<p>I'm interested in off-campus housing next year and wondering what things I should know before I find a place to rent.</p>
<p>House or Apartment, which is better? How many people should I room with? What should I spend to find a decent place? Then w/e other questions you guys have.</p>
<p>Thanks,
Kinglin</p>
<p>I don't know about the market you're in, but by my college houses are cheaper as you can put more people in them and split only a slightly higher rent and almost the same utilities. It's best to ask around to see where students live near school. I wouldn't room with more than 3 other people as it becomes complicated, and make sure you know them well. (that they can pay rent on time, be clean, etc)</p>
<p>You also have to think about furniture, transportation, parking, what to do in summer (if you don't stay), etc. I did find that I save money by renting a house, and that it is good because I also stay summers. No idea about hos much housing costs in Minnesota, but here the 3 bedroom houses are around 1,000 a month. Apartments (like 2 bedroom) were only a couple hundred cheaper. Dorms were $500 a month or something and you can't stay any school breaks.</p>
<p>Best of luck!</p>
<p>It depends on your area more than anything. At my school the campus apartments in Univeristy Park are by far the best option for students who don't want to live in the dorms.</p>
<p>Off-campus housing is very good. I live in an affiliated apartment only a few hundred meters from the school campus. The apartments are so much better than the dorms. There is nothing better than what I have, except for a house.</p>
<p>It really depends on your school and the region. Next year I will be paying $1000 a month (including all utilities) for my apartment. It is a one bedroom, one bathroom, has full laundry room, big kitchen, living area, balcony, etc. I will be the only one living there. You can get a two person(two bedroom) for like $800 each person, or a 4 person(4 bedroom) for like $700 a person... my particular complex only allows 1 person per bedroom.</p>
<p>Some things to think about: the rent on a house might be cheaper, but the utilities tend to be more expensive. Around here, apartments will usually be anywhere from 1-3 bedrooms, maybe a few 4 bedroom ones, and they usually have heat and water covered in the rent so all you have to pay is electric and maybe cooking gas. You have to pay all the utilities for a house, on the other hand, and a lot of these houses have heat bills of $500+ per month in the dead of winter. Generally the more people you live with, the cheaper the rent is, and I've seen some houses with up to 10-12 bedrooms advertised, but you have to factor in utility costs as well. And I don't recommend living with 12 people. ;)</p>
<p>What you spend obviously depends on what area you're in and what the going rates there are. I pay $680 for a one bedroom apartment, which is about an average price...2 bedrooms tend to be around $1200, 3 bedrooms maybe $1600, etc. Houses are like $2500 for the 4-5 bedroom ones up to $7,000 for the really big ones. There's also a big apartment tower nearby which usually rents 2 bedrooms for $2000, but most students put 2 people in each bedroom. The dorms are something like $850-$950 per month, though, so pretty much any off-campus option is cheaper.</p>
<p>Do I need to have a job to pay the rent or can I take out a student loan to pay for my off campus housing?</p>
<p>Kinglin, you may want to check about the city statutes in Lincoln. I know there was a time when the LPD was actually writing tickets for having too many non-related people living at one residence. I think the number was a max of 4. There was a big uproar, I want to say in my junior year, and a houseful of girls were actually evicted b/c of it...</p>
<p>Edited to add:</p>
<p>Here's a DN article - looks like it's still an issue. And it's a max of 3 (though I do know plenty of people who have lived with plenty more than that (a house of guys in my fraternity currently have 11 I think). It's probably just going to make it more difficult to find large houses
<a href="http://www.dailynebraskan.com/media/storage/paper857/news/2006/10/11/News/Students.Hope.To.Change.City.Housing.Law-2343279.shtml?norewrite200701011658&sourcedomain=www.dailynebraskan.com%5B/url%5D">http://www.dailynebraskan.com/media/storage/paper857/news/2006/10/11/News/Students.Hope.To.Change.City.Housing.Law-2343279.shtml?norewrite200701011658&sourcedomain=www.dailynebraskan.com</a></p>
<p>my city also limits to 3 unrelated people in one house (because they are retarded). Some landlords will let you live with more, but only put 3 people on the paperwoek.</p>
<p>go to the housing office at your college. They should have brochures explaining the things you need to consider in more detail than you're going to get on this forum, and they have people there you can talk with.</p>