FAQs - What's The Rent - Providing Real Rent Transparency

Q1 - Why Should I submit my rent information?
The effectiveness of What's The Rent is entirely based on user input. Being able to see real apartment rents that are being paid is invaluable information that is not readily available (why might that be?). Because of this, we need to rely on each other to help collect it. Influence and change comes in numbers and renters significantly outnumber apartment landlords. Be a part of building a community to help effect the much needed change towards housing affordability. Beyond that, all of your personally identifying information will be kept completely private. Your rent and security deposit will also be adjusted by a random miniscule amount in order to help protect your anonymity (while still preserving the integrity of the provided numbers).

Q2 - What can the rental information be used for?
Real rental information has a variety of impactful uses. These include:

Real rental information can help combat issues of FHA housing discrimination and ensure everyone is being treated fairly under the law.
Negotiate more reasonable terms for a new lease, saving yourself money in the process.
Be aware of and avoid properties that are trying to charge significantly higher rents than their current tenants.
Even the playing field as large apartment landlords are utilizing allegedly questionable rental software to maximize rents (read more about that here).
Provide evidence to refute predatory rent increases, including verifying the legitimacy of any reasons given for an increase (e.g. property taxes).
Be able to assess any effects of policy changes. Real rents are more important than listed rents, as it is what people are actually paying.

At the end of the day, knowledge is power and people should be fully informed as they make one of the most significant decision of their lives.

Q3 - What are you doing with my identifying data?
Privacy is a major focus of What's The Rent. It can be intimidating to submit any identifying information online, especially that which is connected to your home. Your identifying information will only be utilized to verify the submitted information. Beyond that, it will not be disclosed, sold, or provided to anyone else. Privacy is of the utmost importance and that will be fully respected. This was created by a renter for renters.

Q4 - I keep getting an error message in trying to search for a property, what can I do?
The first step is to make sure everything is being typed in correctly. Ensure street numbers, street names, and directions (use abbreviations only e.g. E NW S) are spelled and inputted correctly. Please leave out any periods(.) or commas (,). If you have done all of that, it is possible that there is no rental data for that specific property. Please add your own if you were a tenant there!

Q5 - I am having issues with my apartment landlord, what can I do?
Your concerns are valid and it is frustrating to hear that you are going through that. Unfortunately, there is no one size fits all answer to that. The first two steps are to look at your signed lease and the applicable city/state/federal laws related to tenant/landlord duties to see how the law factors in. Make sure that you are fully fulfilling your duties as a tenant. You can look on this page to find applicable resources for your state. Once informed, communicate with your landlord in a kind yet assertive tone to try to resolve the situation. You are highly encouraged to utilize text or email to leave a documented papertrail. What's the Rent is not a legal firm and cannot provide any legal advice, so any legal matters should be discussed with a licensed attorney.

Q6 - I am struggling with my rent, does What's The Rent provide any resources?
There are concrete plans in the works to build a renter's fund on What's The Rent. The goal will be to provide tenants in need of monetary funds to support their living situation. There will be a verification process based on need. It is not live yet, so make sure to look back soon. Housing affordability has reached a crisis and What's The Rent wants to provide multiple solutions to resolve that. The foundation of What's The Rent is also built on the intention of being a one-stop tenant resource hub including related news articles, landlord-tenant state laws, tutorials. As the site grows, more features and resources will be added. If you have any suggestions, then please send over an email!

Q7 - What areas can I submit rent information for?
What's The Rent is set up for all apartments in the United States. Any apartment within the country can be added.

Q8 - I accidentally submitted some incorrect data, how can I update it?
Mistakes happen and they can be easily fixed. Please email info@whatstherent.net or send one here with your full name, email, apartment address, and updated information to be changed. Your focus on valid information is much appreciated!

Q9 - I am an apartment landlord and I do not want this information online, how do I get it removed?
It is concerning that you are not in support of rent transparency. If you have evidence of incorrect rental information for your property, then please send it over via email to info@whatstherent.net or send one here. This will need to be sent from the legal property/building owner only. This will be reviewed and justified adjustments can be made.

Q10 - Why do I have to submit a signed lease with my rental information?
The foundation of What's The Rent is built on integrity and transparency. Any data's worth is directly based on the integrity and quality of the source. The signed lease is used to verify the accuracy of the supplied rental information. This helps reinforce the integrity of the website and keeps the information the most accurate that it can be. Nothing else will be done with the signed lease and it will not be provided to any third-party. Rest assured that your privacy is of utmost importance.

Q11 - What does my signed lease need to include?
If you only want to submit a portion of your signed lease, then you just need to include the section that directly supports the numbers and information that you are submitting (e.g. monthly rent, fees, apartment address, etc). You will also need to include the portion showing your signature and a signature of your landlord that makes it an official legal document. This all again is to ensure the integrity of the provided data. Please submit this as a pdf document.

Q12 - I have lived in multiple buildings over the past couple years, can I submit info for each building?
Yes, you can and are highly encouraged to do so! The more rental data the better! You would just fill out the rental information form each time and include a different signed lease for each building.

Q13 - I submitted my rental information but do not see it when I search, where is it?
First off, thank you for taking the time to submit your rental information! It can take 24-48 hours for your information to be verified. If you still do not see it after that, then please send over an email at rent@letsimprovellc.com.