Can you tell me what renting a home is like in the U.S.A?

It depends on the state, and the city, and the landlord, but in my area (Hillsborough County, Florida), move in costs can be:

2 months’ rent (first and last month)
Security deposit (usually equal to another month’s rent)
Pet Deposit (which is usually non-refundable and thus should be called a fee) – can be a couple hundred bucks, usually. Some places tack on a monthly pet fee to the rent as well.

There are usually also per-adult application fees… that’s a good way for an apartment complex to keep bringing in bunches of money when they don’t even have an open apartment to rent!

Here, the landlord is required to give you at least 24 hours’ notice before arriving to enter the home for repairs or whatever.

My personal rental agreement says we’re not allowed to make any modifications to the home. No repairs, no painting, etc. I’ve recently gotten tired of my landlord’s half-assed bandaid “repairs” and started fixing things anyway. Not like we’re getting a deposit back from that shyster.

Although statutes vary among states, there are some general principles under common law.

A tenant has an implied covenant of quiet enjoyment – the right to privacy and undisturbed use of the property. A landlord can enter for emergency reasons, such as a fire or burst pipe. For any non-emergency visits, such as inspections, routine repairs, or showing the property to potential buyers or new tenants, the landlord must give reasonable notice (usually at least 24 hours) and access at a reasonable time.

A tenant also has the right to habitable property in good repair. A landlord must ensure that the building in structurally sound, has hot and cold running water, and has plumbing, electrical, and heating systems in safe operating condition. Minor repairs, such as small holes or stains in carpeting or torn window screens, may or may not be the landlord’s responsibility, depending on state/local law and the lease’s terms; such problems may be annoying, but they don’t impair safety or habitation.

I have been a renter for two apartments before my present house, which I rent from a relative so I won’t count it.

The first building I lived in was a beautiful, huge old Tudor style, 165 units, river view, plenty of street parking, etc. $850 a month in 1997, one bedroom, dishwasher. Big high ceilings. Third floor with elevator, river view unit. I had two cats, no extra fee. $25 for credit check. I found that apartment because my mom knew someone in government who was affiliated with the realtor. It was the kind of building you don’t get into unless you know someone, because it was exclusive.

After a year and a half of pleasant life, someone on the top floor started a major fire in her oven (spray painted Christmas ornaments and put them in the oven to dry SMH). The entire building was wet from the fire hoses (ten days before Christmas) and we were all homeless.

The Red Cross did miracles for us. Vouchers for new apartment, voucher for new apartment’s security, voucher for clothes, food, glasses, prescriptions, etc.

Next apartment I found from the paper, $750, one tiny bedroom, tiny kitchen. No extra fee for cats. No credit check. I still have the letter I wrote them. I said that I was a tenant of the previous “exclusive” building that was well known in the area and also now extra well known because of the big fire with 165 families homeless. I lived there three years. It was “garden style” apartments, two floors. The landlord put in new bathroom sink, new kitchen counter, sink and stove. I put in new kitchen floor (tiny – maybe 10×6 so not a huge expense out of my pocket). I also put in wall to wall carpeting which I pulled up when I moved so they couldn’t complain. There was wall to wall in there prior to me moving in, but it was a horrid cherry color and it smelled like fried food so I asked the super to pull it up. There was a washer and dryer in the basement of another building, so you had to put on clothes and walk out to use them. No dishwasher in unit. I paid $40 per month to rent a garage on the grounds, for storage. There was on site parking.

Parking is important if you live in an area where there are a lot of cars, because to come home late at night and have to drive around streets looking for a spot is really sucky.

All or most of the apartments that I know of will allow you to paint any color you want, as long as you paint it back to white when you move out.

I now rent a house from a relative. It’s a small house but it has storage in basement and attic, two bedrooms, fireplace, dishwasher, washer and dryer, deck, yard, beautiful neighborhood and school district (which was not an issue in my previous two apartments because I had no child at the time).

I know there are ball buster landlords who will keep the deposit no matter how good a tenant is. I always felt that in a building with a management agency you’re better off than one where you are renting from the owner, because the owner might have their own criteria for keeping your deposit, and it may be based on their personal feelings about you, whereas in a building with a management agency, it might be better. Of course there can be exceptions and you can rent from a private owner who is wonderful.

Also, around here, a landlord or management agency who wanted to enter the home to inspect every three months with an 8 hour window to come would never fly.

