Moving off campus isn’t right for everyone, but for those seriously thinking about it, here are some things to keep in mind.

Who to live with.

This is the first of the big questions. Just because they are your friends doesn’t necessarily mean that you want to live with them. Do they have similar cleanliness habits? Keep in mind that it will now be up to you to clean the kitchen, dishes, bathroom, and common areas, not just your little slice of heaven. If you are a neat freak, and one of your buddies thinks that doing dishes only once a month is fine, you might want to rethink things, or resign yourself to doing the cleaning. Do they want to play polka at 3 am, when you are an early bird? Another thing to look into. Each bill will be in one person’s name, although it is a joint expense. Can they be relied on to get their part of the rent and other bills in to the “check writer” of the group in a timely fashion? The key is compromise. Can you do it? Can they?

Where to start.

Now that you’ve figured out who you can and want to live with, it is time to start the hunt for a place. Since you know how many people are in your group, start looking at places with that many bedrooms. Also consider looking at places with an extra room for storage, a quiet study room, or a guest room. Sometimes it doesn’t cost much extra for a larger, more comfortable place. As far as places to start looking...take a look in the classifieds section in The Poly. This will have a partial listing of places in the area that rent to students. Also look at the bulletin boards and on the Union website under “Services” for the Off Campus Housing Database. Talk to your friends who are living off campus for recommendations on landlords. Sometimes they will know if their landlord has a place or two opening up.

What to look for in an apartment.

When you finally do find a place or two to look at there are some things to keep in mind. Bring a notebook with you to write down your thoughts on a place and the landlord’s contact information. Do not be afraid to ask questions. The landlords have probably been asked the same questions by 20 other people. Make sure the windows open and have screens. Check the water pressure (don’t be afraid to flush the toilets and turn on the faucets). How old are the appliances? Do you know how to use them? Not everyone has used a gas stove. Does the place look like it is in good repair in general? Is there enough storage for your clothes and stuff? Does the apartment have everything you want, like parking and laundry in the building, or close by? Some people care about these things, and others just don’t. How does the landlord handle repairs? Some have a service that is on call, others handle it themselves. Do they require a security deposit? Do they allow pets? Who lives upstairs/downstairs? Are they noisy/will they mind noise? Are there any specific restrictions that the landlord has? Ask them if there is anything else you should know or should have asked. Finally, ask how long you have to make the decision on if you want the place. There will normally be others looking at the same apartments. Ask for at least a couple of days.

The lease.

Now that you have picked a place, you want to sign a lease. This is for your protection, as well as for the landlord. Before you sign it, make sure that you read it thoroughly, and make sure that everyone in your group reads it, signs it, and gets a copy of it. This should spell out all of the landlord’s rules and regulations, including the rent and when it is due, reasons that he or she could have you evicted, and whether or not you can have pets of any kind. And if you don’t understand something in the lease, make sure that you do understand it before you sign. If there is anything that they have told you (like that all utilities are included, or you are guaranteed a parking place) that isn’t in there, get them to add it in. If it isn’t in the lease, you can’t count on it.