other handy spots.

Likewise, another low-tech option is checking the want-ads in the community newspaper or newsletter.

“We have technologies all around us, but that just doesn’t make newspapers obsolete,” says Martin Carreon, a real estate broker in California. “People still use them to advertise homes for rent.”

Renting furniture is an approachable option for renters and homeowners alike. If you’re looking to decorate your space for a short period of time, or if you like to switch up your interior design style often, furniture rental may be worth considering.

While each furniture rental company is different, the process is roughly the same. To begin, you’ll choose pieces from their product lineup and select a lease term. Pricing will vary according to a few factors. Some places offer a whole suite to furnish a single room so you can bundle the items for a better rate.

Depending on the rental agreement, you may need to consent to a credit check, verify your income, and provide references. Once your application is approved, you can schedule delivery. Then you’re able to enjoy your furniture for the duration of the lease. The company should contact you with end-of-term options when that time comes.

Renting furniture can be great for short-term living arrangements. If you’re subletting an empty apartment for a few months or need some items to furnish a dorm room, a rental service is a quick and easy solution. However, depending on your lease term, the cost to rent may outweigh the value of the items you choose — especially when you consider interest rates and other fees. The tradeoff for convenience is a higher total cost of ownership.

Furniture rental also helps fight the issue of “fast furniture” and promotes product circularity. The items you rent will be cleaned and renewed for the next person. This helps reduce the amount of furniture in landfills when consumers’ tastes change and trends fizzle. Unfortunately, some companies may provide lower quality items to help maximize their profits. When in doubt, check the materials specifications, and always choose pieces made of solid wood over ones that use a fiberboard board mix.

CORT aims to serve anyone “looking to make a house a home,” according to their mission statement. Their service model includes an easy upgrade program so you can swap pieces out when the lease ends. Student packages, military packages, and move-in ready packages are available.

Also known as BFR, Brooke Furniture Rental claims to be a fast, easy, worry-free, and sustainable option for renters. They offer free returns and exchanges within the first seven days, and promote renting over buying for the flexibility, freedom, and ease. If you’d like to buy an item at the end of your lease term, the monthly payments are not applied to the purchase price, but they do offer a discounted rate.

Feather is a newer furniture rental service, established in 2017. The company’s goal is to help consumers furnish their space “with quality items that are well designed,” according to CEO Jay Reno. Feather lets you rent single items, as well as full-room or studio packages.

Fernish offers “premium” rentals from designers like CB2, Crate & Barrel, and more. Delivery and assembly are free, but they’re currently only available in a few cities throughout the U.S.

Longer-established companies like Aaron’s and Rent-A-Center are more widely accessible throughout the country, serving a broader group of people. Their rent-to-own programs are often a convenient option if you don’t have the budget to pay for furniture in full up front and don’t have the credit to qualify for traditional financing options.

Renting furniture is often more costly in the long run, but it can be a quick and convenient choice in certain circumstances. Pay close attention to the fee schedule when planning your budget, and make sure to read the contract thoroughly.

When your landlord surprises you with a big rent increase, you have a few options: Stay and pay the new price, move out and find a new place to live, or try to negotiate.

But to make that decision, you need to be able to answer a few big questions: What kind of rent increase is “normal” right now? How much is too much? And how can you tell if you’re getting ripped off while everyone else is paying less for the same amount of space or amenities?

If, on principle, you decide to move out of your apartment because you simply refuse to pay the exorbitant new rent amount, you may be totally out of luck when it comes to finding a cheaper spot — or any place, for that matter.

“It is critical for renters to research the market they live in to see if their proposed rent increase is in line with other comparable properties in the immediate area,” says Kent Rodahaver, a real estate agent in Tampa and St. Petersburg, Florida. “Those that do not, and vacate out of anger or frustration, find themselves in a very difficult situation. Many have to settle for a smaller home, a less desirable location, or in some extreme cases, are unable to find anything whatsoever.”

There are a few different ways to gauge whether your landlord’s rent increase is on par with everyone else’s. For starters, it’s helpful to look at broad, national numbers. In May, asking rents — or the rental price listed by the landlord — were up 15 percent year over year, according to an analysis by real estate company Redfin. The rental marketplace Zumper reported roughly similar increases in May: Median one-bedroom rents were up 12.8 percent and two-bedrooms were up 13.9 percent year over year.

