What's Available?

• 1). Buy a local newspaper. Open the want ads and look for a section entitled "Apartments and Townhomes For Rent." Sometimes the listings will be shown under a title saying simply "For Rent." Also check college kiosks and college newspapers for listings.
  
  
• 2). Check out Craigslist listings in your area, or Google "townhomes for rent in (your town)." Many Internet listings will have pictures of the townhome interiors.
  
  
• 3). Call the listing and schedule an appointment to see the townhome.
  
  
• 4). Write down a list of things you'll want to ask the landlord. For example, you'll want to know if the utilities and maintenance (lawn care and snow removal) are included in the monthly rent, how much the security deposit is and if you can have pets. Find out what their policy is regarding noise, and get all the policies in writing.
  
  
• 5). Contact a friend to come along with you for safety reasons and for a second set of eyes to catch things that you might miss.
  
  
• 6). Ask for a copy of the lease and read it carefully. Leases are usually written in small print and in legal language not easy to understand, but critical details about security deposits and evictions will emerge as you read it.
  
  

Getting Real

• 1). Consider your financial and safety needs before signing the lease. Don't let your emotions run away with you! There's nothing worse than biting off more than you can chew financially. Is the deposit too high? Are they asking for both the first and last months' rent for a deposit in addition to the first month of regular rent? If you can truly afford it, and you love the place and its location, fine. But look around for better deals before signing up for this.
  
  
• 2). Before you pay your deposit and move in, walk through the unit with your landlord and write down any imperfections you see, such as wall marks or carpet discoloration. Write these down. You don't want to lose part of your security deposit for problems you didn't cause. Come to an agreement with your landlord about whether these imperfections will be fixed or not.
  
  
• 3). Pay your deposit and sign the lease. Move in on the date agreed upon by you and your new landlord!