Currently, I’m in the dorms paying $870/month for 4 month (1 semester). I found a couple of houses nearby out in town for $425/month - $525/month which are in the range 730 sq ft and 1400 sq ft respectively. I have ball-parked utilities to be about $120/month (including internet) if the landlord does not supply any utilities; my campus is in the backwoods of a very rural, southern town. :)) That makes my total housing cost to be $575 a month if I live moderately.
My primary motivation for moving out of the dorms is the fact that I absolutely despise packing and moving every summer. Although leases seem to be 1-year for most off-campus housing, is there an option to leave my stuff in the house during the summer, and then renew the lease again for the next academic year?
From classmates and my own personal experience (although I go to a fairly expensive school in an urban environment), off-campus housing is 100% worth it. MUCH cheaper than on-campus, you don’t get kicked out at a certain time, and you feel a lot more comfortable living in your own space.
Re: leases, if the lease is for one year, you can have all your stuff in there from one year after the agreed date, which would be dependent on when the current tenants move in/out. My lease for next year starts on June 1 (although I’m taking over a friend’s room so he’s letting me put some stuff in the attic just so I don’t have to take EVERYTHING back for two weeks). So if the house is unoccupied, I would try to get the lease started for summer.
My school doesn’t have enough on-campus housing for everyone, so most people have to move off campus by junior year. Even though housing rates around my school are insane (easily $800-1000 plus utilities when living with multiple other people), I would still highly recommend the experience.
There is something about living on your own in an apartment/house that teaches you a lot more than living in a dorm ever could. You have even more independence/responsibility, including cleaning the apartment, buying groceries, meal planning, cooking, paying bills on time, making sure your roommates pay bills on time, contacting the landlord when something isn’t working, figuring out how to use various household items/equipment, etc. When I graduate in May and move off to start my first job, I won’t have to worry about learning all of that stuff on top of figuring out how to navigate a new city and deal with all of the other new things that come with a first job. It just puts you a lot closer to being prepared to thrive in the “real world.”
And as for renewing a lease, most landlords will give you that option! I renewed my lease a couple months into living in the apartment. Just ask your landlord about it before you sign anything if it’s a deal breaker for you!
IMO off campus is almost always worth it. Campus housing is way more expensive than it needs to be, especially since a lot of universities force you to live in it for 1,2, sometimes even more years.
As a freshman, it is good to be in a dorm to meet people, get support on meals, roommates, cleaningetc.
By junior year, you are ready for more independence so people move off campus. But you are in charge of purchasing and making food, cleaning etc. which generally you are ready for.