Starting Your Housing Search

Back in Sophomore year, when I was looking at apartments, I came across a great looking place online. It was renting for $600 a month, all utilities and parking included, pets OK, and not too far from campus. It seemed too good to be true. I checked it out, and was pleased to see it was spacious, comfortable, and nice to look at. As the landlord and I walked outside again, I noticed a large, empty lot next door, which appeared to be a construction site. One of the workers was walking past, so I asked him what they were building. “Oh,” he said, “that’s not a construction site. That’s an oil field. We’re on a break now, but just wait until Fall. It’s a sight to see. We start drilling at 7 AM and don’t stop until 9 at night.” Funny how the website never mentioned that...

Which brings me to my NUMBER ONE rule when finding the right place: NEVER SIGN A LEASE IF YOU HAVEN’T SEEN THE UNIT! I know this can be difficult, and is sometimes even impossible, but the only way to ensure that you get what you’re expecting is to go and see it yourself. Don’t just take a brief look around, either. Even if there are tenants in the unit at the time, don’t let your discomfort make you rush. Remember, we’re talking about your quality of life for at least the next year. This chart will help give you an idea of what questions to ask the leasing agent.

Side Note: While most, if not all, University Housing comes fully furnished, most Non-University housing does not. Be prepared for a shopping trip or two.

Checklist: Questions to Ask and Stuff to Do

1. Walk around the neighborhood - If you haven’t already, walk around the area you’re looking at. Try walking and/or biking to and from campus to get a feel for how long it will take. You can’t really know the neighborhood until you’ve gotten out of the car and taken a good look around.
   
2. How many buildings does the company manage, and how many handymen do they have on their maintenance staff? I found out after the fact that one company I moved in with managed about 25 buildings, with only one full-time maintenance man. Occasionally, they'd hire contractors, but this meant that work orders took a long time to get filled and things got backed up. Also, it’s helpful to meet some of the maintenance staff beforehand, if possible. A big part of the reason I chose that company was that the maintenance man they did have was one of the sweetest, most competent handymen I'd met.
3. What’s Included in the Lease? Utilities? If so, which ones? Trash? Parking, etc. if certain things aren't covered, you will likely wind up paying $50+ per month above and beyond your basic rent.
4. Is there Internet, and if so, what kind? Is each unit hooked up properly, or is one person sharing WiFi with the whole building? Who is the service provider?
5. Do I have to set up the Internet myself? Even if Internet is covered in your rent, you may have to schedule the installation yourself. You definitely want to know this in advance. If you have to schedule installation, you'll need to call the Internet service provider well before you move in, because they can book up months ahead of time. Keep in mind, everyone will be installing Internet during the first few weeks before and after the semester starts.
6. Is there parking, is it gated, and how much does it cost? Also, is it tandem ('cause tandem can be a pain in the tush)? Is the parking lot lit? Make sure you see the parking space, too, and that you'll be able to get your car into it. I've seen many "parking spaces" that were literally impossible to get a car into.
7. Are pets allowed? If you want pets, the reason for this question is obvious. If you don't, however, you need to decide if you're willing to live in an apartment complex that may have barking dogs or meowing cats.
8. Is there a stove? A fridge? A microwave?
9. Is there heating? Heating is required by law, but that doesn't mean it'll be there. And even if it is, it may very well be archaic and bring to mind images of England during the bombings of WWII, which don't instill feelings of comfort and security over fire safety.
10. What about A.C.? Again, see it for yourself. If they say there's A.C., that could mean a lovely, brand-new central air conditioning system that enables you to keep your unit slightly above freezing even during the summer months... or it could (more likely) mean a crappy little window unit in the living room that winds up heating the place, rather than cooling it. Also, be sure to try the A.C., especially in brand-new units. One place I know of recently had central A.C. installed. Unfortunately, the contractors screwed up, and didn't connect the vents to the third floor. So, the bottom two floors were nicely chilled, but the third floor was stifling. Best of all, the contractors refused to fix it, and the landlady was out-of-town, so the tenants couldn't do anything but suffer through the hottest weeks of summer.
11. Is subletting allowed? Not all landlords want subletters. If you want to go home for the summer, or go abroad, it's important to be able to lease your unit (unless you have oodles and oodles of cash, and losing several months worth of rent doesn't matter to you).