I already am freelancing for a client who is from the U.S. We were supposed to file for H-1B this year. Due to unforeseen incidents we were not able to do so.
Is it possible to visit US on a tourist visa and freelance from there?
Maybe even rent a house to stay?
No. This will be considered willful violation of your visa terms and is illegal to do. As the name suggests, your intent of entering the US is as a tourist not as a worker. By law, you cannot be compensated for any 'work' that you perform while you have entered as a tourist. You can surely rent a house to stay though.
