Renting Your First Apartment When You Have Social Anxiety

Renting an apartment for the first time can be scary for anyone. Especially once you see some of these rent prices!

But besides the usual nerves that come with making such a big decision in life. Social anxiety can make completing this milestone even more daughting when you consider all the apartment tours and phone calls that are required.

So just as I did in my post, Buying Your First Car When You Have Social Anxiety. I will be sharing my complete experience with the apartment renting process. Instead of providing you with a typical step-by-step apartment renting guide. I will also include details about every social interaction I had during the entire process. That way you can be well prepared about what to expect! Let’s get started!

Decide How Much Rent You Can Afford

I’m sure you’ve already seen some of your local rent prices. And if you’re like most people, you’re probably wondering how in the heck you’ll ever be able to afford to live on your own.

Well, I personally think it’s better to wait until you have a job that allows you to pay the rent with your paycheck. That way you won’t have to dip into your savings every month to cover any differences. But since that isn’t an option for most people. The next best thing is to create a budget, save as much as you can, and be realistic about what you can spare for rent.

Know What Makes Up Rent Prices

The rent may be higher than just the price that’s listed online. Some apartment complexes may have things like utilities included in their price. But other complexes may require you to pay utilities directly to the power and water companies. So while some of these expenses may not be your rent price directly, they do make up the entire cost of renting an apartment. You also usually won’t know what makes up a particular rent price until you ask.

Things That MAY NOT Be Included in the Rent Price

• Electricity
• Water
• Internet/Cable
• Trash removal
• Parking
• Renters Insurance (may have to get through your car insurance)

Things That COULD Be Included In The Rent Price

• Pet fees
• Electricity
• Water
• Trash removal
• Parking
• Renters Insurance

As you can see, the rent prices listed on the website are not so black and white. It will be important to ensure you have room in your budget for each of these expenses.

Be Intentional About Saving Before Moving Out

When I began renting an apartment for the first time, there were a lot of back-to-back expenses I didn’t account for. But one good thing about having social anxiety is that I’ve spent the majority of my time in the house not spending money (lol 🥲). So my savings came in clutch!

To give an example of this. I moved into my apartment on February 16th and had to pay a security deposit and prorated rent (and other things). Then I had to turn around and pay a full month’s rent just 14 days later! In short, you need to save!!

You may also be interested in:

• How I Started Forcing Myself Out Of The House
• How To Stop Being Bored When You Have No Friends

Things To Consider Saving For Before Renting An Apartment

• Application fee (~$25)
• One-time pet fee (I’ve seen upwards of $500 for one pet)
• Security Deposit (Usually depends on your credit score. But can be equal to one month’s rent)
• Prorated Rent (This is based on the number of days you spend in the apartment during the first month. Starts on your move-in day.)
• First month’s rent
• First month’s utility and internet bills
• Security Deposit to start utility services (This depends on your credit score. If you have good credit you shouldn’t have to pay anything)
• Emergency savings (NerdWallet.com has a great calculator you can use for this)
• Grocery Haul
• Furniture (I’ve spent over $5000 furnishing my apartment so far 😱)
• Movers/ U-haul if needed

*Tip #1 – Your local utility company may have a .pdf document showing the average rate of services for apartments in the area.

*Tip #2 – I highly recommend creating a sinking fund just for your apartment. You could use those funds for everything listed above and tap into it should you ever need extra money for rent later on.

Create A Monthly Budget

If you haven’t created a monthly budget before, you may need to look through your previous bank statements first. This will allow you to see where your money has been going. If you don’t want to do this, you will have to take a few months to track everywhere you spend your money. To create your budget you will need to:

• Write down all your income sources
• Write down all of your current expenses (bills, debts you’re paying on, gas, etc)
• Write down the amount you save each month
• Subtract your expenses and savings from your income to determine the remaining amount

There’s are plenty of videos on YouTube to help you make your first monthly budget. You can even search by your exact monthly income and there may be a video showing how to budget it. Below is the video I used to make my first monthly budget:

• How to Start a Budget: Bi-Weekly Pay Periods! – Morey June

Decide What Kind Of Apartment You Want And Where You Want To Move

I felt so overwhelmed with the decision of where to move and what kind of apartment I wanted. At some point, I forreal felt like I would just be stuck in my parent’s house forever. I couldn’t see how I could ever accomplish this milestone with my indecision and social anxiety working against me. In the end, I ended up staying in my hometown because of the value I found in one of the apartment complexes. Even though it wasn’t in my plans. God still allowed me to find an apartment that meets my wants, needs, and budget!

You may also be interested in:

• How To Survive Your Waiting Season.

