Renting Your First Place

You are a college freshman and want to rent an apartment rather than live on campus. Let’s begin
the hunt!

Step 1:
You first need to know how much you can afford. Because you have a full load of classes, you are
only going to work 18 hours a week at your part-time job that pays $12.10/hr. Your parents are giving
you $150 a month and also taking care of your car payments and car insurance.

Determine your monthly income using the information from above: $1,021.20

Rent should be no more than 25-35% of your monthly income. Determine how much you can afford
to pay in rent each month: $255.30-
$357.42

Step 2:
Things to consider while apartment hunting.
● Location: close to work/school, public transport, banks and stores, entertainment, friends? Is
it in a safe neighborhood? Is there parking available? Bike trails?
● Rent: Is it within my budget?
● Utilities: Are any utilities covered?
● Overall Conditions: Is it clean and in good condition inside and out? Do the appliances work?
Are there stains on the walls?
● Appliances/Amenities: Does the place have a washer/dryer or dishwasher? Do they have a
pool or work out room?
● Roommates: will you need to live with others? How many roommates? What are the
advantages and disadvantages of roommates?
● Landlord or Management Company: Does the company have a good reputation? Does the
landlord seem responsive and trustworthy?

Note: One place to look for apartments is at Apartments.com.

Step 3:
Select two apartments you can afford and make a list comparing and contrasting the apartments to
select which one will work better for you.

Apartment 1 Name: Hickory Hills East Apartment 2 Name: Patuxent Crossing

Website Address: Website Address:

https://lexingtonparkmdrentalapartments.com/ https://www.habitatamerica.com/communities/p
atuxent-crossing/

Will you need a roommate? Yes or No Will you need a roommate? Yes or No

Compare/Contrast: Compare/Contrast:
● Close to grocery stores ● Close to restaurants
● Close to retail shops and restaurants ● Close to base
● Equal distance for both school districts ● Doesn’t allow dogs
● Great for walks and dogs ● Kid friendly
● No walk space.
Step 4:
Which apartment did you choose? In a paragraph below, explain why you chose the apartment.

I chose Hickory Hills East because there's more to do around the area and everything I would
normally stop by is closer. It's an equal distance to go to california md or lexington park md. The
apartment itself is a lot cheaper than the apartments available in patuxent crossing. I just feel like it
would be more convenient for me because I am a pet owner and that is something to keep in
consideration. The management has good ratings and I have actually looked at this apartment
before. They also go by income if you do not have a credit score which is amazing since I am young.
With a good roommate a 2 bed and 1 bath would be a breeze to keep up with cleaning wise and
financially wise.