International renters
Can I sign a lease on an F-1 or J-1 visa?
Updated By the Housing Rocket moderators
Short answer
Yes. Nothing about an F-1 or J-1 visa stops you from signing a lease in your own name. Landlords will usually check that your status covers the lease period, so expect questions about your program end date, and plan the lease length around it rather than accepting a default 12 months.
Landlords typically ask for your I-20 or DS-2019 because it shows your program dates. If your program ends before the lease does, some will ask for a guarantor or proof that you can pay the remaining months, and others will offer a shorter lease, sometimes at a higher monthly rent.
- Exchange students on short J-1 programs: look for semester leases, furnished rooms or sublets rather than 12-month apartments.
- Students with a spouse or children on F-2 or J-2 status: ask for every adult to be listed on the lease as a tenant or occupant, as the landlord requires.
- Students planning to stay on OPT or a later program: say so, and ask about renewal terms before you sign.
Your visa limits where you can work, not where you can live. You can live off campus, share with US or international roommates, and move during your program, as long as you report your new address as your status requires.
Nobody needs your original passport, I-20 or DS-2019 to rent. Share copies, and be wary of anyone who asks you to hand over or post the originals.
Want the whole picture? Read Renting as an International Student.