Everything you need to know about getting your first apartment — from budgeting to signing the lease to moving in.
A common rule: spend no more than 30% of your monthly income (including financial aid living expenses) on rent. Don't forget to budget for utilities, groceries, internet, and renter's insurance. If you're splitting with roommates, agree on how costs will be divided before signing anything.
Browse listings on Seblea filtered by your budget, bedroom count, and location. Save the ones you like with the bookmark feature. For subleases, check that the dates match your needs. For rentals, verify the lease start date and length.
Never sign a lease without seeing the apartment — either in person or via a virtual tour. On Seblea, you can request a viewing directly through the platform. During the tour, test everything: water pressure, outlets, locks, heating/cooling, and cell signal.
Read every page. Key things to look for: rent amount and due date, late payment penalties, security deposit amount and conditions for return, maintenance responsibilities, guest policies, and what happens if you need to break the lease early.
Document the condition of everything with photos and send them to your landlord. Set up utilities, internet, and mail forwarding. Change the locks if allowed (or ask management to re-key). Make copies of your keys and store one somewhere safe.
Set a budget, search on Seblea for listings in your price range, tour the property, read the lease carefully, and document everything at move-in. Start searching 2–3 months before your move-in date.
Aim for no more than 30% of your monthly income or living expenses. Don't forget to include utilities, internet, and renter's insurance in your budget.
Browse verified listings and find compatible roommates on Seblea.