<p>My D will be a junior next year and is planning on renting an apartment off campus with several other girls. Utilities are not included. Does anyone have any idea how much they run a month? How much does cable and internet cost per month? Also, does anyone have any information on getting renters insurance or getting space in a storage facility?</p>
<p>I think I liked her being on campus better, no hidden costs.</p>
<p>My daughter has been off campus last year and this year. It is hard to predict utilites because it depends on if the rent is for a house or an apt, also some kids add on lots of extras with their cable, and their use of heat and air varies as well. We only have experience renting apts but I would say plan on $50-75/month, per person (water/basic cable/electric). The renters insurance can be purchased very cheaply. You can put up to two names on one policy and the policy runs about $90 annually, or $45 each. Despite the fact that we have to pay a 12 month lease, we save substantially with our daughter living off campus. The landlords have been very great to deal with compared to my experience with landlords for my other kids schools.</p>
<p>On Friday, we co-signed the lease for my freshman D’s housing for next year. She and 4 other girls found a fairly new townhouse across from the Marriott and near the towers. We needed to be convinced that in October we had to address this issue! We were “educated” by the girls through a power-point presentation and realized that the best housing options go very quickly. Admittedly, other than the high costs (factoring in that she won’t be there for the summer and perhaps not for winter term either) the positives sure do outweigh the negatives.</p>
<p>Thanks for the input. My d and her friends found an apartment on Main Street. I too was surprised that we have to sign a lease now for June.</p>
<p>my D and her friends have started looking at off campus options as well. I am sooooo not ready to think about this in October! I realize it’s how it’s done but it just seems so soon. I really would have loved D to have a more centrally located room next year since she’s over in dickinson this year. They have appts to see a few places this week. I’m trying to not think about it too much till she comes to me and tells me they have found a place.</p>
<p>Actually there are many apartments on Main Street that are more centrally located than most of the dorms. My D moved into a newly built apartment with 4 of her sorority sisters in 2008. It was located at 102 E. Main Street, almost right across the street from the UD Bookstore. There are many such apartments located in the same area (Lang Development Group), and many of them are less than 4 years old. You really can’t find a much better location on campus. You certainly don’t need a car if you live in this area and you are in the middle of all the eateries on Main Street. Her apartment had two double rooms (but each double room was laid out so there was a 3/4 way wall separating the two living areas) and one single room. Best of luck to everyone searching for an apartment.</p>
<p>My D was in Dickinson last year and this year she is in the towers on campus. They are like small apartments because you have a kitchen and your own bathroom.</p>
<p>Just a word of caution about signing a lease now if you are a freshman female and are planning to join a sorority next semester. You should be aware that some of the sororities that have houses require new inductees to live at the sorority house their sophomore year (until all the spaces have been filled up in the house). If you join one of these sororities you might find yourself in a difficult position if you have signed a lease for an apartment. Just thought I would share this info.</p>
<p>For anyone new reading this thread, the only thing I have to add is that the apartment search ranked second only to sorority rush in terms of the drama involved. Fortunately, both have finally worked out for my DD.</p>
<p>My d just signed a lease for an apartment on Main street. I’m not sure why they want to live right on Main Street but this is what they wanted.</p>
<p>My d informed me this week that she would like to live in Towers apartment next year(her sophomore year).
Can anyone tell me when she should put in, how hard is it to get, and if there are any strategic pointers in the process…</p>
<p>abmnj1:</p>
<p>What are your concerns about having an apartment on Main Street? Depending on where on Main Street the apartment is located it could actually be an excellent location, as I noted in my previous post on this thread. IMO if it is located anywhere near the bookstore it is in an ideal location, certainly much closer to classrooms than the towers. In bad/cold weather multiple places are available to eat. If you are concerned about noise most of the apartment complexes are full of UD students, so the noise would not be much differerent than in the dorms/towers. With the large number of students who frequent Main Street it is probably safer to be walking on Main Street than on some of the rather isolated paths leading to many of the dorms/towers (obviously you need to take appropriate precautions wherever you are walking on and around campus). I suspect most students who live “off-campus” would give their eye teeth to have an apartment on Main Street. Just my perspective.</p>
<p>socaldad, the odds of getting into the Towers as a sophomore apparently increase if you have a large group. S and his friends and hallmates put together a block of 40 kids (i.e. 10 apartments) and it worked. Tell her to start networking. :)</p>
<p>Mwallenmd - you addressed most of my concerns - noise, safety. Thank you.</p>
<p>Scaldad4 - I have the same advice as booklady. My d had a group of 32 in the towers this year. From what I understand it is easier to get into the towers with a large group. I think requests for on campus housing go in right after winter break.</p>
<p>When you apply for housing as a group you need to follow the below guidelines choosing the “Friends Together” Housing option:</p>
<p>Friends Together</p>
<p>Get together with friends in a block of rooms, suites, or apartments anywhere on campus with this Themed Housing option. Just like selecting a “Roommate Captain” to group you with your roommates, you need to select ONE individual to serve as the “Block Captain” for Friends Together. It is important that EVERYONE in your Friends Together block select the SAME student as “Block Captain”, including the Block Captain and his/her roommates, on your housing application to ensure your applications are processed together. Otherwise, you may be separated. There need to be enough students to fill each suite, room, or apartment.</p>
<p>In the Towers, you and your friends can request to live in adjacent apartments on a floor. Apartments 1 through 8 on each floor are one-bedroom (two-person) units and apartments 9 through 14 are two-bedroom (four-person) units. All students in one apartment must be the same gender, but friends’ apartments in your group can be different genders. There must be more than one room in your group to qualify. Each group must fill an apartment, and applicants can apply for as many neighboring rooms as that group can completely fill.</p>
<p>abmnji1: My DD will be in an apt on Main Street next year too. I am much happier with that rather than the houses she was looking at.</p>
<p>If my D is interested in Christiana towers - when would we put in or apply for them - does anyone know ?</p>
<p>Beginning February 13th, 2013</p>