Finding a place to live

If you are looking for a place to live, first think whether you want to rent an apartment or a house; then where you want to live and finally how much you can pay.

You find information for places to live in the newspaper ads put by the owners of the houses or apartments or by real estate agencies. Each ad has a telephone number, so you can call for more information.

You should also know that the lease is always signed between the tenant and the landlord. The security deposit is returned when you move out if there is no damage to the apartment or the lease is not broken.

Sometimes the owner requires references, i.e. information from previous landlords or other persons saying that you are a good person to have as a tenant.

If utilities are not included in the rent, ask the owner how much the gas and electric bills are per month.

Schools, bus service, stores and parks are other things you might want to ask about before you decide to rent apartment or to buy a house.

In American houses a bath/shower is normally in one bathroom. Rent for a house differs greatly from a small town to a big one, and from suburbia to downtown. The number of rooms is counted by bedrooms, e.g. a two-bedroom apartment means that there are two bedrooms besides a living room, a kitchen and a bathroom.