How to Find Affordable Off-Campus Housing

Off-campus living is a new adventure for most college students – a sign that you're growing up, and who doesn't love that? It could be cheaper than dorm life, which is always a bonus. Still, you'll have to work to find an apartment that can accommodate your wants and needs, especially if you are on a budget.

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This guide will help you find a perfect apartment without draining all of your money

Start Your Search Early

The best way to look for cheap off-campus accommodation is to start looking early. All the landlords advertise their homes before the beginning of the academic year. The earlier you start house-hunting, the more selection you have and more time to compare.

Begin your house hunt three to four months before you need to move—then, you have time to look at the areas and find a suitable property. You know the rest: the early bird catches the worm …

Know Your Budget

Before venturing out on your housing hunting activities, you first need to determine when and how much you can afford to pay for accommodation. Step back and examine your budget again, and come up with a practical estimate of how much you could set aside for your monthly housing expenses (rent and utilities).

When searching for affordable off-campus housing, students often balance many responsibilities, so using a service to complete my homework can free up valuable time to focus on finding the perfect place. It would help to consider other costs such as food, study books, and entertainment. The cost of renting should not be more than 30 percent of your income. If you are on a tight budget, you might have to find ways to reduce costs elsewhere or get a part-time job.

Research Different Neighborhoods

The neighborhood you choose to stay in is vital to your budget and college experience. Those neighborhoods closer to campus are more expensive to rent, but they save you time and money when commuting. On the other hand, those further from campus tend to be less costly to rent but will increase commuting time and expenses.

Spend time researching neighborhoods. This would mean finding out about safety, ease of accessibility to the university campus, access to public transport, and availability of nearby facilities such as grocery stores, laundromats, etc. Do not solely focus on payments; look at the overall cost of living.

Use Multiple Search Methods

Use multiple methods to search for housing; use different search strategies. Various techniques will give you a wide net in your search. Here's how to find off-campus housing:

On-campus resources: Many colleges have off-campus housing offices or online listings for students, which can be a good start.
Online lists: Internet listings such as Zillow, Trulia, and Apartments.com can list available units in your area.
Social media: Search for Facebook groups for off-campus housing in your college town. Some landlords and students looking for roommates post in these groups.
Social capital: Ask around. Upperclassmen, professors, and other contacts might know of an apartment soon to become vacant. Personal recommendations can also help you find the best apartments.
Local estate agents: Some target the student market and could help you find accommodation within your price range.

Then, by combining these methods as best, you can increase the odds of finding an appealing spot at a reasonable price.

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Consider Getting Roommates

Another is also one of the cheapest ways to reduce your housing costs: roommates. Having a roommate — whether in an apartment, house, condo, or other living space — generally results in significantly less individual rent to pay, utility bill expenses, and the cost of sharing food and household items.

Life with strangers, therefore, can be difficult. Choose your flatmates carefully. Find people to live with who live like you. Talk with your prospective roommate before you move in about how you can live together: who will do what in cooking and cleaning, when it's quiet and when it isn't, if you can have visitors coming, and when.

Understand Your Lease

If you opt for an off-campus rental, a lease, which is a legal contract, describes your rights and duties to your landlord and that landlord's rights and responsibilities to you. Read a lease before you sign it.

Make sure you memorize the rent amount, when it is due (when it comes out of the bank or the date it's due), any late fees, which utilities are included and which ones you have to pay separately, how much the security deposit is and what you get back when you move out, and so on.

Whatever is in the lease that you don't understand, ask questions. You don't want to get burned later by things that might surprise you. So if something would surprise you later, you want to ask about it now. A parent (or at least another trusted adult) should review the lease as much as possible before you sign it.

Be Prepared for Additional Costs

It is advised that students estimate their budget with approximately $100 over rent because, besides rent, the following fees must also be paid:

Security deposit: Before you move in, you must usually pay a security deposit to the landlord, which is typically one month's rent.
Utilities: If your utilities (electricity, gas, water, internet, TV, landline) are not included in your rent, they must be factored into your expense calculations.
Furniture: Furniture may also have to be factored in, mainly if your new flat needs to be furnished: bed, desk, chairs, etc.
Renter's insurance: You'll probably have to get it if you have a lease, but you should anyway. It pays you back when someone steals your stuff or damages it.
Moving expenses: Set aside money for moving costs (either movers or DIY truck rental).

Therefore, if you are prepared for these extra costs, you won't be startled by any end-of-project invoices and will certainly know you can afford your new home.

Negotiate with Landlords

Be prepared to barter with the landlord. If a landlord is willing to consider you as a tenant and you're dealing with a private landlord rather than a larger property management company, there's no harm in asking if they'll lower the rent. Will you sign a longer lease? Are you willing to move in earlier?

You can also bargain: 'Will you repaint and replace the appliances?' They may hesitate but then say yes. Or maybe not, but they'll add utilities to their rate instead. At the very least, they'll say no. But you don't get anything you don't ask for, especially if you're hunting for your first apartment when you will probably get most of what you ask for.

Watch Out for Scams

Rental scams are rolling in by the wave, too. They're not as anecdotal as scams in college towns elsewhere in the US, where landlords know students need a deal, and they sometimes capitalize on that. It probably is if you're a student and the deal looks too good to be true.

Don't send money or personal details to a person you have not met in person. Before leasing a flat, visit the address in person and ask to see it if the landlord refuses. Look up the owner to see if they are registered with City Hall online.

Flag any hint that the landlord is trying to close the deal quickly or asking for cash payments. 'I've been advising my students for years: trust your gut. The general rule is, if you have a gut feeling, it's probably right.'

Take Advantage of Student Discounts

Some property management companies and apartment complexes in college towns also offer student discounts. Always ask if they have a special rate or promotion for students. Showing your student ID may also get you a discount on your rent or application fee.

Some colleges also have agreements with local apartments or housing complexes, which could offer students discounted rent. Ask the housing office at your school to see if they do this.

Consider Summer Sublets

If you live in a college town, plan to stay over the summer, then sublet someone else's apartment. Students must vacate their apartments if they are still leased for the academic year.

On the other hand, if you're the one signing the year-long lease (subletting is a great way to live in a city for a few months without spending a fortune; do it once, and you'll be hooked for life), you will be keen to sublet your spot yourself to get back some of your costs—but be sure your lease allows you to do so first.

It takes time and energy to yearn for 'the perfect house' rather than a perfectly acceptable one, and that's okay. Just be sure to do your homework and follow up on leads. With some perseverance, good off-campus houses that meet your budget and needs are out there, and you'll find them. That's the point. The time you put into your search will make attending college more pleasant and meaningful for the years you spend in school and enrich your life for years to come. The college hasn't always – and will never entirely – been about earning a degree.

Most importantly, it is when students are expected to start learning how to live independently. They are expected to find housing, cook for themselves, take on a part-time job, and share living spaces with people of varying social backgrounds and temperaments. Students will learn basic living skills such as finding a good house for their budget and one they like or finding an apartment in a neighborhood where they are comfortable for a specific price. Good basic living skills are essential to successfully getting through college and making the most of a college experience, and the college years will pay dividends for years to come.