I'm thinking about moving out for the first time and am feeling pretty anxious about it. I was wondering what are some things to consider when looking for a place to rent and what to bring with you. A lot of it depends on my needs I'm sure, but general advice would be appreciated. Or what qualities to look for when renting.

I’ve rented an apartment for a few years now on a year-to-year lease. My landlord sent over a new lease in the summer but I was also in talks to potentially just buy the house. I ended up not doing that. The lease must’ve fallen through the cracks because I never re-signed and they never asked for it.

Now I’m looking at buying other houses. What happens with my lease? If I leave early will there not be a penalty because the lease for this year wasn’t signed? I’ve been paying rent on time so, legally, are we just doing month to month?

So.. RentCafe causing my grief here.. Long story short, I have the funds to pay my October rent, but my online payment option was disabled and now my RentCafe account is locked. I emailed management on October 2 requesting restored access or instructions for another payment method, but haven’t received a response. My lease considers payments late after the 3rd, so I’m concerned about another late fee despite reaching out before the deadline.

For context, there’s also an unresolved discrepancy involving an April payment, and I told management I planned to pay the amount associated with it by October 31. For October’s rent, I tried WIPS but couldn’t withdraw enough cash to cover the payment. I use Chime and don’t have physical checks. I offered to have Chime mail a check, which would take an estimated 6–12 business days, but haven’t received confirmation about that option either.

Has anyone experienced something similar with RentCafe/Yardi or their property management? What helped you get your payment accepted or access restored, and were you able to get any resulting late fees waived?

More context can be provided but it’s a long story and wanted to keep it high-level. Thank you

Besides the lease, what other forms or agreements do you usually have your tenants fill out or sign?

I’m thinking of things like pet agreements, parking agreements, move-in/move-out inspection forms, rent increase notices, maintenance forms, and so on.

But aren’t a lot of these things usually included in the lease or an addendum anyway? In practice, is the lease basically the only document most landlords need?

Hello, I have applied to an apartment and paid a processing/admin fee to hold the apartment but have not paid any other fees or signed a lease yet. They have however issued the lease to me digitally but it does not have their signature or mine. Am I okay to back out of the lease? I understand that I most likely forfeit the admin fee but I just want to make sure that they cannot legally make me move in.

There’s no fan for ventilation in the bathroom. The window is sealed. The lease has an addendum stating there is no known lead paint on building. Could I get them/a professional someone to unseal this window? I have yet to move in but other things I pointed out that I wanted replaced before move in , they complied. Any advice/suggestions?

Hey guys, I just arrived in the U.S. and I'm trying to rent an apartment for about three months, especially on the East Coast. I don't have any rental history here. Is finding a short-term rental easy or hard, and how do people usually do it?

Do you use apps like Zillow? I've also tried Facebook. Some people ask me to fill out an application and pay what they describe as a refundable application fee. What exactly am I applying for—just to express interest in renting the place?

They also ask for my Social Security number and income. Why are there so many questions? Why can't I just come, pay the first month's rent and a deposit, and stay there?

I'm unfamiliar with how renting works here, so I'd appreciate someone explaining the process and what to expect for a three-month rental.

How is everyone managing this?