Moving already comes with costs. A good move-in special can help take the pressure off, but only if you know how to suss out a real deal.
Whether it's a free month of rent, waived fees, or discounted deposits, these incentives can make a major difference when choosing your next place to live. In this article, we’ll explore what move-in specials are, why landlords offer them, and how renters can take full advantage of these deals to get the best value for their money.
Move-in specials are short-term lease incentives landlords use to fill apartments faster. The only number that really matters is the net effective rent (NER), which tells you what the deal is actually worth across the full lease term. Renters usually have the best shot at finding concessions in December, January, and February, when rental demand cools.
Quick Formula:
NER = (Total lease rent - total concession value) ÷ lease term in months)
3 Steps to Find Deals
This article uses the most up-to-date internal Apartment List data. Because concession timing and lease terms can vary by market and property, renters should treat these examples as a starting point and confirm the final terms in the lease or addendum before signing.
A move-in special is a temporary lease incentive, also called a concession, meant to make a unit easier to lease.
That incentive might be free rent, waived fees, a lower deposit, or a discount tied to a longer lease. Specials are usually limited-time offers and relevant to specific lease terms.
Most move-in specials fall into a few categories, but they don’t all save you money in the same way.
| Type of move-in special / concession | Typical savings | Best timing | Common conditions | What to verify in the lease | Main risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waived application fee | Usually $30–$75 per applicant | Before applying | Often applies only to same-day or online application | Fee is actually waived and not replaced later | Small savings compared with bigger concessions |
| Reduced or waived security deposit | Can save hundreds, if not thousands, upfront | At approval or signing | May be replaced by a nonrefundable fee | Whether deposit is refundable, and under what terms | “Lower upfront cost” may mean higher nonrefundable charges |
| Free rent (1 month, 6 weeks, 2 months) | Usually the biggest savings | Lease signing | Often tied to a 12–15 month lease | Whether it is prorated or upfront | Listing rent may hide the real monthly cost |
| Look-and-lease deal | Varies | Same day tour | Usually expires fast | Exact deadline and whether terms are locked | Pressure to sign too fast |
| Longer-lease discount | Lower monthly cost over time | When inventory is softer | Usually 13–15 month term | Renewal terms and base rent after concession | You save monthly, but commit longer |
Here are a few of the most common move-in specials:
Application fees tend to be around $30-$75. The average application fee is $51. They can add up, especially if you live in a competitive market and want to apply for multiple apartments.
Waiving the application fees is a common move-in special. This is nice, but they’re typically not the best savings you can find. Instead of a one-off $100 discount, you can scour the market for more competitive deals, especially if you’re in a slow rental market.
If you are new to renting, be sure to learn about the apartment application process and associated fees.
Security deposits can be expensive. One month’s rent is typical, but it can cost up to three months' rent in more competitive markets. This can be a massive chunk of your savings.
A fully waived security deposit move-in special is rare. However, you might see a half-off option or other discounted security deposits. Some apartment complexes will also waive a security deposit in favor of a smaller one-time fee.
Yes, it’s possible to get discounted rent with a move-in special. Keep an eye out for apartments with move-in specials offering six weeks to two months free. There could be even larger discounts, depending on the area.
It’s tempting to allocate the savings towards a more expensive apartment. However, you should only rent what you can afford in the long term.
The discount is usually prorated across the length of the lease, which we’ll cover below.
In a sluggish rental market, landlords are eager to secure leases as quickly as possible. You may find discounts on rent or other specials when you tour and apply for an apartment on the same day.
Although the deal may be tempting, be sure to have your bases covered. There are 36 important questions to ask before renting an apartment.
Landlords prefer the security and ease of having long-term tenants. Signing a longer lease can reduce the cost of the monthly rent. On the flip side, month-to-month and short-term leases are usually the most expensive.
Although eight weeks of free rent is wonderful, you aren’t really living for “free” for two months. These move-in specials are usually prorated into your overall monthly rent.
If you sign a 12-month lease on an apartment that costs $1,500 per month, and you get two months free rent, that’s $3,000 knocked off of your lease. This brings your new monthly rent rate to $1,250.
That’s more money left over for things like savings, groceries, and utility bills.
Move-in specials are most common during the colder, slower leasing months, especially December through February.
That doesn't mean they won't see them in the spring or summer, but it does mean that your odds usually improve when fewer renters are moving, and landlords want units filled quickly.
The only major regional exceptions to this timing include college towns, military markets, and high-turnover urban neighborhoods, as these markets behave a bit differently. If a local market revolves around the academic calendar, summer may still be intense even when other cities have slowed down.
Use net effective rent, or NER, to spread the concession across the whole lease and compare deals fairly.
NER = (Total lease rent − total concession value) ÷ lease term in months
12-Month Example
Let's say an apartment is listed at $1,800/month and offers 1 month free on a 12-month lease.
15-Month Example
Now let’s say another unit is listed at $1,800/month and offers 6 weeks free on a 15-month lease.
There are two main kinds of concessions:
Make sure the move-in special is clearly written into the lease or a separate addendum.
Verify:
A good deal in a listing means very little if it’s not in the actual paperwork.
Apartment List offers a number of ways to help you identify the best move-in special deals. Our Net Effective Rent feature allows you to search specifically for move-in specials and see their true value. Your monthly rent costs after deducting rent specials will give you a better understanding of the value of the special.
We do this by calculating the total rent you’d pay over the term of your lease (subtracting specials), and then showing you an average estimated monthly figure that can be used to easily compare the total cost between different properties.
Learn more about net effective rent.
Apartment List also makes it easy to keep track of apartments with a simple tagging system that lets you select places you "Love" or that you "maybe" want to revisit. Once you have a solid short list, you can use it to quickly compare rates and deals across all of the apartments you selected.
If you’re sold on the idea of snagging an apartment with a move-in special for yourself, Apartment List can help. Take our easy quiz to find matches that fit your budget, locations, and amenities. Once you've been matched, you'll notice that some units have red move-in special alerts. Keep an eye out for those as you scroll!
Rental scams marketed as “move-in specials” often share common features. Keep an eye out for:
Net effective rent is the average monthly cost of the lease after the concession is spread across the full term. It is the best way to compare two deals.
Usually, yes. December through January is typically a better window to find incentives than the summer months.
Sometimes. Your best shot is when a unit has been sitting, when demand is low, or if you’re willing to sign quickly on terms that are beneficial for the landlord.
Yes. If the move-in special is legitimate, it should be in the lease or in a separate addendum.
Usually, the concession ends and the rent resets to the base lease terms or the renewal offer. That’s why it’s important to ask how the special affects renewal pricing before you sign.
Neither is necessarily better. Upfront can be nice when you need more cash flow on move-in, though prorating makes it easier to compare the real monthly cost across the whole lease.
In unit laundry, Hardwood floors, Dishwasher, 24hr maintenance, Stainless steel, Walk in closets + more
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