<p>My D is an entering junior, who has lived on campus for three years (freshman in Russell, two years as an RA on West Campus, including this year). She plans to live off campus next year, her senior year. She may be moving in with friends who already have a house .... but if not, what do experienced students/parents advise regarding the timing of securing an apartment for the next school year? I understand it probably needs to happen in the fall, but any more specific tips than that? She does not drive/does not have a car, so walking distance from campus is a must, even if its a longer walk.</p>
<p>Along the same lines, what type of financial outlay have others been expected to make at the time the apartment was secured? (how many months' rent?) And what have people generally paid on utilities, above the rent? </p>
<p>My D is purportedly investigating these matters on her own, but she is a very very busy RA for the next month or two with her 35 freshmen, so I'm trying to make sure the bases are covered as well. :)</p>
<p>I would recommend looking for an apartment ASAP once the semester starts if possible. The best locations go pretty fast. Our D and 4 of her sorority sisters found an apartment (brand new in 2008) thru the Lang Development Group on East Main Street almost right across from the UD Bookstore. The location was better than most dorms on campus. Lang has a number of relatively new (less than 6 years old) apartments on Main Street in the same area. Your D might want to check these out. They had to give one months rent as a security deposit. Her monthly contribution to utilities/cable/internet was around $40.00 monthly. </p>
<p>There are many other apartment complexes that are on the fringe of the UD campus. In fact the East Campus UD BUS will stop at some of them M-F between the AM and around 6 pm so this can reduce walking, at least during the week. These particular complexes include The University Courtyard Apartments (on South Chapel Ave.), School Lane Apartments, White Clay Creek Apartments, and the Pinebrook Apartments. Good luck.</p>
<p>thanks for the info! My soph D is in the towers this year but plans to move into off campus housing jr and sr years. We just discussed the importance of finding something ASAP. It’s crazy to think about so soon but she plans on looking right after the school year starts.</p>
<p>Both my son and daughter are entering their senior year and have lived off campus the last two. They both found their housing in September for the next year. The “better” places (on and off Main) go very quickly. Expect to pay one months rent as a security deposit. Utilities/internet/cable have yet to exceed $40.00 per month. Parking is also additional if spaces aren’t provided and can be pretty pricey.</p>
<p>My D is off campus this year in a townhouse on Haines Street. It’s cute as a button and the management company is very responsive. We have been as happy as can be with the whole experience. She wanted to be away from Main Street because of the hustle and bustle while she is writing her thesis this year, but it’s less than a five minute walk, so it’s still convenient. Your daughter will need to look very soon. We also pay around $40 per month for utilities and the security deposit was her portion of one month’s rent. D has been on campus all summer (in the townhouse) and has loved it. She goes to the farmer’s market every Thursday and is totally getting in a groove of being independent.</p>
<p>can anyone who is currently there give me an idea of what the general cost of monthly rent is? My D is looking at the townhomes on Amstel. they are new and large so her portion is about $650 a month plus utilites. I’m sure there are cheaper options but I have nothing it compare it to. There is limited info on the rental sites as of now since I’m sure they don’t know exactly what units will be available. Do most have AC? She wants to be very close to campus and is a business major so Amset is ideal for her. Only 14 units I believe so who knows if one will be open.</p>
<p>I can give you an idea of the low-end. My daughter sub-let a bedroom of a two bedroom / one bath apartment on Main Street this summer. Leaky roof, carpeting that had been subject to beer and dirt for years, Febreze-resistant odors… Four students are renting the unit and each one pays $375 / month plus utilities. I can’t imagine getting any cheaper than that.</p>
<p>She’s also looking for a place for next year and did some checking over the summer. $650 / month sounds pretty reasonable (as long as the roof doesn’t leak).</p>
<p>My sophomore D and 4 friends were lucky to get a beautiful, fairly new 5 bedroom/3 bathroom across from the Towers. They secured it last October and officially started paying rent this June. While I was initially opposed to the idea of her moving off campus (especially since she was only 2 months into her freshman year when the discussion began!) it is wonderful except for the expense. With utilities (oh, don’t forget the Fios bill too!) I expect to pay about $725 a month. It’s a 12 month rental so all summer it was vacant. I refer to it as my summer vacation home…</p>
<p>My D’s townhouse is three bedrooms with central air and a small patio. In excellent condition directly down the block from the new grilled cheese restaurant. Has laundry in the development and an excellent management company. She pays $530 for her portion of the rent and the utlities are another $40. It’s been ideal since she did summer research this year and we didn’t have to scramble to find housing and she is also an excellent cook.</p>
