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As the end of the semester draws near, we all have a lot of things on our minds. For most of us, they probably have something to do with that pesky little time of the semester called finals week. Then there are the things we need to worry about once we make it through finals week: Where am I going to live? Whether you are looking for some digs for this summer or when you come back in the fall, the time to start looking is now.
Deciding to move off campus
There are certainly many pros and cons for living off campus. Living on campus, you have the luxury of waking up 10 minutes before you have to go to class. You can return back to your dorm throughout the day, and your friends either live close by or come to campus often. You don’t have to own a car, you don’t have to cook for yourself, and, probably best of all, you don’t have to work.
Then again, if dorm life was for everyone then everyone would be doing it. Moving off campus, you have the potential to save a lot of money and the freedom of having “your own” place. You can cook and eat whatever and whenever you want. Apartments are much more spacious than dormitories, and usually far more attractive, too.
Of course, with all the benefits comes added responsibility as well. By moving off campus, expect to have more bills to pay – and a way to pay them, as well as a way to get to school. Like a dorm, you probably will live with a roommate, too. Unlike a dorm, however, you are stuck with him or her until the lease runs out, and a lot more is at stake here than your mental health – if your roommate flakes on the bills or bails on the lease, he or she has the potential to screw your checkbook, your credit, or worse, your ability to get another apartment.
So I know that I want to get out of here
If you do decide to move out, there are many different resources available to you. The Student Affairs office compiles a database of places for rent which is available both in paper form at the Information Desk in Memorial Union and online (www.umess.maine.edu/housing). On FirstClass, there is also a folder (Campus Connections > Auctions and Enterprise > Roommates and Apartments) in which landlords and tenants post listings. In addition, you can find listings of apartments in the Bangor Daily News classified section, and at this time of year there are many postings on billboards around campus, as well.
Of course, not all apartments are created equal, and not all off-campus living situations necessarily need be apartments either. Maybe you want something more like Orchard Hills or Talmar Woods, which is closer to dormitory-style housing by virtue of its proximity to campus and building construction. Another option is renting out a room, either in an individual’s house or in a fraternity house. If you can rally together enough friends, you might want to consider renting a whole house.
It’s a good idea to start watching apartment listings at least two months before you need a place to live in order to get a good idea of the market. If you are looking for a place before you come back for the fall, many recommend scoping out the market now.
“The market is becoming more competitive,” said FirstClass Roommates and Apartments administrator Walter Hilenski. “There have been more people jumping into the market in the past two years that are trying to actually provide decent housing as compared to what it was when I looked around three years ago.”
About a month before you plan to move, you should start contacting landlords and viewing the property. Renting an apartment should “be a mutual fact-finding mission,” said Danny Williams, landlord and owner of Hubbard Farms in Orono.
“A student should not be afraid to research the landlord, the property or the management company,” Williams said.
Not all apartments are created equal
Not all apartments are created equal, and they certainly don’t all cost the same. You might be able to find a great deal in Milford, but you will also have to drive farther to campus and to go shopping, or out to dinner. Likewise, you might find a great deal close to campus, but you have to haul all your laundry to a Laundromat.
“The price really varies, depending on how close you want to live to campus,” Hilenski said. “As you get closer to campus, the price has a tendency to get higher. And even then, the rent price can vary greatly with how many people are occupying the apartment.”
According to Hilenski, the going rate for a single-occupancy apartment advertised on FirstClass can go as high as $500-$600, but if you are willing to share a flat with someone then it can go under $300 per person.
If you can be flexible about the location, then look at the kinds of amenities that the apartment has to offer. What utilities do you have to pay for on top of your rent? Most landlords require you pay for your own electricity and telephone. Ask if heat is included when you speak with the landlord – it can end up costing more than $100 per month on top of what you will already be paying for rent, making what would seem like a good deal could actually be pretty crappy.
After the bills are settled, look at what else is going for the apartment: Is there a washer or a dryer? Dishwasher? Porch? Hardwood floors? Bathtub? How old are the appliances? When is the last time the walls were painted? Can you have pets? Is there parking for visitors? It is definitely worth it to look at several different apartments to measure the quality of each one before you make your decision. An apartment might be listed as a three-bedroom, but if the third bedroom isn’t even big enough to fit a twin-size mattress and a bureau, don’t count on your third person living happily there.
A foot in the door
If you want to save money, you’ll need to get roommates. Choose them carefully. There’s a saying that goes, “great friends make bad roommates,” and nothing can turn a friendship sour like an incompatible living situation. These are people with whom you will have to share your living space – and, as it follows, your food, utilities, phone, transportation and patience. Talk with each other about your expectations before you commit to living together.
Once you pick a place, most landlords require all tenants to go through an application process, including providing references. If you don’t have references from previous landlords, you can use a personal or work reference, or, even better, a reference from your resident assistant or resident director. Another biggie that landlords look at is your ability to pay rent.
“Tenants should be prepared if they are students to say that their parents or helping them, or that they have a full time job,” Williams said. “Landlords want to make sure that students or any tenants have the ability to pay rent.”
“It is also a big plus if a parent accompanies a potential student tenant, especially a first-time renter,” Hunter Properties Investments owner Mark Hunter said. “That shows a landlord that there is parental support and guidance behind the tenant.”
Some landlords require a lease of their tenants as well, which can range anywhere from three months to a year. If you plan to be away for the summer, you may be struggling to pay three months of rent or to find someone to sublet your apartment. If you think that this will be difficult for you, or if you have reservations about the apartment, don’t rush into signing a lease.
“If the apartment or landlord seems sketchy, find another place,” Hilenski said. “While there have been a large improvement on housing in the past two years, there are still landlords out there who will take your money and not improve their apartments.”
Once you sign the lease, stay educated as a tenant. Pine Tree Legal Assistance offers a guide to tenants’ rights, which is available on their Web site (www.ptla.org). If you have trouble with your landlord, you can report their actions in the FirstClass folder as well as the Office of Student Affairs which lists off-campus housing.
“The key to having a positive rental experience requires that first-time tenants do their homework and understand the responsibility they are taking on,” Hunter said. “Renting brings a few new responsibilities. Being on your own, especially for the first time, can add to the complexity of life on top of the huge academic stresses inherent in college life.”
Bangor Daily News