First Apartment Rental Tips

Your parents warn that you'll never get your security deposit back. Your friends say that you will; don't worry about it. Your boss advises that you and your soon-to-be roommates should all ink the rental paperwork, but your friends say it's cool if you sign alone.

There's a lot of conflicting advice and untruths floating around about leasing an apartment, and for many first-time renters, this entirely novel encounter may be utterly confusing.

So whether you have found or are in the throes of finding the perfect pad or post-college spread, here's a run-down of what every first-time renter should know and a checklist of things to do to make finding and living in a new apartment a stress-free adventure.