No you never ever sign anything that says you have received something when you have not.
Most states require the landlord to place the deposit in an interest-bearing account, protected from his creditors.
In many cases, yes, the landlord typically supplies the stove and refrigerator. However, in many places it's not illegal for the landlord to require the tenant to supply his own fixtures.
In the U.S., all northern states require a landlord to provide heat. In Massachusetts, the heating system must be capable of sustaining 68 degrees during the day, and 64 degrees at night. Not sure about southern states.
Not all do. The purpose of a letter for rent payment is basically something a landlord can require prior to renting an apartment to you. This letter basically just states that you paid your rent on time every month. It is just a method landlords use to verify your rental history.
In most states, when a tenant has been lawfully evicted, the landlord has the right to remove the personal belongings of the former tenant from the rental property. Each state, however, has laws regarding what the landlord must do with that property after removing it. Some states require the landlord to keep belongings in storage for 30 days prior to disposing it - in this case the landlord has the right to collect the storage fees from the tenant before releasing the belongings - while other states, such as Florida, permit the landlord to dispose of the belongings as the landlord sees fit. In South Carolina, the landlord has to remove all property and place it on the curbside, where the tenant has 48 hours to retrieve them or they will be disposed of.
Whether or not a landlord can require direct rent payment from a checking account depends on the terms of the lease agreement. It is important to review the lease carefully to determine if there are any specific payment methods that the landlord requires. If the lease states that rent must be paid via direct withdrawal from a checking account, then the landlord can require it.
most states require landlord's to pay for the water and to include same in the rent. Culturally, few properties have a separate water meter for each apt unit
With regard to any situation regarding painting: it is standard practice for a landlord to paint a dwelling before occupancy by a new tenant. Many states require this, while many don't. In states that don't require this, like South Carolina or Florida, you simply do not sign a lease if the dwelling is not painted. Most reputable landlords will paint the dwelling before even showing it to prospective tenants.
Most U.S. states have statutes which require the landlord to provide a "reasonable accomodation" if the unit is declared uninhabitable. This means either a similar apartment, extended stay hotel (with a kitchen), or regular hotel room and a meal allowance.
In most states, the landlord is forbidden from having the tenant pay for lights in the common area. The landlord should have a separate meter for those lights.
This depends on the policy of your landlord. In most leases it states when, where, and how you pay your rent.
In most leases there are clauses which states that if a landlord find any discrepancies in the application which conceals a material fact, the landlord has the right to terminate the lease. If the concealment of material fact is an honest mistake, you can discuss this with your landlord in hopes he will allow you to stay. But if the landlord evict you and take you to court then you can fight the case if you feel this was simply a mistake and not something deliberate.