Renters · Move-in
Apartment move-in checklist.
Go through this before you sign and when you get the keys.
Before you sign
Check the lease
- Read the whole lease. Check the rent, the lease length and the move-in date.
- Ask what the rent includes: heat, hot water, gas, electric, trash.
- Ask the deposit amount and when it is due.
Walk-through
Check the apartment
- Photograph every room, including any damage, with the date.
- Test the stove, the sink and shower, the heat, the lights and the locks.
- Send the photos to the landlord by text or email so there is a record.
Keys
When you get them
- Get a copy of the signed lease.
- Ask how to reach the landlord about repairs.
Security deposit
What NJ Courts says
The landlord must keep it in an interest-bearing New Jersey bank account, give you written notice of where it is within 30 days, and return it within 30 days after you move out. Source: NJ Courts.
Paying your own rent
Find an apartment, free.
Tell us your budget, bedrooms and area. A SubCity Group team member texts or calls you with apartments that fit and sets up the tours. SubCity Group charges renters no fee.
Using a Section 8 voucher
Find a voucher apartment, free.
Tell us your voucher bedroom size, budget and area. A SubCity Group team member texts or calls you with apartments that take vouchers and helps with the paperwork. SubCity Group charges renters no fee.
Official sources
Go to the source.
- NJ DCA Landlord-Tenant Information - state tenant resources
- NJ DCA "Truth in Renting" guide (PDF) - the state tenant guide
- NJ: Get help as a renter or tenant - state help for renters
- NJ Courts: the residential security deposit - what the law says about deposits