A very good plan. I recommend renting to anyone who is moving to an unknown part of the country. It's always possible to otherwise learn that you're in a bad part of the state or city, or that you and that culture just don't mesh.
I've had a lot of people tell me that Utah shows great favoritism toward Mormons... that Texans tend to look down on non-Texans (and, imo, they may be right to do so!)... and small towners are often clannish in their behavor, putting up walls against newcomers that are difficult to crack. A Virginia friend who moved to Louisiana has to fake a southern accent just to fit in! (Never mind that Virginia *IS* a Southern state. If you're in Louisiana, it's not Southern enough.)
When my sister moved to rural Missouri, she befriended the widower across the street. The guy was about 80 years old, but the townsfolk promptly started a whisper campaign against my sister. She said when she went into a bank, one woman actually said "Jezebel!" to her friend.
It sounds pretty bizarre, but I guess that's how it is in some parts of the country.
My sister decided to do something about the problem. She plunked down about $2,000, put up signs and held a massive party for the entire town on her property. The folks had never seen anything like it and it was an immediate hit. They tried to get her to do it again the next year, in fact - but she declined for the obvious reason. The party had served its purpose and now she's accepted.