Tenant background checks make up a perfectly normal part of the rental process. Whether you’re signing a long-term lease or just a month-to-month agreement, most landlords will want to know if you’re trustworthy, financially stable, and free of a criminal past before agreeing to take you in.

A lease gives the tenant the right to live in a dwelling for a fixed time period — usually 12 months, but it could be any length of time ranging from three months to 24-plus months.

Votes of confidence that come from people who know you in a personal, financial, educational, professional, or prior rental experience capacity. The ideal rental reference will know you well enough to speak to your character and express it to a property owner/agent.

A rental agreement is a month-to-month agreement. At the end of each 30-day period, the landlord and tenant are both free to change the terms.

A group of coverages designed to help protect you and your belongings. A typical renters insurance policy includes liability coverage, protection for your belongings and coverage for additional living expenses, should the home you're renting become temporarily uninhabitable.

A fixed amount of money owed to a landlord that ensures you’ll get your rent paid and fulfill your tenant responsibilities. (I.e. not causing damage to the apartment home.) Damage by pets counts, too.

Whether you're moving away from college or out of Mom and Dad's house this summer, getting your first real place can be a liberating -- and nerve-wracking -- experience.

Avoid huge mistakes and bad surprises before leasing your very first apartment and ask the property manager these critical renters' questions. The feedback you get will help you decide if a community is a good fit for you, and the answers will also affect your quality of life, should you sign a lease and move in.