International renters
What documents do I need to rent as an international student?
Updated By the Housing Rocket moderators
Short answer
Have your passport, visa, I-20 or DS-2019, university admission or enrollment letter, and proof of funds such as bank statements or a scholarship letter ready before you apply. Add guarantor details, a previous landlord reference and a US phone number if you have them. Landlords decide quickly, so send everything at once.
Scan everything into clear PDFs with sensible file names before you start searching. When a good room comes up, the person who sends a complete application first often gets it.
- Identity: passport photo page and visa page. Send copies only. Nobody needs your physical passport.
- Status: I-20 (F-1) or DS-2019 (J-1), plus your admission or enrollment letter showing program dates.
- Funds: recent bank statements, a scholarship, assistantship or sponsor letter, with totals converted to US dollars.
- Guarantor: the guarantor's contact details and documents, or an approval letter from a guarantor service.
- History: a reference from a previous landlord or university residence, translated into English if needed.
- Contact: a US phone number if you have one, and an email address you check every day.
Black out account numbers on bank statements except the last few digits, and never send your full documents to someone you have not verified as the landlord or manager. Fake landlords collect passport and visa scans to commit identity theft. Keep a note of who you sent what, and when.
Want the whole picture? Read Renting as an International Student.