Start here · 9 lessons
I'm signing my first lease.
Before you sign, while you sign, and the first week after. Take these in order. One a day is plenty. Ticking “Done” is saved only on this device.
- Can I afford to move out?
Add up rent plus utilities and compare it to your monthly income.
- Apartment hunting and rental scams
Fake listings copy real photos and ask for money before you've seen the place.
- Your first lease
Read every page before you sign.
- Your rights as a tenant
Federal law bans housing discrimination, your state sets most other tenant rules, and if a screening report gets you denied you can see and dispute it.
- Renters insurance
Your landlord's insurance covers the building, not your stuff.
- How credit scores work
Your credit score is a number that predicts whether you'll pay a loan back on time.
- Finding your water shutoff and breaker panel
Find the main water shutoff and the breaker panel before anything goes wrong.
- Testing your smoke alarms
Press the test button on every smoke alarm once a month, and replace the whole alarm 10 years after the date it was made.
- Fixing a running toilet
Most running toilets come down to a worn flapper or a float set too high.