We Remember Our First Apartment Too.
Renting your first place shouldn’t require a degree in landlord-tenant law
No jargon, no fine print nobody explains
Just the practical stuff, written for exactly where you are right now
It Started With a Bad First Lease.
We signed our first lease without reading half of it, decorated with painter’s tape and hope, and learned the hard way what a “walkthrough checklist” was supposed to be. MyFirstLease is the resource we wish we’d had — practical, judgment-free, and written for exactly where you are right now, not where a homeowner blog assumes you are.
Meet Our Team
Everyone on our team has been where you are — reading a lease for the first time, decorating a studio on a tight budget, figuring it out as they go. That’s exactly why they write what they write.
Maren Cole
Founding Editor
Maren started MyFirstLease after a rough first lease taught him everything the internet didn’t. He covers the logistical side of renting — move-in checklists, utilities, and the unglamorous first-week stuff nobody explains — and oversees everything published on the site.
Elena Marsh
Essentials & Shopping Editor
Elena researches and tests what’s actually worth buying for a first apartment — from budget furniture to the small stuff nobody thinks to add to the list. She writes for renters who want real recommendations, not just a generic checklist.
Sophie Lindqvist
Decorating & Small Space Editor
Sophie specializes in making a rented space feel like home — without losing a deposit. She covers renter-friendly decorating, small-space layouts, and the no-drill, no-damage tricks that make a first apartment feel finished.
Why We Started This
We built MyFirstLease because renting your first place shouldn’t feel like a test you never studied for. No jargon, no assuming you already own a drill or know what a walkthrough is — just practical answers for exactly where you are right now. Whatever you’re figuring out, there’s a good chance we’ve already been through it.
What You’ll Find Here
MyFirstLease covers everything that comes with renting your first place — the stuff nobody explains upfront. Here’s what we write about, and how we go about it.
What We Cover
How We Write
Renting Your First Place Shouldn’t Feel Like Guesswork
Our mission is simple: give first-time renters the practical, judgment-free guidance we wish we’d had — so the excitement of a new place doesn’t get buried under a hundred unanswered questions.
