Renting as an International Student

Renting in the US as an international student is harder than it should be, mainly because the system assumes you have a Social Security number, a US credit score and a parent in the US who can cosign. You probably have none of those. The good news is that landlords rent to international students all the time. This guide covers what to offer instead, whether to sign before you arrive, how to pay safely, where to stay for your first weeks, and the parts of US renting that surprise newcomers.

Why US landlords ask for so much

A US landlord's usual screening has three parts: a credit check tied to your SSN, proof of income (often about three times the monthly rent), and sometimes a guarantor who meets the same tests. When you have no US credit file and no US income, the landlord has nothing to score. That is not a judgment on you. It just means you need to give them something else to rely on, and the better your file, the less extra money you will be asked for.

The federal Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination based on national origin, so a landlord cannot turn you down because of the country you are from. They can, however, require the same income and credit standards from everyone, and ask for extra security when you cannot meet them.

What to offer instead of a credit score and SSN

Most international students can only get an SSN once they are authorized to work, for example with an on-campus job, and it takes time even then. So plan to rent without one. Build a single PDF that answers the landlord's questions before they ask:

• Identity: passport and visa pages.
• Student status: your I-20 or DS-2019 and your admission or enrollment letter.
• Funds: bank statements (translated, with the balance shown in US dollars) and any scholarship, assistantship or sponsor letter that states the amount and period covered.
• History: a reference letter from a previous landlord or university residence, translated if needed.
• A short cover note: who you are, your program and its dates, how rent will be paid, and a phone number and email that work.

Some landlords and screening services accept an ITIN (a tax number some non-residents have) in place of an SSN, and a few can check a credit report from certain other countries. Ask. The answer varies by landlord, and small landlords are often more flexible than large management companies with fixed software. For more on documents, SSNs and visas, see our international renters questions.

Guarantors, guarantor services and paying upfront

When your documents are not enough, landlords usually ask for one of three things.

• A US guarantor. Someone with US income and credit who signs to cover your rent. Many landlords do not accept guarantors who live abroad, because they cannot enforce the guarantee. If you have a relative in the US, ask them early.
• A guarantor service. A company that acts as your guarantor for a fee, often a share of a month's or a year's rent. Confirm the landlord accepts the specific company before you pay it, and read what happens if you leave early, since the company can pursue you for anything it pays out.
• A larger deposit or rent paid in advance. Some landlords will approve you if you pay several months up front. Many states limit how much a landlord can collect in advance or as a deposit, so check the rule where you are renting. Only prepay after you have seen the apartment and signed a lease with a landlord you have verified, and get a receipt that shows exactly which months are paid. Prepaid rent is hard to get back if something goes wrong.

Ask your university's international student office too. Some schools keep lists of landlords used to renting to their students, and a few offer guarantees or help with housing paperwork.

Renting before you arrive, safely

Signing from abroad is possible, and sometimes necessary in tight markets, but it is exactly the situation rental scammers look for. A student overseas who cannot visit, has a fixed arrival date and is used to paying by international transfer is the ideal target. Before you commit to anything remotely:

1. Get a live video tour, not photos or a recorded video. Ask the person to open the front door from outside, show the street and the building number, and turn on the taps.
2. Confirm that the person controls the property. Look up the owner in the county's public property records, or confirm with the management company using contact details you found yourself.
3. Search the photos with a reverse image search. Scammers copy real listings.
4. If possible, ask a classmate already in the city, or a current student from your program, to see the place in person.
5. Sign a written lease before paying anything, and never pay a deposit to "hold" a place you have not toured.

If any of that is not possible, do not sign from abroad. Book temporary housing and search in person. Our guide on finding housing before you move to a new city covers remote searching in more depth, and the red flags to watch for are collected in our rental scam questions.

Temporary housing for your first weeks

Many international students do best by arriving two to four weeks before classes, staying somewhere temporary, and choosing an apartment in person. Options, roughly from cheapest:

• University temporary housing. Some schools offer short stays for new international students. Ask the international office before you book anything else.
• A short sublet. Summer sublets often have a few weeks left in August, and some students rent out a room for a month. Look in your school's college group.
• A furnished short-term rental booked through an established platform that holds your payment and has a refund policy. Never pay a host directly off the platform.
• A hostel or extended-stay hotel, which costs more per night but needs no screening at all.

Look at the dates carefully. In college towns, much of the market is leased by August, and in some cities most leases start on the first of a particular month, so a short stay that ends a week before the next lease cycle can leave you stranded. Our off-campus housing timeline explains when student leases usually start.

Paying rent from abroad and in the US

Most US landlords expect rent in US dollars from a US bank account, by an online portal, bank transfer or check. Until you have a US account, you will need a plan:

• Open a US bank account soon after arriving. Many banks near campus will open accounts for international students with a passport, I-20 or DS-2019 and proof of address. Your lease often works as proof of address.
• Pay the first deposit through the landlord's own system where possible, such as a property management portal, rather than to a personal account.
• Watch exchange costs. Card payments and bank transfers from abroad can carry fees and a poor exchange rate. Compare before you pay a large deposit.
• Keep every receipt. You may need them to get your deposit back, and a landlord's receipt is your proof that rent was paid.

Be very wary of anyone who asks for an international wire, a money transfer service, a payment app, gift cards or crypto before you have signed. These payments are close to impossible to reverse, and they are exactly how scammers take international students' deposits.

What surprises newcomers about US renting

Some things that feel normal to US renters are not normal elsewhere, and the other way around.

• Leases are usually twelve months. Leaving early typically means paying a fee or rent until the unit is re-let, even if your program ends. If your program is shorter, ask for a lease that matches it, or plan to sublet the remaining months with permission.
• Apartments are usually unfurnished. A fridge and stove are normally included, but beds, sofas and desks are not. Furnished places cost more.
• Utilities are often separate. Electricity, gas, internet and sometimes water are billed to you on top of rent. Ask what a typical month costs.
• Fees exist. Application fees, and in some cities broker fees, are common. Ask about every fee up front.
• Deposits come back with deductions. Many states require the landlord to return the deposit within a set period with an itemized list of deductions. Photograph the apartment on move-in day.
• Renters insurance is common and often required. It covers your belongings and your liability, not the building.
• Laundry varies. It may be in the unit, in the basement, or at a laundromat down the street. Ask.
• Sizes are in square feet. Listings often leave the size out, so ask for it, or for room dimensions, before you compare prices.

The rules on deposits, notice and landlord entry vary by state and sometimes by city, so check the local rules or ask your university's off-campus housing office. More newcomer questions are answered on our international renters page.

Using housing groups as an international student

College housing groups are where many students find rooms in shared houses, sublets and roommates from their own program, often from landlords who have rented to international students before. Find your school in the college group directory, and join your city group too. Use your real profile, answer the membership questions, and say in your posts that you are an incoming international student, your program, your dates and your budget. Many posters are happy to help someone who is clear about their situation.

If you are heading the other way, to study or work in another country, the group directory lists groups by country. Expect different norms there: deposit amounts, agency fees, furnished versus unfurnished, and whether a guarantor must live in that country all vary. The safety rules do not change: see the place, verify the person, sign first, and pay by a method you can trace.