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Are You Ready To Live Off-Campus?

When is the best time to move off campus? For some college students the answer is “as soon as the college will let me.” The desire to act like an adult, be treated as an adult, take on adult responsibilities, find a quiet place to study, eat recognizable food, get away from crazy roommates, and guzzle as many beers as your budget and stomach can handle, can be prime motivators for such a move.

Once you’ve made the decision to venture out into the world, what do you really need to be thinking about? Fear not, we are here to tell you.

Get permission

As soon as you realize you’re ready to consider a more independent lifestyle, you need to contact the administrative office that handles housing and find out what the regulations are.

“Most colleges have rules about when you can move off campus,” says Fran Katzanek, author of reality 101, The Ultimate Guide to Life After College. “My sense is that most colleges have found, by virtue of experience, that freshman and sophomores who live on campus do better academically.”

“We have a three year mandatory live-in regulation. Seniors have the option to move off campus,” says David Bagley, Assistant Director of Residential Life and Housing at Hartwick College in Oneonta, NY. “Anyone who wants to live off campus must complete an application, and we require a certificate of compliance form from the city code enforcement office as part of this application. The compliance form certifies that the rental property is in compliance with the city’s residential codes and safety issues. All reliable landlords here have these certificates.”

Some colleges are not considered primarily residential and have more liberal off-campus policies. “We require freshman to live on campus for two terms and that’s the only housing requirement,” says Dr. Patrick Deese, Vice President of Student Affairs at Kettering University in Flint, Michigan. “We run a five-year program. In order to graduate, a student must complete five terms of work experience. The students alternate between being at school and working. Our students are working in about 700 companies all over the United States, and in some foreign countries. We only have one residence hall and an alcohol-free campus. I think that a university’s policy on alcohol use may be the single most important factor in a student’s decision to live off campus.”

Talk to your parents

Unless you are footing the bill for higher education yourself, there’s a good chance that you will need to have a conversation with your parents (or other benefactor) about your plans to move off campus.

“There needs to be a dialogue between a student and his/her parents. You may want to prepare by putting together a list of pros and cons: why to move, why to stay,” says Katzanek. “Or you may want to present your case based on exactly why you want to move. Perhaps you’ve had a less-than-phenomenal dorm experience. My sense is that most students want more freedom and most parents encourage their children to stay on campus. A good approach is to indicate to your parents that you’d like to try it for a year and if it doesn’t work out you’ll go back.”

Run the numbers

Many students think that living off campus is a money saver, but it usually turns out to cost the same or more as living on campus. “It costs between $3,000 and $4,000 a year to live on campus at Hartwick, with a triple room being in the lower range and a single in the upper.” says Bagley. “That includes all utilities such as heat, hot water, electricity, Internet access, cable, and phone connection. Off-campus rental properties go for around $2,400 to $3,600 a year. Initially that seems like less, but you still have to pay for all of the utilities separately. It can add up.”

“The first thing I would do is prepare a basic budget. Ask yourself the following questions. What is my income and what are my expenses? How much will my parents be paying and where will I get the rest?” Says Mallary Tytel, Phd., President and CEO of Education and Training Programs, Inc., (www.etpinc.org) in East Hartford, Connecticut. “If you have a part-time job, how does that translate in terms of what you can afford? What things might you have to give up to live off campus?”

“You need to ask yourself what the chief financial issues are going to be. You will need to pay for rent, a security deposit, utilities, groceries, transportation, furnishings, and entertainment,” says Dr. Tytel. “And don’t forget that the landlord is going to do a credit check on you. They want to determine whether you can afford to move in and pay the rent. Do you have debt? Do you have a credit card or checking account? Do you currently have any bills and do you pay them on time? When you live in the dorm environment, it’s easy to take a lot of things for granted.”

“Landlords are looking for clean, well-adjusted, well-behaved, economically responsible tenants,” says Dr. Tytel. “You may need to find someone to give you a reference (besides your parents), someone who will say positive things about you. And even after all that you may still need your parents to co-sign the lease.”

Make a list, check it twice

Begin your search process by making a list of what your priorities are. “Some of the items to consider are safety, parking or public transportation, laundry facilities, grocery stores, furnished or unfurnished space, living alone or with one or more roommates,” says Katzanek. “When you’re looking at a place, you can use your list to help you decide if it meets your needs.”

Katzanek suggests that you ask the landlord the following questions:

  • Are utilities included in the monthly rent?
  • If not, what is the average monthly cost of utilities?
  • How is the space heated? Electric heat is more expensive than gas, which is more expensive than oil.
  • Are pets permitted?
  • What are the neighbors like?
  • Has the landlord rented to students before?
  • How safe is the neighborhood?

“If you’re not sure of the neighborhood, you might want to call or visit the local police station. The police can provide you with additional information about the general safety of the area,” recommends Katzanek. “Don’t be afraid to ask about the nature of crimes committed in the area. Are most offenses parking tickets or robberies?”

Sign on the dotted line

To rent a house or apartment someone will have to sign a lease. That someone may be you, you and your roommates, and/or your parents. The lease is a legal contract between the tenant and landlord.

Katzenak advises that the lease should include the following items:

  • The address of the premises.
  • A brief description of the space.
  • The full, legal names of the tenant and the landlord.
  • The length of time of the lease. (Sometimes called the term of occupancy.)
  • The amount of monthly rent, when it is due, and to whom it is paid.
  • Signatures of tenant and landlord.
  • Date the document was signed.
  • A list of utilities that are included as part of the rent.
  • How much security deposit must be paid in advance and the terms under which it will be returned to you?

The lease may also include other tenant responsibilities. You should read the contract thoroughly and understand exactly what you are accepting responsibility for.

“I recommend that if there are 4 roommates, all four sign the lease,” says Katzenak. “Otherwise, if you sign and the others don’t, you are the one that is responsible for damages and rent. The others are not. Once you’ve signed the lease make a videotape, or take photographs to document the condition of the before you took occupancy.

Network

Your college may offer you assistance in finding off-campus housing. But don’t forget, most residential colleges expect their students to reside on campus. “Hartwick is a small Liberal Arts college and is considered a residential college. We have between 1,400 and 1,500 students attending, and 1,200 rooms available for them. There are several styles of residence halls from townhouses to suites, as well as standard dormitories. It is my job to fill them,” says Bagley. “We do post off-campus property listings and try to guide the students in the proper direction, but the for the most part, with off-campus housing they’re on their own,” says Bagley.

“Quite often the best source of information on housing will be the other students,” says Deese.

Whatever your motivation for moving off-campus is, the best way to make a positive transition to independent living is to be prepared to take proper care of your new home, pay your bills on time and keep up with your schoolwork. Then you can kick back and enjoy a wholesome, homemade dinner of macaroni and cheese and mil out of the carton. Now that’s living.

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