Off Campus Housing Recommendations?

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of South Carolina
1

<p>My freshman son said students are starting to look at - and sign leases for off campus housing for next year (Fall 2014). This seems early to me but what do I know. I don't want to rush due to unwarranted hype but I don't want to struggle finding something if we wait too long either. </p>

<p>At first, I was thinking he would go to an on campus apartment but when I compared the prices to what he's telling me for off campus, it seems like a smart move to live off campus, especially if you can choose a place that is mostly USC students and has shuttle service too. </p>

<p>Anyone have any recommendations of where- and where not?</p>

2

<p>We need information too! For some reason, my freshman D is already completely stressed about where she is going to live next year! She is telling me we need to sign a lease for next year by January. Is this true??</p>

3

<p>If your student is honors or capstone, check with program people to see when signup is going to be. For honors, there is still preferential housing and lots of sophomores remain in Honors residence or move to Horseshoe (one of D’s roommates on horseshoe is sophomore). Capstone sophomores had some preference for one of quads in past but not sure if they did this year. This year has been tight with women’s quad renovation. It will be complete next year and unless they take something else off line, housing availability should be easier. Of course it is always harder to get housing if you’re trying to get several people together. If you aren’t in these programs or in a living/learning community, chances are smaller that you will get on campus next year.</p>

<p>The new housing complex on main street is renting for next year so there is more inventory available than before. IMO I wouldn’t stress about it yet, but it doesn’t hurt to start looking around and getting recommendations from people. Be aware that not all shuttles are reliable so if you definitely won’t have a car you might want to be closer to campus. Some places close to campus like Senate Plaza usually have waiting list.</p>

<p>There are always people looking to sublet and fill apartments even at the last minute but I know that makes some people nervous. I think my niece signed lease for off campus in Feb/March. If it makes your kids feel calmer, it doesn’t hurt to start looking just to see whats out there. Be sure to have student sign up under off campus services to search for housing. I don’t have any specific off campus recommendations although not a fan of the complexes near stadium. </p>

<p>Take a look at housing page and see if they have started talking about next year. Obviously the market gets tighter after people are turned down for on campus housing, so if you’re not going in housing lottery then you’ll have more options before that date.</p>

<p>Note info on housing site: I see that you can apply starting tomorrow (thru Dec. 3) and will be told by Jan 8 if you have housing.</p>

4

<p>I am also interested in anything you guys find out about the off-campus housing. I’ll be honest, I was really hoping that my d would at least try to stay on campus through sophomore year. I actually insisted that her older sister do that. My older d is a junior at another campus and has found that life isn’t that easy without a car…and her off-campus housing is pretty close to her campus. The buses aren’t always available when she needs them so she often has to find a ride with other students. Anyway, my freshman d claims “everyone” (I’m sure there are some who aren’t) in Capstone is moving off. I’m not sure if she will have a car for next year , so I’m not sure how this will work out for her.</p>

5

<p>I too wanted my son to stay on campus for sophomore year, especially if his sister goes there next year (she’s still deciding), but now I’m open to exploring off campus options after doing a bit of analysis and realizing that we’d save nearly $3k for the year. I think AUGirl has pointed that out in the past too. Plus, he’s looking with 3 other guys (all freshman)- one of which is another guy (one of the few) in the nursing program with him. There’s always support in numbers!</p>

<p>^ scmom12 - thanks for the heads up on applying for housing going on now… I would have never known that was happening otherwise! Since that deadline is Dec. 3rd, it makes sense now that my son said most are trying to get a lease signed by the end of this month (Nov.). So my question on that is- can we work both plans for now? - Meaning can I apply now for on campus housing for him, then if we learn in Jan. that he gets it, do we have a time frame to think about it and turn it down if he opts for off campus housing? Or is he committed to it simply because he applied?</p>

6

<p>Below is some advice I posted last year. It looks like a good time to re-post…</p>