I believe that having a good idea of what exactly you’re looking for will help you know when an apartment is the one for you. So first, make a list of your non-negotiables, wants, and deal-breakers. These are just some examples:

Non-negotiables

• Allows pets
• Has a balcony
• Close to job

Wants

• Near a highway
• Luxury appliances
• New Construction

Deal-breakers

• Rodents
• Parking-garage
• Unsafe neighborhood

Decide Where You Want To Move

Now that you know what you want out of an apartment. Decide on which area you would like to move to. Here are a few things you may want to consider before choosing your new location:

• Whether or not your current job has locations in that area
• General job availability
• Safety
• Cost of living
• Weather
• Diaster Rate

One thing I found helpful while deciding where I wanted to move, was watching apartment tours/apartment hunting on YouTube in my areas of consideration. This helped me to get a general idea of prices and the style of apartments to choose from. They were also just fun to watch!

A GREAT YouTube channel to literally get a tour of an actual city is Mileage Mike Travels. He films himself driving through states across the USA, showing just the view of the roads. Watching these helped me get a feel of the roads and traffic because I knew I didn’t want to live somewhere with narrow streets and city traffic 😷.

You may also be interested in:

• How To Get Over Driving Anxiety (4 Simple Steps)

Travel To Those Areas Before Renting An Apartment There

If you live close enough or are willing to travel – go see your areas of consideration in person. It helps to get the vibe of an area, see how the traffic flows, and just feel what it’s like to be there. After all, this is where you’ll be for at least the next year and where all your hard-earned cash will be going. If you aren’t much of a risk taker, it’s better to check out the area before committing to renting your first apartment there. I took many areas off my list because I didn’t like how it looked or felt to be there in person.

Find And Schedule Some Apartments To Tour

The easiest way to find apartments is by searching online. Here are the websites I frequented during my search:

• Apartments.com
• Apartmentlist.com (I also used their app)
• Rentcafe.com

Some other ways to find apartments are:

• Word of mouth
• Driving around
• Google Maps (Start with a place you desire to live near, then just scroll the surrounding areas)

I technically found my apartment on Apartments.com. I had written down a potential place to tour. Then a few days later my mom said she saw a sign for a new complex while driving home and thought I should check it out. Later on, I realized that it was the same place I had already put on my list!

I only toured areas that were within driving distance away from me. So I won’t be able to give advice on if you’re moving somewhere far away from home.

Decide Which Apartments Are Worth Touring

Here was my step-by-step process for deciding which apartment I would tour:

1. Found an apartment within my price range
2. Googled the apartment to see comments, ratings, and tenant pictures. This will be according to your own standards
   • I only considered apartments that were 4 stars and above
   • If even one comment mentioned bugs or mice it was immediately cut from my list
3. Visited the actual website for the apartment to do virtual tours, view their listed prices, and availability
4. Looked at the apartment complex on Google Maps using the street view. I also looked at what was near it.
5. If the apartment complex passed all my checks, I added it to my list

Schedule Your Apartment Tours

Once you have a list of apartments, it’s time to start scheduling tours! The best way to maximize your time is by scheduling a few tours on the same day. I think my tours took around 45 minutes, depending on the size of the complex. Probably even less than that honestly. Either way, they were way quicker than I expected.

Most apartment complexes have a scheduling feature on their website. But for others, you may have to email the leasing office with your available times and days.

Write Down Some Questions

When it comes to renting an apartment for the first time, you will want to know everything there is to know about the apartment complex before moving in. I found most of my questions were answered before I even had to ask, just during the initial showing of the apartment. However, here are a few examples of some questions:

• Are utilities included in the rent?
• How frequently does rent increase?
• Can you explain the security of the building?
• How do you handle receiving and holding packages?
• How much are parking fees? Is there a visitor’s parking lot? Are there parking passes?
• Where is the location of the mailbox?
• Is there a maintenance team on call? How do I put in maintenance requests?
• How is rent paid? Do you accept checks or is it all online?

How My Apartment Tours Went

Typically when I showed up to the apartment complex, property management would make a copy of my ID and ask me questions about what I was looking for and when I could move in. They would ask how many bedrooms I wanted to see and give me a few informational pages about the complex. Basically, the questions that were asked when I scheduled the tour online were the same questions they asked in person.

Then they showed me the model apartment and the amenities and answered any questions I had. Also, at some point in the process, they may give you a list of quotes for the apartment(s) you’re interested in. Something to note is that prices on apartment websites change daily and could be lower or higher based on the season. I unfortunately do not remember which seasons they said prices are lower. This could also just be the area I was in.

Apply For The Apartment You Want

I personally applied for my apartment online. You may be able to do it in person after your tour, but I’m not sure. The application may have a fee (mine was $25) and it will ask you things like your available move-in date, job, salary, and personal information.