Of course, the rental picture can look very different depending on where you live. Redfin saw even larger year-over-year rent increases in Austin (48 percent), Nashville (32 percent), Seattle (32 percent) and Cincinnati (32 percent), just to name a few. Zumper also tracked varying increases, depending on the city and the type of unit: two-bedroom rentals were up 38 percent in New York, while one-bedrooms were up 27 percent in Denver, for instance. 

“Landlords are looking at the local market and what similar apartments are going for in the area and making adjustments to rent based on that,” says Rent.com’s Jon Leckie. “In general, we’re back to seeing what we’re used to seeing: bigger increases in major metros and around emerging or established tech hubs, decreasing rents in the Rust Belt and Midwest.”

To drill down on your local area, Rodahaver recommends typing your zip code into the site RentData.org, which uses the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) fair market rent statistics (you can also do this on HUD’s site directly). These numbers are primarily used for federal housing vouchers, but they can serve as yet another data point for you to consider. The Washington Post built a similar rent increase search tool on its website using data from real estate research firm CoStar Group.

Studying this city- and county-level data can help you build a more complete picture of what’s “normal” in your area. But even armed with all this external information, you still need to look internally to make a final decision.

“A renter needs to ask themselves: ‘Do I want this apartment and how much am I willing to pay?’” says Bill Kowalczuk, a real estate broker in New York. 

In addition to looking hard at your own budget and preferences, consider whether the existing rent was actually below market rate, either because of a COVID-19 discount or from the landlord just not hiking it over the last few years, says Parisa Afkhami, a real estate broker in New York. Also factor in the condition of the unit and the costs associated with moving somewhere new, she recommends. 

“People are taking a moment and figuring out what their next step is going to be,” she says. “There is a huge influx of new renters due to various factors such as declining financial markets, world insecurity, low inventory in sales markets, and a lot of movement into and out of urban centers. I don’t think there really is any ‘normal’ anymore in terms of increases.”

There’s no shortage of sirens, car horns, and loud construction work in metropolitan areas. While noise pollution in big cities is strictly regulated, landlords are constantly looking for ways to reduce noise and keep tenants happy. One solution is the 80 percent carpet rule.

It may seem simple and straightforward — cover at least 80 percent of the flooring with carpet or area rugs — but not sticking to this rule has landed some tenants in hot water.

The 80 percent carpet rule (or 80/20 carpet rule) is a requirement for tenants to cover at least 80 percent of their floors with carpets or rugs to help reduce noise. If your apartment has wood, tile, or laminate floors and you live in a densely populated area — like New York City, Los Angeles, or San Francisco — there’s a good chance that you’ll be asked to cover the majority of your floors with arearugs to keep your neighbors happy.

“It’s a requirement that everyone is supposed to adhere to, but not everybody does,” says Gea Elika, principal broker of ELIKA Real Estate in New York City. “I think it’s a rule that everyone should follow to make life easier for a lot of people.”

Dealing with noisy neighbors is a normal part of big city living, but a noise complaint in an apartment building with an 80 percent carpet rule could lead to bigger problems.

“I’ve seen conflicts and then enforcement,” explains Elika. “I think it’s only enforced if there’s a significant problem.”

The 80 percent carpet rule isn’t required by municipal or state laws, but it could be outlined in your lease or co-op agreement. In that case, failure to stick to this rule could result in lease termination or even eviction.

According to the rule, Elika says that about a foot from each wall should be covered with a greater focus on the living room. “That’s the most important because that’s where you have the most foot traffic and usually the most sound,” states Elika. “I always tell people to put an area rug in the living room to avoid any problems, but not everyone does.”

Another area that should be covered is the bedroom — especially if you have kids. 

“[Noise complaints] typically happen with kids,” explains Elika. “I think if you have kids, you should do the bedrooms as well, not just the living room.”

To help reduce noise, Elika recommends area rugs with a layer of sound suppressant padding underneath. These soundproofing pads are made of dense material and are used to minimize sounds passing between the floors. These pads come in a wide range of sizes and can be used on a variety of surfaces.

Another option is to use textiles around the apartment to help absorb sound waves. “It also makes your apartment more comfortable and less impacted by the sounds outside,” Elika adds.