How Much to Save for an Apartment With an Eviction

Upfront cash is one of the biggest surprises for renters with an eviction. A standard renter pays a deposit, the first month, and an admin fee. With an eviction, it’s often a double deposit, a risk fee, the first month, a guarantor fee, and an admin fee. Here’s how much to save for an apartment with an eviction, using the real numbers we see in each situation.

For a rough starting point, try our free eviction approval readiness estimator. Its results are estimates, not a property approval decision or a quote for move-in costs.

What it costs to move in, with and without an eviction

Say the unit rents for $1,500 a month. Average rents in our cities run about $1,260 to $1,650 a month (RentCafe, September 2026). Standard renter (no eviction):

• Application fee: $50
• Security deposit (we assume one month’s rent here, and yours may be lower): $1,500
• First month’s rent: $1,500
• Admin fee: $150
• Total: about $3,200

Renter with a recent eviction and an unpaid balance, same $1,500 unit:

• Application fees (counting the wasted ones): $150
• Risk fee: $500
• Security deposit (double): $3,000
• First month’s rent: $1,500
• Admin fee: $150
• Guarantor fee (about one month’s rent): $1,500
• Total: about $6,800

That’s about $3,600 more to move in with an eviction. It’s not fun to hear, but it’s what we see.

How much cash it takes to move in, by situation (for a $1,500 unit)

Dismissed or paid balance, 3+ years old

• Application: $50
• Risk fee: $0 (often waived)
• Deposit: 1x standard ($1,500)
• First month’s rent and admin fee: $1,650
• Total: about $3,200

Paid balance, 1 to 2 years old

• Application: $75 (fewer wasted)
• Risk fee: $200
• Deposit: 1.5x ($2,250)
• First month’s rent and admin fee: $1,650
• Total: about $4,175

Recent eviction, paid balance

• Application: $150
• Risk fee: $350
• Deposit: 1.5x to 2x ($2,250 to $3,000)
• First month’s rent and admin fee: $1,650
• Guarantor (if used): $1,500
• Total: about $4,400 to $5,150, or about $5,900 to $6,650 with a guarantor

Recent eviction, unpaid balance

• Application: $150
• Risk fee: $500
• Deposit: 2x ($3,000)
• First month’s rent and admin fee: $1,650
• Guarantor (often required): $1,500
• Total: about $6,800

Multiple evictions

• Application: $200
• Risk fee: $500
• Deposit: 2x ($3,000)
• First month’s rent and admin fee: $1,650
• Guarantor (required): about $1,500
• Total: about $6,850

For a rough number at your rent, divide the total by 1,500 and multiply by your monthly rent. Application and admin fees don’t change much with rent, so treat it as a ballpark.

What each fee is (and whether it’s negotiable)

Application fee (usually $50 to $85 per adult in Texas, per HelloData’s 2025 fee data): it’s not negotiable. Each adult pays one at each property.

Risk fee (usually $150 to $500 in our placements): often quoted as a one time upfront fee. Some properties spread it out as a monthly bump to your rent ($25 to $50 a month). Independent owners will sometimes negotiate it. The big management companies usually won’t.

Double security deposit: twice the standard deposit, which many properties ask for with an eviction. Standard deposits vary a lot in Texas: some properties keep them under $200, and others ask a lot more (HelloData’s 2025 data). Some properties let you swap it for a deposit alternative like Greenlight Rent (formerly Rhino) or Jetty.

Admin fee (about $100 on average in Texas, up to $250 in central Austin, per HelloData’s 2025 data): a standard property fee that isn’t negotiable. Our examples use $150.

Guarantor fee (one time, usually about one month’s rent with OneApp and Liberty Rent): many properties require one for eviction cases. OneApp charges one month’s base rent for a standard lease of about a year, and more for longer leases up to 24 months. Liberty Rent charges a $35 application fee (refunded if you’re not approved), then usually one month’s rent. At properties that use its PrecisePrice, it’s 50% to 125% of one month’s rent, so check the price before you commit.

How to cut the cash you need up front

Pay the balance first. That can bring the deposit down, cut or wipe out the risk fee, and sometimes means you don’t need a guarantor. In the examples above, a recent eviction runs about $6,800 with an open balance and $4,400 to $5,150 once it’s paid, without a guarantor. That’s about $1,650 to $2,400 less in move in cash, before you count what you paid toward the balance.

If the debt is old or the amount looks wrong, talk to legal aid before you pay or sign anything. TexasLawHelp.org can point you to the group that serves your county.

Use Greenlight Rent (formerly Rhino) or Jetty. These swap the cash deposit for a fee. In the examples above, that takes the $1,500 to $3,000 deposit out of your upfront cash, and you pay their fee instead. Greenlight doesn’t publish its prices, and Jetty lists only a starting price, so you’ll need a quote.

Split move in costs with a roommate or partner. If the lease allows it, share the application fees, deposit, and first month.

Look for properties that make their own decisions. From what we see, independent owners often waive risk fees on strong files.

What it costs each month after you move in

Some costs keep coming once you’re in, on top of rent:

• Greenlight Rent (formerly Rhino) or Jetty fee, if you pay it monthly
• Risk fee spread out monthly (if you didn’t pay it upfront): $25 to $50 a month added to rent
• A guarantor fee again at renewal, if the property still wants one (OneApp charges renewing residents half its fee, so budget for it before you renew)

We tell clients to budget an extra $50 to $150 a month above standard rent for the first year.

How wasted application fees add up

Apply blind at 5 to 10 wrong properties and you can easily spend $250 to $850 per adult in wasted application fees. That money’s gone for good, and it doesn’t count toward the deposit.

Cutting those wasted applications is a big part of what we do, and our help is free. We keep notes on which properties take which situations, and we go over them with you before you apply. That way your fees go toward places that have told us they’ll consider an eviction.

How much to have saved

So what should be in the bank before you start your search for real?

• $3,200 minimum for the easiest eviction cases
• About $5,150 for a recent eviction with a paid balance (about $6,650 if you need a guarantor)
• About $6,800 to $6,850 for open balance or multiple eviction cases
• An extra $500 to $1,000 cushion for application fees and surprises

If you’re short, focus on:

• Paying the balance first (this helps the most)
• Deposit alternative products
• Properties that waive risk fees

One last word on cash

Renting with an eviction takes more cash up front than a standard rental, and these are the numbers we actually see, not best case guesses. Have the cash set aside before you start touring. The hardest loss we see is an approval that falls through when the upfront money isn’t there on time.

If you’d like a short list of properties that may fit your file, fill out the form on our home page and we’ll send you one.