Renter guides

Renter safety guides

Step-by-step checks before you apply, pay a deposit, or sign a lease.

• How to Spot a Rental Scam: Warning Signs Before You Pay
• Is This Rental Listing Legit? A 7-Point Safety Checklist
• Lease Red Flags to Check Before Signing
• Hidden Apartment Fees: What Your Rental Will Actually Cost
• Should You Pay an Application Fee Before Viewing an Apartment?
• How to Verify a Landlord Before Paying a Deposit
• Before You Send a Rental Deposit: 8 Checks
• Facebook Marketplace Rental Scams: Signs a Listing May Be Fake
• Craigslist Rental Scams: Signs a Listing May Be Fake
• How to Reverse Image Search Rental Listing Photos (and What a Match Means)
• Scammed on a Rental? What to Do in the First 24 Hours
• Sublet and Roommate Scams: How to Check a Room Before You Pay

Rental scam types

How each common rental scam works and the one check that stops it.

• Bait and Switch Rentals: The Unit, the Rent, or the Fees Change After You Pay
• Deposit Before Viewing: The Scam Built on Fear of Missing Out
• Fake Landlord Impersonation: Someone Renting a Unit They Do Not Own
• Fake Lease Scams: A Contract That Makes the Fraud Feel Official
• Fake Urgency in Rental Scams: 'Decide Today' Is the Script
• Hijacked Rental Listings: A Real Home, a Fake Landlord
• Holding Deposit Scams: When 'Hold the Unit' Means 'Send Money Now'
• Phantom Rental Listings: The Unit That Does Not Exist
• Rent That Is Too Good to Be True: Why the Price Is the Bait
• Rental Application Identity Theft: When the Application Is the Scam
• The Cryptocurrency Rental Scam: Deposits in Bitcoin Are Not Deposits
• The Gift Card Rental Scam: Why No Landlord Asks for Gift Cards
• The Remote Landlord Scam: 'I'm Abroad, I'll Mail the Keys'
• The Sob Story Rental Scam: Emotion as a Payment Method
• The Wire Transfer Rental Scam: How It Works and How to Stop It

Is it legit? Rental sites and apps

What each listing site or app says it checks, and where scams show up around it.

• Is Airbnb Legit for Monthly Rentals? Verification, Fees, and the Tenant-Rights Catch
• Is AMH (American Homes 4 Rent) Legit? How to Tell a Real Listing From an Impersonation
• Is Apartment Finder Legit? What It Verifies, Where Scams Appear
• Is Apartment List Legit? What It Verifies, Where Scams Appear
• Is ApartmentGuide Legit? What It Verifies, Where Scams Appear
• Is Apartments.com Legit? What It Verifies, Where Scams Appear
• Is AppFolio Legit? What the Tenant Portal Is and What It Is Not
• Is Avail Legit? What the Landlord Tool Does, and How to Check the Landlord
• Is Blueground Legit? Renting Furnished Apartments From a Single Operator
• Is Buildium Legit? What the Resident Center Is and What It Is Not
• Is Bungalow Legit? Co-Living From an Operator, the Screening, and the Fees
• Is Doorstead Legit? Agent-Led Tours, the Application, and the Self-Showing Red Flag
• Is Dwellsy Legit? The Verified Badge, SafeSearch, and What Is Free
• Is FirstKey Homes Legit? How to Tell a Real Listing From an Impersonation
• Is ForRent.com Legit? What It Verifies, Where Scams Appear
• Is Furnished Finder Legit? What It Verifies, Where Scams Appear
• Is Hemlane Legit? What the Landlord Tool Does, and How to Check the Landlord
• Is Homes.com Legit for Rentals? What It Verifies, Where Scams Appear
• Is HotPads Legit? What It Verifies, Where Scams Appear
• Is Invitation Homes Legit? How to Tell a Real Listing From an Impersonation
• Is June Homes Legit? Flexible Furnished Leases, the Screening, and the Fees
• Is Landing Legit? Membership, Fees, and Renting From a Single Operator
• Is Leasebreak Legit? NYC Sublets, Landlord Approval, and the Scam It Warns About
• Is Main Street Renewal Legit? How to Tell a Real Listing From an Impersonation
• Is PadMapper Legit? What It Verifies, Where Scams Appear
• Is PadSplit Legit? Room Rentals by the Week, What It Screens, and the Fees
• Is Progress Residential Legit? How to Tell a Real Listing From an Impersonation
• Is Realtor.com Legit for Rentals? What It Verifies, Where Scams Appear
• Is Redfin Legit for Rentals? What It Verifies, Where Scams Appear
• Is Rent.com Legit? What It Verifies, Where Scams Appear
• Is Rentals.com Legit? What It Verifies, Where Scams Appear
• Is Rentberry Legit? What Its Terms Say It Does Not Verify
• Is RentCafe Legit? Listings, the Resident Portal, and How to Tell a Real One
• Is RentHop Legit? What It Verifies, Where Scams Appear
• Is Rently Legit? Self-Showing Lockboxes, and How Scams Use Them
• Is RentRedi Legit? What a Real Screening Request Looks Like, and What RentRedi Never Does
• Is RentSpree Legit? What the Application Link Does, and How to Check It
• Is Roomi Legit? What It Verifies, Where Room Scams Appear
• Is Roomies Legit? What It Verifies, Where Scams Appear
• Is Roomster Legit? The FTC Settlement Every Renter Should Read First
• Is SpareRoom Legit? What It Verifies, Where Scams Appear
• Is StreetEasy Legit? What It Verifies, Where NYC Rental Scams Appear
• Is Sublet.com Legit? What It Verifies, Where Scams Appear
• Is TenantCloud Legit? What Its Terms Say, and How to Check the Landlord
• Is Tricon Residential Legit? How to Tell a Real Listing From an Impersonation
• Is Trulia Legit for Rentals? What It Verifies, Where Scams Appear
• Is TurboTenant Legit? What the Landlord Tool Does, and How to Check the Landlord
• Is Zillow Legit for Rentals? What It Verifies, Where Scams Appear
• Is Zumper Legit? What It Verifies, Where Scams Appear

Renter rights by state

Deposit limits, return deadlines, fees, notice rules, and where to report, with the source for each.

