How to rent your first apartment

Renting an apartment for the first time is an exciting step into adulthood but it’s a big commitment financially so you want to make sure you do your homework and make a choice that’s right for you — and your budget.

First, you have to time it right when you’re looking at apartments — you don’t want to start too early or too late.

If you’re in college, you should start at least nine months in advance, since you’re negotiating for next year. But if you have graduated from college and are looking for an apartment to move into soon, you should start looking about six weeks in advance of when you want to move in.

However, it’s never too early (or too late) to prepare yourself for renting…