Renting your first off campus apartment during college can be incredibly exciting. You’re finally going to be living in a space that’s truly your own; for many students, this represents a first real taste of freedom. But are you actually ready to be living off campus? Use these five tips to rent your first off campus apartment.
- Figure out your roommate situation: Before you start actively looking for an off campus apartment, you’ll need to know how many people will be living in the apartment. Whether you’re living by yourself, with your best friend, or a group of students, knowing how many people will be living with you is essential to your search.
- Know what you can afford: Once you know who will be living with you and what size apartment you need, get your budget set and stick to it. According to financial experts, your monthly rent and utility bills should be no more than 30% of your monthly net income. Make sure you’re taking into account everyone’s incomes when calculating this.
- Create a shopping list: You need to make sure your off campus housing options have everything you’ll need. Sit down with your roommates and make a list of what everyone needs. Do you need to find pet friendly student apartments? How important is the size of the kitchen? This will make sure you’re organized when you start visiting apartments.
- Have a timeline: Make sure you start your search early enough to give yourself time before the semester starts. Otherwise, you might end up scrambling to find off campus housing a week before the semester starts. Living off campus takes planning, and planning takes time, so give yourself a bit more time than you think you need just in case.
- Be willing to walk away: Unless your semester starts tomorrow and you need to secure housing immediately, remember that there’s always going to be another apartment. If the one you’re looking at doesn’t suit your needs or is outside your budget, be willing to walk away and look at other student housing.
Looking for student housing options near the University of Delaware? Contact Lang Development Group for more information on University of Delaware off campus housing.
