GuideOct 26

Housing in the United States: Finding a Rental Safely and Knowing Your Rights

Finding a place to live is one of the first big tasks after arrival, and it is where scammers target newcomers. This article follows the steps from searching to your rights as a tenant, using official U.S. government pages with direct links.

1. Know the two common rental-listing scams

According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), rental scams usually work in one of two ways: scammers copy a real listing, replace the agent's contact details with their own and repost it; or they create listings for places that are not for rent or do not exist, often with surprisingly low rent, and rush you into deciding quickly. https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/rental-listing-scams

2. Check the listing before you pay

The FTC advises searching the address together with the owner's or rental company's name; if other ads for the same address list a different owner or company, that is a sign of a scam. It also advises going to the rental company's own website to see whether the property is listed there, and searching the owner's or company's name with the words "complaint," "review," or "scam." If anyone pressures you to decide quickly, the FTC says to walk away. https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/rental-listing-scams

3. See the place, and check who you are dealing with

The FTC advises looking at the property before you sign or pay, in person, through a friend, or by video or virtual tour, but notes that a tour is still not a guarantee, because scammers can copy listings from landlords who use self-tour services. For a private landlord, it suggests searching city or county tax assessment websites to learn who owns the property and checking the landlord's ID against the records. For a vacation rental, it advises getting a copy of the contract before sending any deposit. https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/rental-listing-scams

4. Protect your personal information and your money

The FTC says that until you have agreed to rent a place, a landlord does not need your Social Security number, credit score or other sensitive information, and that most landlords pull your credit score themselves. It says that if anyone insists you can only pay by wire transfer through Western Union or MoneyGram, gift cards or cryptocurrency, it is a scam, because that is like sending cash and you probably cannot get it back. https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/rental-listing-scams

5. Report a rental scam

The FTC says to report a rental listing scam to your local law enforcement agency, to the website where the ad was posted, to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and to your state attorney general. https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/rental-listing-scams

6. Housing discrimination is illegal

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) says the Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in the sale or rental of housing because of race, color, religion, sex, familial status, national origin or disability. If you believe you have been discriminated against, you can file a complaint with HUD's Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity. HUD's page for reporting housing discrimination: https://www.hud.gov/fairhousing/fileacomplaint Your rights: https://www.hud.gov/stat/fheo/rights-obligations

7. If you have a problem with a landlord

USAGov says to read your lease carefully before getting outside help and to follow the rental rules you agreed to. It then points to your state agency that addresses tenant rights, which may link to your attorney general, housing agency or state tenant rights handbook, and to HUD's Multifamily Housing Complaint Line if HUD insures or manages the property. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau adds that tenant rights are usually spelled out in your rental agreement and in state or local laws. https://www.usa.gov/tenant-rights https://www.consumerfinance.gov/housing/housing-insecurity/help-for-renters/your-tenant-debt-collection-rights/

8. Where to look for housing help

USAGov's housing help page lists information on emergency housing and rent assistance, rental assistance programs, eviction and foreclosure, and home repair and home buying assistance. For emergency housing, USAGov says HUD offers a local assistance list for shelters and housing in your state, and that you can contact your local public housing agency. https://www.usa.gov/housing-help https://www.usa.gov/emergency-housing

Next in this series: Work - authorization, job search and worker rights.

Official sources

Published on Mahjar Post on October 26, 2026. Sources: official U.S. government pages linked above.

Reports summarised from the sources linked on each story page. Corrections welcome.