Top 10 Things Every Student Should Know Before Renting

Getting your first apartment feels like crossing some invisible threshold into actual adulthood. There is something about holding those keys, picking out which corner gets your desk, arguing over who gets the bigger closet. But here is what nobody tells you until it is too late: that lease you are about to sign is not just paperwork. It is a binding legal contract, and thousands of students every year find this out the expensive way.

I am thinking of Sarah, a finance major who thought she had everything figured out. She ran the numbers, split the rent four ways with friends, signed the lease. Then six months in, one roommate dropped out of school entirely and disappeared. The property management company wanted their money, and they did not care which of the remaining three paid it. Sarah ended up covering an extra share she never budgeted for, watching a semester’s worth of savings evaporate. The worst part? She barely read the clause that made this possible.

This is not meant to scare you off renting. It is meant to stop you from making the mistakes that are entirely avoidable if you know what to look for.

1. That Clause Nobody Reads Until It Matters

Every lease has language buried in it called “joint and several liability.” Sounds technical and forgettable. What it actually means: if you sign a lease with three other people and one stops paying, the landlord can come after any one of you for the full amount. Not just your share. The full amount.

This happens more than you would think. Someone gets a surprise internship opportunity in another city. A relationship between roommates implodes. A family emergency pulls someone home mid-semester. Life happens, and when it does, that clause means you are left holding the bag while the landlord shrugs and points at the contract you signed.

The landlord is not going to chase down your former roommate. That becomes your problem. And if the original signers cycle out but stay on the lease? They can still be on the hook for damages or unpaid rent years after they moved out.

Then there are the fees nobody mentions during the tour. The lease might bury mandatory charges for amenities you will never use. A fitness center fee when you already have a gym membership. Parking passes that cost extra even though the complex has plenty of spaces. Application fees that are nonrefundable whether you get approved or not.

Pay attention to the renewal terms too. A lot of leases require written notice 60 to 90 days before your lease ends if you are not renewing. Miss that window by even a few days, and you might get automatically locked into another year at whatever rent increase they decide.

2. What Your Apartment Will Really Cost

The rent number is just the starting point. When you are budgeting, that monthly figure is actually the smallest part of what you need to plan for.

Right now, student housing averages somewhere between $900 and $1,000 per bedroom each month. But that national average is close to meaningless when you are actually looking for a place. New York pushes past $2,000 per bed. California is regularly over $1,500. Some markets in the South saw rent increases over 12 percent last year alone, with a few schools hitting increases as high as 24.6 percent.

Timing changes what you pay. By January of this year, over half the apartments for fall 2025 were already leased. The longer you wait, the fewer options exist, and what remains tends to be either farther from campus or priced higher than the early inventory. Units within walking distance might average $850 per month, while places a mile or more out drop closer to $800. Sounds like savings until you factor in transportation costs and time.

Start looking eight to ten months before you need to move in. That is not a suggestion. That is the difference between choice and desperation.

And before you pay your first month’s rent, you need the security deposit. Often that is equivalent to another month or two of rent, plus application fees that can run a few hundred dollars. That initial hit is big enough to wipe out a summer of savings if you are not prepared.

3. Why You Need to Inspect Everything Before Unpacking

You get your keys, you want to move in, start decorating. Do not. The condition of that apartment the day you take possession determines what you get charged for when you leave.

Landlords can deduct from your security deposit for damages beyond normal wear and tear. The catch is proving what was already there versus what you caused. If there is a scuff on the baseboard or a stain on the carpet, and you did not document it, the landlord can claim you did it.

Walk through every inch with the property manager if possible. Bring a checklist. Check the floors, the walls, inside cabinets, under the sink, inside the oven. Test every light switch. Look for scratches, chips, stains, anything that is not perfect. Write it down.

Then take photos. Better yet, take video with your phone and make sure the date stamp is visible. You want proof that is undeniable. If both you and the landlord sign off on the inspection report, even better. Keep a copy somewhere safe.

This takes maybe an hour. That hour can save you hundreds of dollars when you move out and the landlord tries to keep your deposit for damage you did not cause.

4. Your Rights Are Stronger Than You Think

Most students assume landlords hold all the power. You are young, you are renting for the first time, you do not want to make waves. But the law is not written that way.

The Fair Housing Act makes it illegal for landlords to discriminate based on race, religion, sex, or family status. Age is trickier, but refusing to rent to someone simply because they are college-aged can cross legal lines. Landlords cannot advertise preferences or charge higher deposits based on protected categories. If something feels discriminatory, your school probably has legal aid resources, or you can file a complaint with HUD directly.

Breaking a lease early is complicated. Most of the time, you are stuck for the full term unless there is a major habitability issue like no heat or unsafe conditions. Some states allow exceptions for active military service or survivors of domestic violence. Outside those situations, your best bet is usually subletting if your lease allows it and the landlord approves. Read your lease carefully to see if that option exists, because not all of them permit it.

5. Getting Your Deposit Back Is Not Automatic

That security deposit is a significant chunk of money, sometimes equal to one or two months of rent. The landlord holds it during your tenancy and is supposed to return it after you move out. Supposed to.

The timeline for getting it back depends on your state. Arizona and Washington require landlords to return it within 14 days. California and Texas allow 21 to 30 days. Maryland and Virginia give landlords up to 45 days. The clock does not start until you officially vacate and return the keys.

California recently started capping deposits at one month’s rent for most properties, which helps. But landlords can still deduct for legitimate expenses: unpaid rent, cleaning costs to restore the unit to its original condition, and repairs for damage you caused beyond normal wear.