It varies by state as others have mentioned. To echo @Seek, in FL it’s typical to have to pay first, last, and security, and security usually equals one month’s rent. In other states, like when I lived in Tennessee and North Carolina, security was just $200. Rent prices vary a lot across the US.

I lived in MI and the rent was $450 a month for a very nice 2 bedroom two bath in a college town area. My guess is that rents for about $650 today. The same type of apartment in Boca Raton, FL would be double. In a fancy building it could easily be $2500.

Renting a house from an individual owner has similar expectations for up front costs.

In FL technically the landlord has to put the security in an escrow account, they aren’t supposed to commingle the money with their personal money.

In America it’s highly unusual for a landlord to come by regularly. They need to give the tenant notice that they will be dropping by and the expectation is the tenant can say when it will be convenient for them. I lived in a townhouse for two years and only met the landlord once.

When I lived in an apartment complex a couple of years ago the only time they came in the apartment was if you allowed them to come in to fix something when you weren’t home, or if you forget to leave your fire extinguisher out front for a yearly inspection you were advised they would come in on that day to inspect it. That’s it. You could live there years and years and not have management come into your place.

My aunt lives in NYC and management never goes in her apartment. She has lived in the same place for 40 years. The handyman comes in if she puts in an order to fix something, but she can say she wants to be home when they come.

I just rented a furnished 3 bedroom house for $1295 a month. Very inexpensive considering it’s furnished. All utilities were included including cable TV and internet. That’s typical with furnished places. Unfurnished cable and utilities usually aren’t included. That same place I rented for $1295 rents for $3200 a month during “season.” Season is the winter months in Florida. Annually it would get $1500—$1800ish monthly.

My father used to own an 8 unit apartment building. He was meticulous about its upkeep, was always making improvements, and insisted his renters keep their apartments clean, no smoking, and quiet. He also put into the lease that he would inspect each apartment once a month. I don’t know how he pulled it off, but his renters adored him, and he had a long list of prospective renters. This was 25 years ago in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Renting a house usually is in a home owner’s association (HOA), which intended to ensure a congenial atmosphere for living and keep the house prices up. That’s great, if the rules are good, but sometimes they can make living there unbearable, and often the prospective renter won’t have a chance to see the HOA rules until after they move in.

One place we lived in did not allow on street parking after dark. And our driveway was the steepest in the neighborhood. It was awful because the HOA charged fines for failure to comply.

I rent from a management company.

To move in I had to pay first (615), last (615), and security (500). And if I wanted a cat it would be 150 per cat as a deposit (maximum of two).

I never hear from the management company. They never do inspections and I am fairly certain they are legally required to do a yearly check of our smoke detector. But they never have.

I’m in a pretty big city, and management companies are taking over, sadly. Lately they’ve been buying all the houses on the block, leveling them and putting up luxury apartments. Most brokers I’ve met are also pretty nasty people. So, I try to avoid them.

We pay a full deposit. I had to pay in cash, wish was a bit odd I felt.
If you want an animal, meaning any sort of a pet you have to pay double deposit.

I was always able to pay my deposit with checks. In most cases, pets are not allowed, or restricted (i.e. cats and small dogs only, extra $40/month.) Moving in requires First and Last, which is two month’s rent. Sometimes there’s also security (which can’t be used for rent pay), which can be up to another month’s rent but the only amount extra I’ve ever paid for security is $200. The most landlords are legally allowed to charge is First, Last, Security (total of 3 months’ rent), and then a lock fee.

The only time my landlords have ever been into our apartment is if they had to fix something. They never announced it to us, and it wasn’t a rare occasion. They can legally enter the common areas whenever they want. The only time a landlord would announce when she’d be in our apartment was the one time when my landlord didn’t live on site. I think it was just politeness.

Cash deposits and 3-month check-ins are strange. I don’t know if that’s a common thing in UK but I don’t know anyone who’s experienced it here. Maybe you just have a sketchy/paranoid real estate company? One thing that’s for sure here is that the law is swayed in favor of tenants, so landlords here have a tendency to be paranoid.

We are also responsible for all those things you described.

@JLeslie I find it a bit unreal that they ask for two rents and a deposit, wow, that is a lot.

When I speak of them coming around to inspect, I maybe didn’t word it well.

They inspect your home, every three months. That is, the rental company, not the landlord himself.