• Alabama
• Alaska
• Arizona
• Arkansas
• California
• Colorado
• Connecticut
• Delaware
• Florida
• Georgia
• Hawaii
• Idaho
• Illinois
• Indiana
• Iowa
• Kansas
• Kentucky
• Louisiana
• Maine
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• Michigan
• Minnesota
• Mississippi
• Missouri
• Montana
• Nebraska
• Nevada
• New Hampshire
• New Jersey
• New Mexico
• New York
• North Carolina
• North Dakota
• Ohio
• Oklahoma
• Oregon
• Pennsylvania
• Rhode Island
• South Carolina
• South Dakota
• Tennessee
• Texas
• Utah
• Vermont
• Virginia
• Washington
• West Virginia
• Wisconsin
• Wyoming

Who owns a rental? Free owner lookup

Find the owner of record in county property records, by state and for the largest counties.

Renter glossary

Plain-English meanings of the terms in listings, applications, and leases.

• Admin Fee for an Apartment: What It Covers and Whether It Is Refundable
• Amenity Fee: The Monthly Charge Behind the Pool and the Gym
• Apartment Locator Services: Who Pays Them and What to Watch For
• Apartment Parking Fee: Assigned Spaces, Permits, and What to Confirm
• Automatic Lease Renewal: The Clause That Locks You In for Another Year
• Broker Fee on a Rental: Where It Applies and What It Should Cover
• Co-Living Rentals: Individual Leases, Shared Spaces, and What to Check
• County Assessor vs County Recorder: Which Office Has the Record You Need
• Credit Check for an Apartment: Soft vs Hard Pulls and What Landlords Look For
• Deposit Alternatives: Deposit Insurance, Surety Bonds, and What You Actually Pay
• Early Termination Fee: What Breaking a Lease Costs and How to Limit It
• Eviction Record: How It Shows Up in Screening and How to Address It
• First and Last Month's Rent: What It Means and What Can Be Asked at Signing
• Furnished Mid-Term Rentals: Corporate Housing, Travel Nurses, and How to Verify Them
• Guarantor or Co-Signer for an Apartment: What They Agree To
• Holding Deposit: What It Is, When It Is Legitimate, and How to Get It Back
• Holdover Tenant: What Happens When You Stay Past the Lease End
• Itemized Deposit Deduction Statement: What the Landlord Must Send You
• Joint and Several Liability: Why Each Roommate Owes the Whole Rent
• Key Deposit and Key Fee: What They Cover and When They Come Back
• Landlord Reference Letter: What It Is, What It Should Say, and How to Verify One
• Landlord Verification Form: What Prospective Landlords Send Your Previous Landlord
• Lease Addendum: Getting Verbal Promises Into the Contract
• Liquidated Damages in a Lease: The Fixed Penalty for Breaking It
• Listing Syndication: Why the Same Rental Appears on Many Sites
• Month-to-Month Lease: Flexibility, Notice Periods, and the Trade-Offs
• Move-In Fee vs Security Deposit: What You Are Paying For
• Move-In Inspection Checklist: The Hour That Decides Your Deposit
• Move-Out Cleaning Fee: When It Is Allowed and When It Is Wear and Tear
• Net Effective Rent vs Gross Rent: What You Actually Pay Each Month
• Normal Wear and Tear vs Damage: What a Landlord Can Deduct
• Notice to Vacate: How to Give It and How Much Notice Is Required
• Occupancy Limits: How Many People Can Live in a Rental
• Owner of Record: What the Term Means and Why Renters Should Check It
• Parcel Number (APN) and Tax Map Key: How to Use Them to Find a Property Record
• Pet Deposit vs Pet Fee vs Pet Rent: Which Ones You Get Back
• Proof of Income for an Apartment: What Counts and When to Send It
• Property Management Company vs Landlord: Who You Are Actually Dealing With
• Prorated Rent: How Mid-Month Move-Ins Are Calculated
• Rent Concessions and Free Months: How to Read a Move-In Special
• Rent Increase Notice: How Much Notice a Landlord Must Give
• Rent Receipt: Why You Need One and What It Should Show
• Rental History: What It Is, How Landlords Check It, and How to Build It
• Rental Verification Letter: What It Proves and How to Get One
• Renters Insurance Requirement: What Landlords Can Ask For and What It Costs
• RUBS Utility Billing: When Your Water Bill Is a Formula, Not a Meter
• Self-Showing Lockboxes: How Unaccompanied Tours Work and What They Do Not Prove
• Small Claims Court for a Security Deposit: How the Process Works
• Student Housing Guarantors and International Students: How Leasing Works Without US Credit
• Sublease vs Assignment: Who Stays Responsible for the Lease
• Technology Fee: The Bundled Internet or 'Smart Home' Charge on Your Lease
• Tenant Screening Report: What Landlords See and What You Can Dispute
• The 3x Rent Income Rule: How Landlords Check Affordability
• Trash Valet Fee and Other Mandatory Service Fees in Apartments
• Virtual Tour vs Live Video Walkthrough: Why Only One Counts as a Viewing
• What Is a Security Deposit for Rent? How It Works and How to Get It Back