The deposit
What moving out really costs
Plan on two to three months of rent in cash before the keys change hands: one month upfront plus a security deposit of one to two months. On an apartment renting at $1,200 a month that is $2,400–$3,600 — before fees, utility hookups, insurance and a bed to sleep on.
The deposit
The application
Utility hookups
Renter's insurance
Starting from zero
Notice and the deposit clock
On a $1,200 apartment, expect to hand over $2,400–$3,600 before move-in day — and that is before fees, hookups and furniture.
The standard structure is simple: one month of rent upfront, plus a security deposit of one to two months' rent — the common maximum a landlord charges on an unfurnished unit. On an apartment renting at $1,200 a month, that is $2,400 to $3,600 due before the keys change hands.
Timing matters as much as the total. Some landlords collect the first month at signing rather than on move-in day, which moves the whole cash requirement earlier by days or weeks, and a key deposit of $20–$50 can be added to the same check.
The deposit and first month are only the core. Screening fees, utility connections, insurance and furnishing push the realistic first-month total to roughly $2,955–$5,610 — the full worksheet sits in the table below, and each line is itemized on the first-apartment costs page.
From saving the cash to getting the deposit back, the steps run in a fixed order — and the deadlines at each end are set by the lease and by state law.
The order below is the part nobody hands a first-time renter. Each step carries a cost, and two of them — notice and deposit return — carry deadlines that protect the tenant only if the paperwork is right.
Applications fail for a short list of named reasons: income below the landlord's requirement, a thin or damaged credit file, a prior eviction on record, or an incomplete application. Each failed application still costs its $40–$100 screening fee, which is why the budget step comes first.
At the far end of the lease the same discipline runs in reverse: written notice 30–60 days out, the condition report from move-in day to compare against, and a deposit clock of 14–30 days once the unit is vacated.
None of these lines is large on its own; together they add $150–$430 to what is already the most expensive month of the lease.
Application, screening and admin fees run roughly $40–$100 per applicant, per apartment. Apply to three places in a competitive market and the screening line alone can reach $300 — money that is not refunded when an application is declined.
The first week is where the surprise costs sit. Electricity reconnection or a utility deposit runs $30–$150, internet installation $30–$100, and phone or gas setup $20–$80 depending on the address. These are connection charges, not monthly bills — the bills come on top.
Renter's insurance is the one small line that protects everything else: $15–$30 a month for a unit at $1,200 rent, with liability limits commonly offered between $100,000 and $500,000. The landlord's insurance covers the building; it never covers the tenant's own belongings.
Each figure uses the same $1,200 monthly rent so the lines can be compared side by side.
Four clauses decide nearly all of the financial risk in a first lease: the exit fee, the notice period, the deposit rules and the condition report.
Breaking a 12-month lease early commonly triggers a fee of one to two months' rent plus any unpaid rent — on a $1,200 unit, an exit in month eight can cost $2,400 or more before the deposit is even discussed.
Notice is the cheapest clause to get right and the most expensive to ignore: most leases require 30–60 days' written notice even when the term has ended, and a missed window can roll the tenancy into another paid month.
The deposit has its own protections. A move-in condition report is legally required before a deposit can be collected in some states, and once the tenant vacates, state deadlines give the landlord 14–30 days to return the money — with penalties commonly set at two to three times the deposit for late return. The full ten-clause checklist is on the lease page.
| Item | Typical cost | When it is due |
|---|---|---|
| First month's rent | $1,200 | At signing or on move-in day |
| Security deposit | $1,200–$2,400 (1–2 months) | Before the keys are handed over |
| Application and screening fees | $40–$100 per applicant | With each application submitted |
| Key deposit | $20–$50 | At signing, where charged |
| Electricity connection or deposit | $30–$150 | First week |
| Internet installation | $30–$100 | First week |
| Phone or gas setup | $20–$80 | First week |
| Renter's insurance, first month | $15–$30 | Before or at move-in |
The list below names the categories of public material — state deposit statutes, insurer rate cards and standard amortization math — behind each range on the page.