Tips for Finding Off-Campus Housing

Off-campus housing can be flexible, but that depends on where you live. Not every housing option allows students to move in roommates when they want, do what they want (within reason) or break the lease. So, you’ll need to find a place and a landlord that are as flexible as possible. But, since this is easier said than done, below are a few tips that can help you find “student-friendly” housing.

Weigh Your Options

Some college students turn to off-campus housing because on-campus accommodations just aren’t available. Because of this, you should consider your options before every semester begins. Just keep in mind that a shortage of on-campus housing can put pressure on the off-campus market. This means higher demand for student apartments for rent, resulting in higher rental rates. Whether you’re planning to live on or off campus, explore your options and put in the applications in as early as possible. However, if you can’t secure an awesome off-campus apartment or a University of Waterloo residence, consider subletting or perusing the roommate ads.

Sublet or Find a Roommate

Subletting can help you save time and money. You won’t have to pay a large deposit or sign a lease. But if you’re going to sublet, look for a place before the school year begins. Remember that real estate is “hotter” during the summer; even the subletting market. To find a place, you can check out any third-party listing website. Many of them have listings for sublets and roommates. Additionally, search for a roommate(s) as early as possible – at least two months before the fall semester begins. With a roommate(s), you can share bills, rental costs and other expenses. Just make sure the person or people you live with complement your lifestyle and personality.

Search for Student-Friendly Housing or Landlords

Most landlords don’t like high turnover rates, meaning they don’t like getting new tenants often. However, for many students, they’re academic, work or living situation can change at any time. If this is your case, then you’ll need a landlord that’s flexible or “student-friendly.” Consider housing at a residence like King Street Towers, which is designed to accommodate students, their budgets and their ever-changing lifestyles. Plus, they offer amenities like a gym, yoga studio, study lounges, game rooms, and more. Before signing a lease, be sure it’s flexible, offers a fixed rental rateand allows you to move in roommates, sublet or move out early. As a student, you should never sign a full-year lease unless you’re committed to staying long-term.

Pros and Cons of Living Off Campus

During college, you’ll make many life-changing decisions. One of the most overlooked life-changing decisions is deciding to live on or off campus. Deciding where to live is complex, as there are multiple options with multiple potential outcomes. Your student experience could change depending on if you live at home, in a house with several roommates, in a residential hall or in an off-campus apartment. Each option has its advantages and disadvantages, but you only need to know the differences between living on campus and off campus. Below are the pros and cons of living off campus.

Disadvantages of Living Off Campus

Like all things in life, off-campus living has its downsides. Some of the downsides of living off campus include:

·         Having more responsibility: Having your own apartment means having more responsibility. Your responsibilities will include cooking, cleaning, paying bills and arranging maintenance or repairs (when necessary). Plus, you won’t have the assistance of residential life services, which are offered at dorms.

·         A longer commute to campus: Unless you live in housing that’s close to your campus, you’ll have a longer commute to school. This means you’ll have to drive, ride a bike or take public transit to class. A longer commute could lead to tardiness or even hinder your academic performance.

·         Lose touch with campus life: Campus and community life is an integral part of the college experience. However, living off campus can essentially remove you from the campus community. For instance, apartment buildings won’t have bulletins advertising events or other campus activities. This means you might miss out on informative and important social or even academic events.

Advantages of Living Off Campus

Off-campus living has many advantages that can make your student life easier, more convenient and more affordable. Some of the most notable advantages of living off campus include:

·    Freedom to do what you want: Student apartments are much less restrictive than residence halls. There isn’t a curfew, restrictions against overnight guests or severe noise restrictions. You’ll also have your own private kitchen or kitchen area and bathroom; luxuries that can’t be found in most dormitories.

·         You choose your roommate: If you live on campus, you can’t choose your roommate. Many students are left with roommates that are incompatible. On the other hand, if you live off campus, you can choose your own roommate instead of living in close quarters with someone you don’t know or may not like.

·         It’s more affordable: Most off-campus apartments are more affordable than dormitories. Because they’re often inclusive, your rent will be less expensive than an on-campus housing fee. Besides that, you’ll have access to amazing amenities. Renting a room or bachelor apartment is even more affordable. If you’re searching for rooms for rent Waterloo style, check out King Street Towers. They offer some of the most affordable, modern off campus housing Waterloo can offer to students.

·         Access to amazing amenities: Off-campus housing projects are all about community. This community includes amazing amenities. For example, King Street Towers offers study lounges, a 24-hour Academic Success Centre, 24-hour recreation and fitness centres, a rooftop patio and fire pit, a sauna and more.

Tips for Choosing an Off-Campus Apartment

For many people, everything about college is exciting – from the academics to the social environment to the housing. Living on campus can be a whole new world for students, but there are some that crave or even need more. For those students, living off campus provides the “something more” they’re looking for. However, not everyone knows how to choose the right student housing Waterloo offers. Fortunately, there are some tips that can help you narrow down your options.

Create a Realistic Budget

No matter the purchase, your budget should always be a consideration. This is especially true for college students who are moving off campus and into their own apartment for the first time. You’ll have to budget for more than just rent, which means you’ll have to decide if you want an inclusive or non-inclusive apartment. Inclusive simply means that your monthly utilities will be added into your rent, while non-inclusive means they won’t.

Apartments that are inclusive are slightly more expensive, but certainly more convenient for students. They’re slightly more expensive, but property management pays the hydro, Internet, cable, garbage collection, water and sewer bills. While you’ll be charged monthly, the fees will be nominal and never fluctuate, unlike normal utility fees.

Your monthly apartment budget should include room for groceries, laundry, clothing, school supplies and personal items or luxuries. If off-campus housing doesn’t fully fit into your budget, you should consider living with a roommate(s) to reduce your expenses. Just keep in mind that off-campus living isn’t necessarily more expensive than on-campus living.

Calculate the Proximity to Your School and Amenities

The proximity of your apartment to campus is important, because it’ll help you plan your transportation and time of commute. Besides that, you should be as close as possible to your campus library facilities and other resources. The proximity of your apartment to other amenities, such as laundromats, grocery stores, local libraries and more is also important. Of course, your apartment will come with its own amenities, such as a gym facility, game room, lounges, outdoor entertainment space, biking/walking trails and maybe even a pool. Combining your community and apartment amenities should give you all you need at your fingertips.

Consider the Benefits of a Furnished or Unfurnished Apartment

Furnishing an apartment can be expensive, even for people who aren’t university students. Plus, apartments require more furniture than dorm rooms. This means you’ll have to come up with some cash to furnish your new space. However, a furnished apartment could be the cure for this dilemma. They’re slightly more expensive than unfurnished apartments, but they come with their own furniture and major appliances, including a washer and dryer.

If you want to personalize it, then you could simply decorate with your own accent pieces. On the other hand, unfurnished apartments are typically cheaper, can be decorated with the furniture you want and always come with major appliances, such as a refrigerator and stove. If you can’t afford to buy furniture, then you could rent it, especially if you’re splitting the expenses with roommates.