<p>Be cautious of the apartments that cater to college students and their “Individual Lease Liability”. All the university style apartments you mentioned are set up this way. My daughter and her friends attended one of the many “Housing Fairs” on campus and some were quick to sign leases. When my daughter told me she wanted to sign up for one of these locations, I visited a couple of university style apartment complexes to learn more about them.</p>

<p>The presentations and tours are impressive. The monthly fees cover shuttles to and from campus every 30 minutes, individual bedroom and bathrooms, internet, trash, water/sewer, etc., and pay for the electricity bill up to a certain amount. The model unit is really nice. The price seems to be fair.</p>

<p>However, there are several drawbacks.
(1) I asked the complex reps about several complaints that were spelled out at various internet review sites. They failed to adequately address them. At Garnet River Walk I asked if they have any empty apartments at this time, so I could take a closer look instead of viewing just the 1/2 scale model. I had read about reports of paper thin walls, stained carpets, and other issues. The rep stated they did indeed have empty units at that time, but they can not show me the empty units due to “fair housing standards”. I pressed and pressed and let them know my decision to sign a lease would be based on evaluating an actual apartment. They refused. I also asked about large number of students being billed for pre-existing damages. The rep said they have new management now. I asked if the apartment would be in pristine condition when the students moved in and therefore any damages would indeed be the fault of students. They could not give me any assurances. I then asked about recourse if the student signs a lease in February and then is assigned to an apartment that is not in good condition in August. They said they would take care of “major” things. </p>

<p>(2) If you don’t have all your roommates lined up, you will be assigned roommates by the apartment complex. Also if one of your existing roommates backs out or changes their mind, you will be assigned a new roommate by the complex. The roommate may smoke, have pets, deal drugs, etc., and may not even be a student. (Note the student who was murdered at Clemson was due to druggies looking to steal drugs from his 31 year old roommate.) If you have bad roommates, you can request another room. This may or may not be approved and will cost you $200. Also note this item from the Garnet River Walk lease - “Within one day of providing written notice to you, we shall have the right to relocate you from one Bedroom in the Apartment to another or even to another Apartment in the Building within the Apartment Community”.</p>

<p>(3) The Garnet River Walk lease is really priceless. If you leave early you will still be responsible for the full lease. Fair enough. But is also states you also have to pay a reletting charge of $200. You will also still be responsible for any damages that occur during the full term of the lease. So if you move out after 6 months and remaining renters trash the place, you would still be responsible for a share of the damages.</p>

<p>(4) All of the university style apartments with individual leases are known to be noisy. If you need a lot of quiet study time, these may not be the best option. </p>

<p>My recommendation is to look for a rental house or condo. You can find several on craigslist or zillow. And you don’t have to sign an August lease in February. Also with the interest rates being so low and Columbia, SC having a large amount of affordable housing, buying is also a good option. If you buy a 2 or 3 or 4 bedroom place, the student can rent out the other rooms and basically live for free. The real estate close to campus cost a little more. However, if the student if willing to drive 5 minutes, 25 minutes, etc. you can find some incredible options.</p>

<p>Also keep in mind that “Study Abroad” is a big thing at USC. So be careful not to commit to a lease or house payment for a full-year, when the student may be studying abroad during the second semester.</p>

7

<p>We went to the Seminar at Parents Weekend about Living off campus that was put on by the “Off Campus Housing” office. Several things we learned (they were VERY clear with what they were communicating)</p>