<p>My son lived across from the Marriott for two years in a 6 bedroom, 3 bath townhouse with A/C. Rent was $600.00 per roommate. This year living in a 4 bedroom above iHop on Main and rent is the same. Utilities are additional as is parking. My daughter lived last year in a brand new 4 bedroom, 3 bath apartment on E. Delaware Avenue and rent was $640, no utilities included. She’s moved to a similar apartment on Cleveland and rent is the same…Hope the info helps!</p>
<p>Thank you to everyone for your responses, they are very helpful. To be honest, the prices are a bit higher than I imagined from the limited looking I have done so far, but I suppose location is a big factor in that (many of those mentioned seem ideal).</p>
<p>thanks so much everyone as well! I truly appreciate the info. My D has been talking about a lot of places she has been in but when I ask her what they pay she looks at me like I have two heads. Um does she think it’s free?? lol!</p>
<p>My D is a junior and just moved into an apartment above stores on Main Street. Lang development owns must of these apartments so that may be a good place to start if you want to live on Main Street. They are 6 girls sharing a 4 bedroom duplex apartment. Two of the bedrooms have a 3/4 long wall dividing the room for privacy. They have their own washer/dryer. It costs me $6400 + utilities for 12 months. Leases run from June 1 - May 31. These are unfurnished apartments. I also had to buy her a parking spot because she has a car but she found someone nearby that had a spot but was doing study abroad so she sold us her spot for a reasonable price. I hear the apartments in the Courtyard are furnished so that may be a consideration.</p>
<p>one more question guys… the $40 a month utilities… seems like that is the basic range for many. Do these places have central air? I know they are significantly smaller than my home but I can run $575 electric bills without batting an eye in the summer. Do many places in Delaware have gas or electric heat systems? $40 just seems soooo inexpensive to me even divided 4 way ways. Thanks in advance for any insight. :)</p>
<p>The apartment our D shared on Main Street with 4 roommates had 3 bedrooms including one single and two double rooms (but there was a 3/4 wall between the living space so some more privacy was provided in these double rooms) along with a washer/dryer and two bathrooms. The apartment was brand new in 9/08 when she moved in as a Junior. It had central air with electric for all utilities (stove, heat, A/C). I just spoke with her again. Her share for utilities was about $20.00 per month with another $30.00 per month for cable TV/Internet (her roommates wanted to have all the premium cable channels). No none stayed for more than a day or so now and then during the summer session so the A/C bill remained low. Perhaps the costs are slightly higher now.</p>
<p>My daughter lived in Main Street Court (by Burger King, right off Main Street) her sophomore year and paid $525/month and no more than $40 in utilities per month. She has used Lang for her junior and now senior year, living on Main Street above the stores and paid $550 last year and $475 this year. Electric is very reasonable, even using air conditioning and heat. The cost of cable/internet depends on how many boxes the apartment gets. Many each want their own TV so it adds up. Lang has been great to work with but I think they charge high on water, usually charged $200/quarter.</p>
<p>Is it necessary to have a car if you live off campus? My D has one but I am reluctant to let her bring it to school. She lives now in the Towers (HUGE improvement from Dickinson) and is telling me abut Courtyard but everything I have read about it suggests it is horrible. Does seem to have “furnishings” and a gym but is it near a supermarket or food store? Someone mentioned a farmers market?</p>
<p>As I mentioned earlier on this thread UD’s East Campus Bus does make stops at the Courtyard Apartments M-F from the am until about 6 pm. There is a Pathmark in the College Square Shopping Center (along with a Kmart) down the street which is a decent walk (but doable-at least in good weather). There is the Co-op Farmers market (outdoors) located in the parking lot of Newark Natural Foods in the Market East Plaza shopping center at 280 East main Street. It is only open on Sundays from 10am until 2pm on a seasonal basis (from may 1 through mid-fall). There is a 365 day indoors Farmers Market not too far away on Kirkwood Highway but you would need a car to get to it. Unless you are in a major that requires you to go to locations outside of campus or you need to get to a part-time job IMHO you probably don’t “need” to have a car if you live at the Courtyard apartments (but many students can “rationalize” why, in their opinion, it would be helpful [more like convenient] to have a car on campus). Our D needed her car beginning in her sophomore year as she was a Nursing major and had to drive to some clinical sites and also (in her Jr./Sr. years) was working at some Nursing externship programs off campus. At least this avoided us having to get into the “debate”. Good luck.</p>
<p>S is in his second year in the Courtyard and loves it. Fully furnished (which was a big plus for us - we didn’t want to shlep furniture), and very nice amenities. It’s certainly more expensive than some of the other off-campus choices, but still cheaper than UD housing. Compared to the Towers, where he lived as a soph, it’s paradise. S doesn’t have a car, but a couple of his roommates do, and they use it to go to the SuperFresh.</p>
<p>Thanks, Booklady. I am glad to hear that. I didn’t realize that it is less than UD housing. In terms of proximity to the campus, does he find it convenient? Also, does he find that living off campus requires more time to do things? I would think it does in some respects.</p>