I find it irritating to say the least.

@dxs I wonder if it is just this company I am using? The 3-month checks? It is so irritating because I clean like a mad woman for days before, not that my place is dirty, but I am just weird that way. I find the whole thing exhausting to be honest.

As an aside, there is also no smoking in any homes allowed now too.

@LornaLove “That is, the rental company, not the landlord himself.”

The rental company is the landlord’s agent, stepping into his/her shoes and acting on the landlord’s behalf. The same standards – reasonable cause, notice, and time of access – apply to the rental company.

@LornaLove I find it excessive that they check in you every three months, and I’m guessing that is typical for where you are, and not just your landlord. Your in Germany right? That does “feel” to me like just another thing I’ll mark down as the Germans expecting everything ship shape and in order, clean, to standard, and don’t deviate. Good little soldiers or else.

As much as I expect tenants to respect the place they are renting, I think checking in like that is odd.

In America the basic thought is that the security deposit is there if the tenant ruined something and it has to be fixed. If they do damage exceeding the amount of the security deposit the landlord can take the tenant to small claims court to pay for damages.

Higher end apartment complexes assume they will change out carpets and paint when tenants move out, so event stains in carpet might not cost the tenant anything. Those places have high rent though, so some of that is imbedded in the rent. When you move in everything is like new though. One place I lived they changed out your air conditioning filter for you included, trash pick up came to your front door 5 nights a week, they fixed any problems within a day or two. It wasn’t even terribly expensive. I loved that apartment complex.

@JLeslie No, I’m in the UK. I have been Googling a little. It seems some do it, some not. A lot more seem to do it than not. Well, when I say not, I mean some do it less, like 6 month time periods. Some even tell people to ‘clear away cobwebs, clean carpets, make sure windows are clean, lawns are mowed, etc.,

I can’t believe it. I find the whole thing exhausting simply because I am neurotic. I’m going to fish about to find out the law on this. However, because it’s a big rental agency they are probably in the right.

I also think, because they are so pain in the back-side I’ll have a huge list of things I want done!

I thought it was mostly to see if damage was happening on the property.

@LornaLove: Is there a lease and does the lease specify that they’ll be coming around?

Oh, interesting that you’re in the U.K. I confused you with Longgone. I might send her this, as I’m curious to what her answer might be. Goes to show stereotypes in my head are often incorrect.

Up until we purchased our home or should I say, took out the mortgage I had rented all the time since I first moved out of my parents home in the 1970’s. I’ve had varied experiences.

Most of the renting I have done has been on a room-and-board basis, where I would pay an agreed-upon portion of the rent to the main tenant, and we would share in other costs, e.g., utilities, groceries, etc. It was a pretty informal arrangement, however, most expectations of both parties were agreed upon at the start.

When it came to becoming the main tenant, i.e., the lessee, it became a little more formalized. There were a lot of variables. Most of the time, inspections were generally not required, except for routine maintenance.

My first apartment was above a business where I worked, and I had come to know the landlord through his dealings with the business. It was a verbal month-to-month agreement, with utilities included (an unusual situation), and a requested one month notice before moving out. The landlord would only come around to collect rent, or on request if I had any maintenance issues.

Most other apartments I lived in would require the first month’s rent, the last month’s rent, and the equivalent of one month’s rent as a security deposit, and a six-month or annual lease. The year-long lease would typically require a lower monthly rent than the six-month. Technically, the security deposit would be refundable at the end of the tenancy, barring any repair costs that were from something other than “normal wear and tear”.

The interview process could vary. Some would be nothing more than an informal meeting with the landlord (or representative) for the original showing. Others would be a little less formal, including background and credit checks, and pending approval.

One time, in the West Palm Beach area, we looked at a condominium we were interested in renting. The owner of the unit had entrusted the owners’ association with the business of leasing the apartment, so after the background check and credit check, we had to have a meeting with the board of the HOA. I remember the meeting taking about an hour, with the six member board “interviewing” us. It seemed more like the Spanish Inquisition!

Another option which my wife and I experienced is the “lease/purchase option”. This was a house in the Orlando area. It was a normal first/last/security one year lease. At the end of the first year, we would have the option of continuing the lease on an annual basis, or purchasing the house, with the previous year’s rent counting as a down payment. This was something we seriously considered, until we needed to relocate for my wife’s career.