Local Guides

You can often add someone to your household after you sign a lease, but the status and cost depend on your lease and local rules. Get the change approved and signed, and confirm whether the person is an occupant or a co-tenant.

An unrelated roommate usually isn't covered by your renters policy unless the insurer says so in writing. Learn how to read the declarations page, compare separate and shared policies, set limits, and handle claims and move-outs.

Moving out doesn’t remove someone from a lease. Learn how to confirm each renter’s legal status, request the right paperwork from the landlord, settle shared expenses, and get a signed release that protects everyone’s rental history.

Lower your apartment's heating bill this winter by starting with a thermostat schedule and no-cost draft fixes. Learn which changes require your landlord's permission, what a space heater costs to run, and where to get help if you can't pay your bill.

A rent-payment fee may be allowed when tenants voluntarily choose a paid method, but the property's location, lease, housing program, card-network rules, disclosures, and availability of a practical fee-free option all affect whether you can charge it.