<p>Are most of the leases for off campus housing for 12 months? So you are basically stuck paying for the summer months whether you are there or not. I can't imagine it is that easy to sublet. How do I convince my son to just stay in the dorms? Is it that much better?.</p>
<p>Even though you have to pay for the summer months, off campus is still likely cheaper. </p>
<p>I think the rule of thumb is that you should try to sublet for the summer for half the cost of rent.</p>
<p>$850 per month plus electric seems to be average?? Is that right? That is more than the dorms. </p>
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<p>That’s pretty high… He should be able to find something cheaper than that. But even still, aren’t the dorms like 9K for 8 months? </p>
<p>Dorms are around $10K for 8 months but that includes electricity and unlimited meal plans. The $850 a month doesn’t include food or electricity. That’s definitely not cheaper. </p>
<p>At $850 it’s not cheaper but that’s expensive for an apartment. $600 is cheaper and can definitely be found.</p>
<p>My son’s apt was $594/month x 12 mo. - roughly $7200 per year. Pretty beat-up apartment but good location.</p>
<p>Thought I’d provide some more numbers - sharing 1 bedroom apartment this year $472/month with parking, last year $649/month.
Both locations basically right across the street from central campus so paid more for location but compensated by sharing bedroom</p>
<p>I paid $410 month-to-month with all utilities and internet included and got my own bedroom maybe 1.5 miles from campus. Rent can be done cheap. </p>
<p>I didn’t find my daughter living off campus cheaper than dorms esp. since she seemed to have an aversion to cooking. I did make her pay summer rent when she came home for the summer of her sophomore year. She sublet it for 1/2 the cost of rent but it ended up costing her over a $1000 for the summer out of her pocket. The nice thing about the dorm is another year of not having to cook or clean and convenient locations. An extra year of making new friends is not a bad thing at such a large campus either. I’m sure he is getting pressured from friends to sign a lease to move off campus. He can always live in the dorms and still hang out with those friends at their house…the best of both worlds.
My son who was a freshman last year wanted to move off campus this year and I said no. He is now glad he stayed in the dorms as he’s making new friends and agrees on the convenience factor.</p>
<p>Riverbirch I agree with you completely. He wants to move off campus because it is “the thing to do.” I am still trying to convince him to stay in the dorms for one more year. Of course I am the one paying but I am hoping he makes the right decision himself. It is not only the cost of rent, food and utilities but I am also concerned about parties, drinking and damage to the apt. </p>
<p>The dorm is $10500 for 2 semester. Around $6000 is for the room and the rest for meal plan.</p>
<p>Another option is a co-op. They seem to run $575-$710 per month, meals included. The leases are per semester, so you are not paying for the summer. There are a lot of co-ops at Michigan, almost all near Central Campus. </p>