Can you lease a new apartment from out of state?
Yes, and plenty of people do. If you’re moving to Fort Worth for a job, you may not have time for a house-hunting trip. With the right steps, you can choose a unit, sign, and set up utilities before you arrive. Fort Worth added 19,512 residents in a year (Census V2025), and a lot of them leased this way.
Here’s how we do it, in four steps.
Step 1: A video walk of the actual unit
Models and renderings show a building at its best. They often have upgraded finishes and the top view. Before you commit, we send a video walk of the unit you’d sign for. We check:
- The view and which way the windows face
- What sits next to the unit: elevators, trash chutes, stairwells
- Airflow at the vents and water pressure at the sinks
- The route from parking to the door
If you’d like, we can do it live on a video call so you can ask questions.
Step 2: A pre-check before any fee
Application fees aren’t refundable. So before you apply, we check your documents against the community’s rules. That includes the income multiple, often about 3 times the monthly rent, and what proof of income the community accepts. Relocation offer letters often count, but we confirm. Before you apply, our guide on mailing city vs. city limits explains why a listing’s address may not tell you the city, county, or ISD.
| What we check | Why |
|---|---|
| Income multiple | So the application clears |
| Proof of income | Offer letters and pay stubs vary in what’s accepted |
| Rental history | Some communities verify past landlords |
| Guarantor rules | If you need one, rules vary |
Step 3: E-signing the lease and addenda
Most communities e-sign. Before you sign, we read the addenda with you: the concession addendum for the special, the fee addendum, the utility addendum, and the §92.0135 flood notice, which both parties must sign since Sept 1, 2025. If anything doesn’t match what you were quoted, we ask for a corrected version first.
Pay through the community only
When you’re leasing from far away, scams target that distance. Pay only through the community’s portal. Our guide on how to spot a fake listing lists the warning signs.
Step 4: Utilities before you arrive
At Oncor addresses, you pick a retail electric plan, and prepaid plans need no deposit. At co-op addresses, you open an account with the co-op. If the building uses Fort Worth Water, its $50 deposit is waived with a 12-month utility letter from your current provider. Our guide on utility setup has the timeline. We’ll help you set it up before move-in.
A remote leasing timeline
Here’s how a remote lease usually unfolds, from shortlist to keys.
| When | Step |
|---|---|
| Day 1 | Shortlist with the whole price for each building |
| Days 2 to 4 | Video walks of the actual units, live or recorded |
| Day 5 | Document pre-check; then apply through the community portal |
| Days 6 to 10 | Approval; review addenda; e-sign |
| 2 weeks before arrival | Request your utility letter; choose an electric plan |
| Arrival | Keys, move-in form, photos of every room |
Timing varies by community and by how fast documents come together. The order stays the same, and the pre-check before any fee is the step that saves the most trouble.
What happens on arrival?
On move-in day, walk the unit before unpacking, take photos of every room, and file the move-in condition form, often due within 48 hours. Then we send a written punch list at day 7 and day 30.
Tell us your move date, budget, and employer. We’ll text you within minutes during our hours, then send a same-day shortlist ready for video walks.
