Student Life in the USA: Housing

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Your Housing Budget

Decide what you can afford as a TOTAL housing budget

A simple housing budget form

A form for calculating your total budget

Vocabulary

studio, efficiency, duplex, "avl immed," inspection, sublease, kitchenette, security deposit, "2 br"... Learn the terms before you begin

International Students Guide to Living Off Campus - includes terms and tips

Apartment hunting - a fine collection of tips and vocabulary

US apartment terminology - from Ohio State University

Apartment advertisement abbreviations

Common Lease Terms - a detailed list of legal terms with clear explanations

Housing vocabulary practice - work list with recordings; no definitions

Floor plans: typical US apartments

These apartment buildings are here because they show typical US apartments -- not because we think they're exceptionally good, cheap, convenient, or anything else

University of Buffalo, Buffalo, NY - studio, 1 bedroom, 2 bedroom, and 4 bedroom units

Normandy Village, Michigan City IN - studio, 1 bedroom, and 2 bedroom units

Cambridge-Oxford Apartments, New Haven, CT -

University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA - many configurations

Northwestern University, Evanston, IL - studio and 1-bedroom units

Rianna Apartments, Seattle, WA - studio, 1 bedroom, and 2 bedroom units

Peachtree Apartments, Atlanta, GA - studio, 1 bedroom, 2 bedroom, and 3 bedroom units

Google/search for more off-campus floorplans - uses "New York" as default...change to your destination

Google/search for more on-campus floorplans - uses "Harvard" as default...change to your university

Typical classified ads (want-ads)

practice reading them; it's a special form of English

Washington City Paper

Athens News, Athens, Ohio

California College of the Arts

Legal Questions for apartment renters

Rental inspection form - (PDF) fill out this form as soon as you move in; keep a copy and give a dated copy to the landlord; ask the landlord to sign your copyAnother inspection form and still another inspection form

Renters' Rights "On-Line" Handbook - Florida information, but typical

Ohio University Center for Student Legal Services: Tips for Tenants - insurance, inspections, housing codes, landlord responsibilities, etc

University of Colorado student tenants' guide - detailed

Ten Tips Every Tenant Needs to Know - avoiding problems

The Lease

Read the lease VERY carefully before you sign it

Understanding your lease - things to watch for

Understanding Leases - (MS Word) detailed explanation and advice from Ohio State University

Sample Lease - an example of a good lease

Sample Lease - another example of a good lease (PDF format)

Insurance

Student Renters' Insurance Guide - from Columbia University

Homeowners or Renters Insurance Tips - who, what, how information; see also The basics of renters insurance

Finding housing

Housing at Ohio University and Off-campus Housing office - the Housing Department's home page with links on requirements, options, contacts and costs

Google/ university off-campus housing office search - uses "Ohio University" as a default...change to your university

Google/ university housing listing search and rental listing search - uses "Ohio University" as a default...change to your university

Google/ local apartment search - uses Athens Ohio postal (ZIP) code as a default...change to your destination

Google/ international student services office search - uses "Ohio University" as a default...change to your university; here's the same search with the addition of the term housing

Google/ search for apartment search services - uses "Athens Ohio" as a default...change to your destination

Google/ student housing database search - uses "Cambridge" as a default...change to your destination

Google/ landlord rating database - this search finds information about 'New York' but you can substitute another word or phrase; also see their search results for landlord guide etc. If possible, find out about the rental property you're interested in, and about the people who manage it

US government Low-rent apartment search - housing for people on limited incomes

Commercial services (these seem to get best results in cities): ApartmentCorner.com; Rent.com, ForRent.com, Sublet.com

Some questions to consider

• What size apartment do you need (check floor-plans)?
• Do you want to live alone or with a roommate?
• Do you want a furnished or unfurnished apartment?
• What special features do you want or need: air conditioning; internet access; off-street parking; dishwasher? How much do they add to the cost?
• Have you looked carefully at on-campus options?
• How much can you afford to pay for housing (include ALL costs)?
• What are the average monthly costs for utilities (electric, gas, water, etc)?
• Are there laundry facilities in the building or nearby?
• Is there storage? Is there parking? Do these things cost extra?
• What restrictions are there on the apartment ...children, noise, pets, etc? Do these rules correspond to your needs?
• How will you get to campus (car, walking, public transportation, etc.)?
• Have you seen the property? Is it clean, comfortable, and safe?
• Is the cost of the apartment you're thinking about average for the area, higher than the average, or lower than the average? Why
• What about the lease? Is it for 6 months, a year, two years, etc? are there any special conditions in it? Have you read your lease completely? Do you understand it?
• Is there a security deposit, and what must you do to get it back at the end of your lease?
• Are you prepared to make a record of the condition of your rental when you move in (video or written)?

Etc

Roommate search services - Google search

Does your university have a roommate search service? - Google Search