The landlord has to provide an itemized list if they withhold any money. If you researched your state’s specific deadline and they miss it, or if they deduct for things that were already damaged when you moved in, you have legal grounds to push back. That is where your move-in photos become critical.

Most states let you request a pre-move-out inspection. Take advantage of it. The landlord will tell you what needs fixing or cleaning, and you can handle it yourself instead of paying their inflated contractor fees later.

6. Utilities Always Cost More Than You Expect

Rent is the baseline. Utilities are where budgets fall apart.

A one-bedroom apartment averages around $144 per month for basic utilities. Split a three-bedroom between three people, and utilities might run about $304 total, or roughly $101 per person. Add internet and you are looking at another $71 on top of that.

The issue is not the cost itself. It is figuring out who pays what when consumption is not equal. If one roommate cranks the heat all winter or runs the air conditioning nonstop while another is barely home, splitting the bill evenly feels unfair. This is where roommate tension starts.

Some properties have submeters that track individual usage. If yours does not, you need to figure out a fair split before the first bill arrives. Equal shares by headcount works if everyone’s habits are similar. If not, maybe the person with the bigger bedroom pays slightly more. Or you set guidelines about thermostat limits and excessive usage. Put it in writing.

7. Roommate Agreements Are Not Optional

Friendship is great. Friendship does not protect you from financial disaster.

Because of that joint and several liability clause, you need a separate internal agreement between roommates. The master lease governs your relationship with the landlord. The roommate agreement governs your relationship with each other.

Spell out the basics. Rent is due on this date, paid this way. Digital transfers are better than cash because they leave a paper trail. If someone pays late and the landlord charges a fee, that fee goes to the person who was late, not split evenly.

Address the non-financial stuff too. Cleaning schedules for shared spaces. Guest policies. Quiet hours. Who buys shared supplies like toilet paper and dish soap. These details sound minor until someone leaves dishes in the sink for a week and nobody knows whose turn it was to clean.

Include a plan for what happens if someone cannot or will not pay. Can they be bought out? Is there a process for replacing them? Having these conversations before problems arise is uncomfortable but necessary. If you want to be thorough, pay a lawyer to review the agreement. That way nobody feels like one person is trying to control the others.

8. Renters Insurance Is Cheap and Necessary

Here is a mistake nearly every first-time renter makes: assuming the landlord’s insurance covers their stuff. It does not.

The landlord’s policy covers the building. If a fire damages the structure or a storm rips off the roof, that is covered. But your laptop, your clothes, your furniture? That is on you. If someone breaks in and steals your electronics or a pipe bursts and ruins everything, the landlord is not replacing any of it.

Renters insurance costs about $15 to $30 per month. Maybe $180 per year. For that, you get coverage for your personal property and liability protection starting around $100,000. The liability part is actually the more important piece. If you accidentally start a kitchen fire or a guest trips and gets hurt in your apartment, that policy covers your legal expenses and any settlement.

Some leases now require renters insurance before you can move in. Even if yours does not, get it anyway. Replacing everything you own after a disaster costs thousands of dollars. The insurance costs less than a couple of pizzas each month.

9. The Move-Out Process Determines Whether You Get Your Money Back

Leaving your apartment requires as much attention as moving in. Maybe more.

First, check your lease for how much notice you need to give before moving out. Often it is 30, 60, or even 90 days. That notice usually has to be in writing. If you miss the deadline, you might trigger an automatic renewal or face penalties that cost you serious money.

When it is time to clean, use your move-in checklist as the standard. Clean inside the oven and fridge, wipe down cabinets, dust light fixtures. Normal wear and tear like minor scuffing or small nail holes should not cost you anything, but landlords will try to charge for them if you leave obvious dirt or damage.

Request that pre-move-out inspection so you know exactly what the landlord expects. Fix what you can yourself. Take final photos and videos of the empty, clean apartment. Make absolutely sure the landlord has your forwarding address in writing so they can send your deposit refund within the legal timeframe. If they drag their feet or make improper deductions, you have documentation to back up your claim.

10. Your Rent Payments Can Build Your Credit Score

This one is newer and a lot of students do not know about it yet.

Rent used to be a dead expense. You paid it, it kept a roof over your head, but it did nothing for your financial future. Now there are services that report your on-time rent payments to the credit bureaus.

Building credit early matters. When you go to buy a car, apply for a credit card, or eventually get a mortgage, your credit score determines your interest rate. Even a small difference in rate costs thousands over the life of a loan.

Ask your property manager if they already work with a rent-reporting service like RentSpree or Esusu. A lot of them offer it for free. If not, you can sign up for services directly. Self has a free basic plan. Boom charges about three dollars per month.

Make sure whatever service you pick reports to all three major credit bureaus and only reports positive payments. You do not want a one-time late payment from a busy month to tank your score. The whole point is turning your biggest monthly expense into something that helps you long-term.

Conclusion

Getting your first apartment off-campus is supposed to feel like freedom. And it is, but it comes with responsibilities that nobody really prepares you for. That lease is your first major financial contract. How you handle it sets the tone for everything that comes after.

Read the whole thing before you sign. Understand joint and several liability. Budget for more than just rent. Document everything when you move in and when you move out. Get renters insurance. Put agreements with roommates in writing. Know your rights.

These are not worst-case scenarios. These are normal situations that happen to normal students every single year. The difference between a good experience and a financial nightmare is usually just knowing what to watch out for.

If you already went through this and learned something the hard way, that experience is valuable. The best advice often comes from people who already made the mistakes.