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I want to live in the U.S. for half a year and was trying to figure out how much the apartment price will be. I was looking at a shared room website and I found the word “from $875”or so. What does “from” mean? Will the price change while I are living there? I know next to nothing about how the home price works so I hope you could give me a hand.

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  • Just so that you are aware, Some areas have a minimum lease of 1 year. Leases can't be terminated earlier.
    – Dheer
    Commented Oct 12, 2017 at 7:31

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What does this mean by “from”? Will the price change while you are living there?

It means the cheapest apartment(s) they have are $875, but they have more expensive apartments as well. They likely have apartments with different numbers of rooms and other features that they charge a premium for.

Some leases have clauses that allow for rent to increase over time, but that's not very common, typically if a price can change it's limited to increases due to utility rates or taxes.

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  • Any explanation for the downvote?
    – Hart CO
    Commented Oct 12, 2017 at 23:01
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Also, bear in mind, you need to pay a deposit which is around the same price as a monthly payment. They will also need to do a credit history check on you and since you are a foreigner you won't have any. There are some renters who care less but mostly serious renters will require it. Some can require an employment confirmation or even a bank account details. It is very complicated and difficult for a foreigner.

As in comments mentioned, a contract is minimum 1 year. The deposit is returned when you leave and the place is left in good condition. I would not expect the full amount returned as many renters require a professional cleaning or some even repainting the walls. You can do it yourself and give them a receipt but you end up paying for it.

What I would suggest is some type of a sharing house where people share rooms in one house. But that option has negatives. Another option is hostels where you even share a room. It all depends on where you want to live. It is very different if you are in a big city like New York or somewhere in suburbs. The prices also vary. It's good to have friends in the USA that can help you especially if you aren't planning on staying too long.

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  • Some apartments require upfront a fixed security deposit PLUS the equivalent of first and last months' rent, e.g. if a month's rent is $875, they might charge you a $250 security deposit plus $1750, or $2000 upfront.
    – shoover
    Commented Oct 12, 2017 at 15:58

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