<ol>
<li> There are about 12 apartment complexes that rent to students. Last year the first one to “fill” up did so in mid February. They said that your student will start panicking in November but it is NOT necessary to sign a lease until next semester and many do not do so until after spring break. Personally - we will advise are daughter to look now and sign in Feb/March probably</li>
<li> There are two different types of leases - one is a group lease and one is an individual lease (basically just leasing your room and bathroom). All are for 12 months.</li>
<li> In their office (downstairs at the Russell House) they have brochures for apartment complexes. While the apartment complexes have NO affiliation with the university - the brochures that they stock are of the apartment complexes that “comply” with some “rules” that the university would like put in place. This is their agreement - comply to these rules - and we will advertise to our students.</li>
<li>Their office has an attorney on staff that is there to serve the students. They can make an appointment for him to review the lease before they sign - and also once they move off campus if they have an issue with a landlord.</li>
<li> Houses - They said that in the state of South Carolina it is against the law for more than 3 unrelated people to live together. So, if you have a house or a condo with 4 students - you are breaking the law. (obviously in a privately owned house). They said your kids will tell you “everyone does it” but they said every year they get many kids coming in saying that they need to find a place to live in October (now) because their neighbors reported them to the police and the 4th person needs to move out (and the 5th, 6th etc).</li>
<li> The shuttles that the complexes provide are NOT guaranteed. If they are full or break down - the complexes have no obligation to get your student to campus.<br></li>
</ol>

<p>Let me know if you have any other questions - these are just the key things that come to mind. It was VERY informative. I think our DD’s options will be the complexes that have brochures in the office.</p>

8

<p>I’m with CollinsFactor on this one. My husband and I looked at several of the apartment complexes that rent to students (Garnet River Walk, Aspyre, etc…). And let me state up front that this was for my third child (a boy) so we weren’t even being super picky - we’ve been through this at other schools with our other kids. Just tons of horror stories, though, at many of these “student apartment complexes.” Complex swimming pools that were shut down and green for weeks at a time during the summer months, puke in the common hallways, shuttles so unreliable that you couldn’t count on them to get you to class, utility bills out the roof because of thin walls and no insulation, deposits not returned for minor issues, maintenace requests like non-working stoves that take weeks to repair, parking garages with no empty spots so you end up parking on the street anyway, etc… My son ended up renting a small, cute brick house with hardwood floors, two bedrooms, and a nice kitchen and den in the Rosewood area (three miles from campus) with one of his buddies. It is clean, they have a grill in the backyard, and they are surrounded by other students. Yes, he has to drive to class (and the parking garage closest to the Engineering building is not cheap), but he couldn’t have counted on those shuttles from the apartment complexes anyway. He is comfortable and happy and staying put for next year. YMMV.</p>

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<p>Thanks all for the very useful information!! My husband and I are going down there tomorrow to have a look before anything gets signed or decided otherwise. The school is hosting a webinar next week on this so I signed up for that as well. </p>

<p>^ ahsmuch - re:
They said that in the state of South Carolina it is against the law for more than 3 unrelated people to live together. So, if you have a house or a condo with 4 students - you are breaking the law.</p>

<p>I assume that does not apply to the apartments then that house 4 people. </p>

<p>^ CollinsFactor - re: all the info on Garnet Riverwalk - thank you as that was one that my son is interested in with his 3 friends… but it is also included on the USC Off Campus Housing list so it must be somewhat reputable? Or am I being naive?</p>

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<p>No coleman - because they are not “privately” owned but ran by a management company. </p>

<p>UGH - I really want to trust my DD on making this decision since I am 8 hours away. She wants to live in her sorority house so she needs to see if that can happen (not many spots). That is what I would like best because she could go one more year without a car and also still be a bit “supervised”. I don’t think she has much interest in staying in the dorm although she is in Honors and could probably get a spot.</p>

<p>Oh - one more thing they said about applying for on campus housing. The application opens Nov 1 (today) and there is NO obligation - so have your kids fill it out just in case. They notify the upperclassmen on Feb 1 if they got a room or not and have until the end of February to commit one way or the other. There is no financial obligation to apply. I asked that exact question!</p>

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<p>Wow! Such thorough and great advise. I’m also trying to let d figure this all out, but I think I will have to make sure she is aware of all that is being shared. I’m too far to really check out any of the places she may be looking into… Hoping she finds sonething somewhat quiet!</p>

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<p>Oops typing on phone * advice</p>

