When
you first arrive in the United States, there will be a place
ready for you to stay. You can expect that the initial accommodation
will be furnished with necessities and will probably be in
a working-class neighborhood, racially and ethnically mixed.
Your first accommodations may be temporary. For your initial
time in the United States, you may be staying with previously
settled family members, in an apartment, in a hotel, or in
a welcome center (usually associated with the resettlement
agency). If single, you may be placed with other single refugees,
at least temporarily.
The
resettlement agency is responsible for ensuring that housing
is provided for your first month in the United States. If you
have relatives in the United States, they may be asked to make
housing arrangements for you, and they may receive financial
assistance from the resettlement agency.
Long-term
housing arrangements will be discussed with you soon after
you arrive. Finding a suitable place to live is not easy for
most Americans and may be difficult for you. Your first home,
although affordable, may not be your first choice. You will
want to consider location, type of housing (apartment or house),
and proximity to school, work, public transportation, and stores.
You will need to talk with your resettlement agency, family,
friends, and others about locations to consider when looking
for housing. Expect that the search will take several weeks.
There
are several types of housing in most American communities:
apartment
buildings,
single-family
houses,
trailer
homes,
room
in a house or an apartment.
Resources
for locating housing include:
friends,
co-workers,
resettlement
agency,
"For
Rent" signs on or near buildings,
rental
offices in apartment buildings,
newspapers
("Classified" section), and
real
estate agencies ( may charge service fee).
A
rental apartment generally includes a kitchen with stove, sink,
and refrigerator; a bathroom; one (or more) bedrooms; closets;
and a living and dining room. In smaller apartments some of
these rooms are combined.
You
can expect housing rental costs to constitute a large percentage
of your monthly expenses. The cost of housing differs from
state to state, from city to city, and between communities
within one area. The rent may include the cost of utilities
(electricity, heat, water, gas, trash and garbage removal),
or the utilities may be charged separately. Before signing
a rental agreement, it is important to ask the landlord if
utilities are included in the rent.
When
renting an apartment or house, you must sign a rental agreement
or lease. This is a legal paper that is for the protection
of the tenant and the landlord. A lease protects you from unfair
treatment by your landlord. And housing laws require that landlords
meet minimum standards of safety and sanitation for rental
property.
In
a lease you agree to the following items:
*
the
number of people living in the apartment,
*
the
date the rent is due (usually between the
first and fifth of the month),
*
that
the apartment will be kept clean and without
damage,
*
the
number of months you agree to stay (usually
12 months), and
*
the
terms for terminating the lease.
In
addition to signing a lease, you may also be required to provide
proof that the rent will be paid. If you are not working, you
may need to find a "co-signer," someone who will
sign with you. Renters are usually required to provide a security
deposit when they sign the rental agreement. This amount, often
equal to one month of rent, is returned to you when you leave
the apartment if you have fulfilled the terms of your lease.
If you break the agreements in the lease, you can be evicted
and lose your security deposit.
