General Information about Housing
Prior to moving into your choice of housing, you need to arrange with utilities providers to get basic services established, e.g. electricity, gas for heating, and telephone. A list of utility companies and their contact is available HERE.
Some students prefer to stay in groups to lower their expenses, others prefer less crowd or more privacy. Single/double bedroom apartments are available furnished and unfurnished. Unfurnished apartments include a refrigerator, a cooking range/oven (gas or electric), hot and cold water sink, wall to wall carpeting (in most cases), and basic lighting and window fixtures. Furnished apartments will throw in basic furniture (sofas, tables, drawers etc.) as well. Monthly rent ranges from $150 to $450 on a sharing basis; some rent include all utilities, others require you to pay for all utilities separately. Utilities usually include water, trash pickup, sewage, gas (for heating), and electricity. If you rent a room in an apartment or a house, you may be asked to pay your share of cable TV subscription, telephone and/or Internet access. It is up to you to decide whether you want to share or get your own services.
If renting a house, the monthly rent is usually, though not necessarily, higher than an apartment. Some owners pay water and/or trash pickup, others will mow the lawn for you, while the rest let the tenant pays and do everything. Be prepared to do or spend more on other incidentals, too, such as winter sidewalk clearing or window insulation for a drafty house. Gas for furnace/heating can also raise your monthly spending because the price of gas fluctuates. There are cases where the heating of water (for hot water) and furnace comes from the same source, raising the amount you must pay; some others may be lucky enough to have the landlord pays for their hot water while they pick up the heating bill. Make sure you ask the owner or current tenant(s) of the house to who pays what because it does make a difference. You can also ask the landlord to show a sample of utility bills. Some find using a personal/portable/central electric heater is more cost effective than using the gas furnace, though each has its own advantages and disadvantages. Usually newly built apartments or houses are better insulated and require little heating to keep you comfortable. You are advised to check the average heating bills with the previous or current tenant(s) of a place that you wish to rent/lease.
The Islamic Center of Athens offers limited housing to new students and visiting scholars. Click here for more information. If you prefer to live somewhere else, contact the management offices or rental companies in the Housing Links section for available housing. NOTE: If you know of a place you want to live in, don't wait to contact the owner/landlord. Some apartments and houses are such a popular property students sign up one year in advance!