Ask about rental-history requirements before paying a fee
The FTC recommends asking what a landlord uses to evaluate applicants before paying an application or background-check fee. Explain that this would be your first lease and request the screening criteria in writing.
A useful opening question is: “I have not rented an apartment in my own name before. Do you consider first-time renters, and what can I provide instead of a previous landlord reference?” Follow up with these questions:
- Is prior rental history required, or can you review other references?
- Which income documents and identification do you need?
- How should I complete required previous-landlord fields if I lived with family or in student housing?
- Do you accept a cosigner or guarantor, and what requirements would that person need to meet?
- What fees apply, and is this application for an available apartment or a waiting list?
Save the answers with the property name and date. An invitation to apply is not an approval. Asking first helps you decide whether the property’s process fits the records you can actually provide.
List where you lived, even if you lived with parents
Address history and rental history answer different questions. An address-history field asks where you lived. A rental-history field may ask about leases, payments and previous landlords. Read the instructions for each field rather than leaving all prior addresses blank because you have never signed a lease.
If an online form requires a landlord name or monthly rent that does not fit your situation, contact management for instructions. Do not invent a landlord, claim you paid rent when you did not, or use a made-up phone number to get past the form.
Here is an example note for someone who lived with family without paying rent: “I lived with my parents at the address listed from June 2023 through September 2026. I did not have a separate lease or pay rent. This would be my first apartment lease. Please let me know how to record that arrangement and which alternative references you accept.” Change every detail to match your own history.
If you did pay rent to a relative or shared a home informally, describe that arrangement accurately and disclose the relationship. Ask whether genuine payment records or confirmation from the person you paid would help. Those records do not turn an informal arrangement into a lease you never had.
Choose references who can verify something specific
Ask which alternatives management considers, then get each person’s permission before sharing their contact information. A reference should explain how they know you and only confirm facts they can support. These are options to ask about, not documents every property must accept.
Scroll the table sideways to see every column.
| Contact | What you could ask them to confirm |
|---|---|
| Family member or household host | Your residence dates and the actual living arrangement, with the relationship disclosed. |
| Student housing office | Your residence dates and any housing records the office is able to release. |
| Employer or supervisor | Employment details they are authorized to verify; this is not a rental-payment reference. |
| Caseworker or program contact | Their role, how long they have worked with you and relevant facts they can verify with your consent. |
Keep residence confirmation, a personal reference and proof of income separate in your packet. A person who confirms your address has not necessarily verified your earnings or promised to pay your rent. Avoid sending unrelated medical, case-management or financial records simply to make the application look more complete.
Prepare the rest of your first-apartment application
The CFPB explains that tenant screening can include several kinds of information, including credit, rental history and employment verification. Having no previous lease does not tell you what the rest of a report contains or how a particular manager will assess it.
Use the property’s checklist to gather the identification, household information and income records it requests. If you have a new job, benefits or irregular earnings, our guide to income documents without pay stubs helps you ask which records will work.
Before submitting, check that your dates, addresses and reference details agree across the application and attachments. Use the manager’s verified submission channel, keep copies and request confirmation that the packet is complete. Keep monthly rent, utilities and required charges separate from one-time move-in costs when comparing apartments.
If a manager asks for a cosigner or guarantor, treat that as a separate commitment. University of Chicago’s leasing guide explains that this person takes on responsibility connected to the lease. Read the actual agreement together to understand the payments covered, duration and release conditions before anyone signs. Giving a reference is not the same as signing a guarantee.
If the application stalls, ask what is missing
Ask whether the problem is an incomplete application, the property’s rental-history requirement, another screening criterion or information in a screening report. Those situations need different next steps. A manager may need a missing document; another property may have a first-time renter process that fits your circumstances better.
If the issue is incorrect information in a screening report, use our tenant screening dispute guide. Having no rental record is different from a report wrongly assigning someone else’s eviction or debt to you.
For help organizing an application or comparing housing options, look for a HUD-participating housing counseling agency that offers rental services. Ask what help it provides and whether any fees apply before making an appointment. HUD notes that agencies do not all offer the same services, so confirm that the counselor can help with your particular rental question.