The average rent for an apartment in the United States is $1,702, according to RentCafe, but did you know you could completely cover this cost by investing in a real estate investment trust (REIT) that pays dividends? It takes a lot of capital to do so, but if you can swing it, you can essentially live rent-free. How it works Let's say you find an apartment that costs the national average of $1,702 per month. Based on that monthly rate, you will need annual dividend income of $20,424 to cover yo