7 Things You Shouldn't Do Before Renting an Apartment

If you've got your eye on a dream apartment--or any apartment, actually--you want to make sure you position yourself as a top-notch renter. Chances are, you'll be competing with several other would-be tenants for a rental unit, which, of course, is stating the obvious for anyone who has apartment hunted (scavenged?) in places like New York City or Los Angeles. But some other cities with hot rental markets might surprise you: Birmingham, Alabama; Las Vegas, Nevada; Orlando, Florida; and Durham, N...