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<p>THis is the link for current sign-up:
[University</a> Housing](<a href=“Housing - Housing | University of South Carolina”>Housing - Housing | University of South Carolina) - current student sign-up. Once you are informed that you have a space (but not specific room) you have to put down deposit. But you can get it all back if you change your mind in a certain time frame. Downside is that date to get it all back is potentially before you pick an actual room - problematic if you definitely want to choose a specific dorm. If you list a roommate on interest form and you both get housing, your time to choose a dorm/apt is at the same time. (***how it worked last year)</p>

<p>This gives info on how much you can get refunded if you have to change plans:
[University</a> Housing](<a href=“Housing - Housing | University of South Carolina”>Housing - Housing | University of South Carolina) - refund dates
Students should get this info, but if you want to be in loop, sign up on parents page for enews that they email out. If usually has this kind of info and reminders.</p>

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<p>Thanks… I told my son that he should work these in parallel - sign up for housing while also exploring off campus options. </p>

<p>Here’s a link to the Parent Webinars from the Off Campus Student Services:
[Off-Campus</a> Student Services | Off-Campus Student Services](<a href=“Off-Campus Living & Neighborhood Relations - Off-Campus Living & Neighborhood Relations | University of South Carolina”>Off-Campus Living & Neighborhood Relations - Off-Campus Living & Neighborhood Relations | University of South Carolina)</p>

<p>So… while we’re exploring, I saw one on the USC Off Campus Housing list for “The Retreat” … any feedback on that one? It looks like a nice set up with individual cottage houses and same amenities as apartments, not sure of the area by the stadium I think.</p>

15

<p>Can anyone tell me of some apartments that are within biking distance of SC?</p>

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<p>There is an Off Campus Housing part of the USC website:
[Off-Campus</a> Housing | Off-Campus Student Services](<a href=“Off-Campus Living & Neighborhood Relations - Off-Campus Living & Neighborhood Relations | University of South Carolina”>Off-Campus Living & Neighborhood Relations - Off-Campus Living & Neighborhood Relations | University of South Carolina)</p>

<p>On there is a link to a very informative pdf file that includes a list of apartments, some of which are walking / biking distance:
<a href=“Off-Campus Living & Neighborhood Relations - Off-Campus Living & Neighborhood Relations | University of South Carolina”>Off-Campus Living & Neighborhood Relations - Off-Campus Living & Neighborhood Relations | University of South Carolina;

17

<p>DD is at Stadium Suites and seems to like it.</p>

<p>Yes the walls are thin… but the walls in dorms are thin, the walls in real-world apartments are thin.</p>

<p>Her lease doesn’t have some of the things CollinsFactor talked about. And she didn’t have to pay a deposit; they had some kind of special where if you applied by a certain date you didn’t need the security deposit. They applied in Feb. I think.</p>

<p>What I didn’t like is that you couldn’t specify a particular unit… so if you really want a top floor, or one with a view of something other than a parking lot, there are no guarantees. </p>

<p>She has a car so the shuttle is not an issue. She also said there haven’t been any parties wild enough for the cops to be called.</p>

<p>You will fill out a condition statement when you move in… document <em>everything</em> and take pictures.</p>

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<p>My daughter and two of her friends just signed a lease for a 3 bedroom at the new complex in downtown, The Hub. She has a car and also got the assigned parking spot. It’s fully furnished and I like the idea that everything in the entire complex will be brand new. It also has some very nice amenities. She wanted a five bedroom floor plan but it was already sold out.</p>

<p>Wish they had apartments like these available when I was in college!</p>

19

<p>I’m looking to rent in the Lake Murray area and drive to campus. The Lake is so beautiful.</p>

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<p>Lake Murray is gorgeous. Be sure and check out the drive on I-126 at time of day you would be commuting in to and from campus. At typical rush hour times, the Irmo-Harbison area is jammed. Is beauty worth a beastly ride?</p>