If you decide to rent an apartment or house, you’ll need to find the cash for a deposit on your new home. Many landlords charge first and last month’s rent, but in very competitive rental markets, some landlords charge up to three month’s rent as a deposit (first month’s rent, last month’s rent, and one month’s rent as a damage deposit. If you are moving, you might have moving expenses to consider. Some utility companies may be charging hook-up fees as well, so finding the money for three months of rent can be challenging.

Hopefully, you have the cash for the security deposit in an emergency fund. You may also have the damage deposit returned to you from your previous rental, which you can put towards your new apartment. If you are moving, you should have a garage sale to clear out everything you don’t need. This will help you raise funds for the move and will help you avoid larger moving fees, too. Try to defray your moving expenses as much as possible. This way, even if you have to borrow to get the money for your security deposit, at least you’ll have to borrow less.