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Communications : Past Articles of Interest |
Moving
to an apartment off campus
From the Winter 2004 Parent Newsletter
Shortly after residence hall students return to the University for spring semester,
they will receive information about reapplying to live on campus next year. Typically,
about one third of residence hall students choose to return to campus housing
for the next year, either in traditional residence halls or in apartment-style
housing owned by the University. The rest decide to move home or rent an apartment
or house near campus.
Apartment living—whether on campus or off—presents new challenges
for students. In an apartment, they are responsible for making their own meals,
paying bills on time, and negotiating roommate disputes with no assistance from
residence hall staff. Those who live farther from campus find that time management
is more important than ever when they must catch a bus or find a parking spot
and still arrive on time for class. Getting to the library or being involved
in a student organization might require an extra trip to campus at odd hours.
Parents feel better about the decision to live off campus when they’ve
had a chance to talk with their student about the benefits as well as the responsibilities.
Discussion points
Before students make final decisions about rental properties, they should consider
the type of housing they’re looking for and how they will live with their
prospective roommates.
- Do they want to live in a house or in an apartment?
- How much can they afford?
- How many students want to live together?
- How will they work out cooking and cleaning schedules?
- How will they negotiate disagreements?
- What will they share, and what will they not share? This is
parti-cularly critical when one roommate has a car, but others
do not.
- Whose name will go on utility bills? Who will be responsible
for paying bills on time?
When students begin the apartment search, new points for discussion
are likely to crop up.
- If one bedroom is larger than the others, how will they determine
who gets it?
- Can they afford unanticipated expenses, such as high-speed
computer hookups, cable TV, or utilities not included in the
rent?
- Is there parking? Is there enough parking for all the vehicles?
- Based on the students’ schedules, is the apartment location
reasonable? If, for example, a student has night classes, is
the building in a safe location? Is there bus access at the time
of day students need it?
Parents may have some minimal standards they want to emphasize as
their student is looking for an apartment. For example, you may want
your student living in a security building, even though that might
add to the expense of rent. You may have some financial limitations,
which would dictate that your student will live farther from campus
or will need to select a rental unit with fewer amenities. Some parents
want their students within walking distance of campus, since they
will not have a car.
Safeguards
Before students commit to an apartment, they should inspect the property with
safety in mind. Are there smoke alarms and fire extinguishers? Is there an obvious
emergency exit? Students should visit the building not only during the day, but
also at night to see what the atmosphere is like at different times of the day.
Will they feel safe coming home alone late at night? Are the door locks secure?
Is there a peephole or a window that will allow them to see someone at their
door? Are there concerns about illegal entry from ground floor windows or balconies?
Are parking lots well-lit?
University Student Legal Service (USLS) will review a rental lease before the
student signs it to be sure there are no irregularities. USLS staff can also
check to see if there are any pending problems with the rental property. All
students who pay the University’s student services fee are entitled to
assistance from USLS. They can make an appointment by calling 612-624-1001. |
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