🇺🇸 United States · Housing
Renting and buying property in United States — typical rents, deposits, contracts, and official tenancy rules.
Renting in the United States is governed mostly at state and city level — there is no national tenancy registry, and leases are private contracts whose deposit limits, notice periods and eviction rules are set by state law. There are no citizenship or residency restrictions on renting or buying residential property.
- Security deposits are typically about one month's rent; caps and return deadlines vary by state.
- Standard leases run 12 months; landlords usually run credit and background checks and ask for proof of income (often ~3× the rent).
- Foreign nationals can buy US real estate with no residency requirement and pay the same property taxes as residents.
Official authorities
- HUD — U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Federal tenant rights and fair-housing information.
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
Official mortgage and home-buying guidance.
Official-information aggregation, not legal advice. Always verify on the authority's own site.
Typical rents by city
| Cities | 1-bedroom rent |
|---|---|
| New York | $2,800–5,000/mo (Manhattan); $1,800–3,000/mo (Brooklyn/Queens) |
| Los Angeles | USD 2,000–3,800/mo (downtown/Santa Monica); USD 1,400–2,500/mo (SGV) |
Tools & platforms
- Zillow
Listings for rentals and homes for sale.
- Apartments.com
Rental listings across US metros.
Government portals
- The White House — Official residence and office of the US President — executive orders, policy briefings, press releases
- U.S. Department of State — US passport and visa services, travel warnings, embassy information worldwide
- Internal Revenue Service (IRS) — Federal tax filing, refund status, ITIN/EIN applications, and Free File program
- USCIS — Green card, H-1B and work visas, naturalization, immigration benefits, and case status