What You Will Need During The Application Process

When I was learning the process of renting an apartment for the first time, these were a few things I was hearing would be needed for my application:

• Pay stubs
• Vet records
• Pet information (including a picture!)
• Rental history
• Credit history

Now, I don’t know if it’s because the apartment complex I moved in is so new, or what. But the only thing I had to “provide” was my credit history. None of the information I put on my application got verified 😬. So here are a couple of articles that may help you with this step:

• A Step by Step Guide Through the Rental Application Process – RentCafe.com
• The Apartment Application Process, Step by Step – ApartmentGuide.com

I do know, that some places may have a waiting list, so it could take months before there is even an available apartment for you. All of that should be stated on the tour or on the apartment’s website.

After You Get Selected For An Apartment

Once I was selected for my apartment, I got an automated email from the apartment’s website stating a lease agreement was uploaded to my account. I am sure this process will look different from place to place. Either way you will get some sort of notification.

Get Your Lease Agreement

You will get an unsigned lease agreement which should have everything spelled out for you in simple terms. Read through it carefully before signing! It should also state everything that you owe upfront. For me, my security deposit was due immediately to ensure performance of the lease. My proated rent and one time pet fee were also due immedetialy, but in person they said I could pay the day I moved in. I recommend viewing the actual apartment you will be renting before signing anything. More on that below.

View The Apartment That Will Be Yours

You can either do this during the initial tour provided they have the apartment you want available. Or you can do this after they send you the lease. Either way, make sure you do it BEFORE signing your lease!! Ensure the apartment is up to your standards:

• Is the water working?
• Do the outlets work?
• Do you notice anything that needs to be fixed before you move in?

After you sign the lease, the property manager will counter sign, you’ll pay the security deposit and any other fees. And then you’ll offically be renting your first apartment!

Get Any Utilities Set Up And/Or Put In Your Name

If the utilities are not included in the rent, you will have to get them put into your name on or before your move in date. Here’s how to do this:

Electricity – find out which utility company your apartment uses. Either call that company or apply online. You will need your new address of course, and the date that you want the service to start. As well as other personal information. Depending on your credit, you may have to pay a security deposit.

Water – This most likely works like the electric company. But I did not have to set this up, because my apartment currently includes this with the rent.

Internet – Check with your apartment to see if they have a builtin router in their apartments. If you use Xfinity, once you put in your address, there should be a notification of some sort telling you that your address has one already. If there is not already a router installed, you will have to have them send it to your new apartment or pick one up at the local store.

Once you have made all these phone calls 😮‍💨. You shouldn’t have to do anything else, as everything is already working in the complex, its just a matter of putting the bills in your name. At least thats how it was for me. Now you just have to wait for your move in date! And shop for new furniture of course!

Move-In Day

This will be one of the most exciting and nerve-racking days you’ll ever have! Your lease will have told you your move-in day and the latest time on that day that your apartment should be ready. Once it is ready, you may receive a call or email from the leasing office. Or you may have to call them and let them know when you will be coming to pick up your keys. This probably varies. For me, the leasing office called to see what time I would be coming.

Once you get there, you may have to sign a bunch of other agreements. Then they will hand you your keys, maybe walk you to your apartment and show you around again. Or they will just let you do your thing once the keys are in your hand.

Complete A Checklist Of Your New Apartment

Property management gave me a checklist for the apartment, in which I had to do a walk-through and mark anything and everything that was wrong. Take your time on this part, because once you move out, you don’t want any issues getting back your security deposit. Take pictures of EVERYTHING you find wrong. No matter how small. Don’t chance it.

How My Move In Day Went

Like I stated above, I had to sign a bunch more forms. This included a pet agreement and instructions for putting in a change of address with the post office. It went by fairly quickly. They gave me my keys and then someone walked me to the apartment and gave me another tour of my new place.

Regarding the checklist they gave me -I moved in on a holiday weekend so I had 5 days to turn my checklist in. But the timeframe they give you, may be different. Once I turned my list in, property management reviewed it. Anything they figured was a quick fix, they immediately sent over a maintenance worker to address those issues. That was for things like, touching up paint and taking a look at the AC. But the bigger fixes, like dents in doors, they left alone which was perfectly fine. I just needed them to know those things were already there lol.

Remember To Change Your Address

Another thing I didn’t think about, was all the things I would have to change my address on. I’ve only been in my apartment for a few weeks now, so I may have to come back and edit this list lol. But for now, here are a few things you will have to put in for a change of address:

1. The post office
2. Your job
3. DMV – get your ID and vehicle registration updated.

Final Thoughts On Renting An Apartment For The First Time

There you have it! Renting an apartment for the first time is a scary, but exciting step in our lives. Just thinking about the process can leave you feeling confused and overwhelmed. I know it did for me! As someone who lacks a lot of life experience, I wanted to make this guide to help anyone who may be on the same boat. I hope you found it helpful!

What’s your biggest fear when it comes to renting an apartment for the first time?