<p>My son is home for Christmas break and it is a joy to have him here. We have been reconnecting as a family which is what I miss terribly when he is at school. He is contemplating his living choice for next year and really wants to rent a house off campus with two fellow cross country runners. Two of the boys have seen this house which was lived in by a sibling of one of them for two years. It was recently remodeled, but my son has not seen it yet. They would all be sophomores. As the details are a bit sketchy we can't fully decide until we get further information. He said that one of these boys claimed that it was cheaper than the dorms, I personally don't think this is the case. My son doesn't know if it is furnished, if there would be a security deposit. The lease would run from August to August. My husband and I are listening to all this and asked my son to get specific details but in the back of our minds, we think this is a bad idea. What are others' thoughts on this subject??</p>
<p>Really good for independence, if they have to cook and grocery shop for themselves. If they're going to spend more money eating out b/c not on college meal plan, bad.</p>
<p>They would buy a limited meal plan and supplement with cooking/eating out. My son does not cook anything at home.</p>
<p>Our son moved into an off campus row house soph year with 10(!!!) other students and it has been a great experience for him. His grades actually improved, there have been no issues regarding monthly payments for rent/food/utilities and he is saving about 50% on room and board vs on campus. Another benefit is that, unlike dorms, he has his apartment available the entire year.</p>
<p>My son is a sophomore, living off campus in an apartment with two other guys. At his school, it's very common for students to live off campus. Students do not need to live on campus to buy a meal plan. </p>
<p>Transportation (and parking) is a big issue. Will a car be necessary, where will it be parked, and is there an additional parking charge?</p>
<p>There was definitely an adjustment period -- getting organized for meals particularly. Next year he will be in a house with seven other guys -- they have all be in this particular apartment building this year. As it happens, we know all the kids and their parents.</p>
<p>As parents, we reviewed the lease before the kids signed it, and also ran the new one past our real estate attorney as it had some unusual clauses we had never seen -- and neither had our attorney. I spent some time with the kids discussing what the issues and apparent landlord hot buttons were with this particular property and lease.</p>
<p>Personally, I would prefer they live in the dorm, but for my son and his specific situation, an off campus apartment or house is necessary.</p>
<p>I do think that students contemplating moving off campus think about why they are at college (to be students, not party animals) and be sure that the prospective roommates are both academically motivated and trustworthy as far as the financial agreement goes.</p>
<p>Most students at UW- Madison live off campus after freshman year, we were able to convince then underage son to stay in the dorms. We'll see this time when he is home after finals. A lot depends on the campus norms. Distance, cooking, cleaning, amenities such as high speed cable/internet access... Good luck - I plan to be sure son knows the pros and cons before time to decide. I do know the UW website has info about things to consider when looking for off campus housing, you could check there or your son's school's site may have the same sort of help.</p>
<p>Get renter's insurance for personal property; the week after I moved into an off-campus apartment, it was broken into.</p>
<p>My S moved off campus for soph. year. It is very common at his big state u. He is in his second year in the same apt. with the same 3 roommates. It has worked out well as it is a complex built especially for students so they each have a separate lease and the utilities, cable and internet are all rolled into one bill which can be paid online. He has enjoyed being out of the dorm. </p>
<p>He has had a small meal plan for the campus cafeteria both years which has worked out well for him. The boys also do some cooking at the apt. When he came home for T'giving, he told me they had cooked a T'giving meal at their apt. the night before. I was pretty impressed until he told me they cooked the turkey on the grill,lol</p>
<p>Now that he will be a senior next year he is talking about moving from the apt. to a house...just when you think you have it all worked out,lol.</p>
<p>Search for some of the CC threads where people tell rental horror stories, then address those potential issues BEFORE your son moves in- it seems like girls have more issues than guys, but still, what are they going to do if some one moves out/ flunks out/ drops out/ gets arrested/ etc? How will an empty spot be filled? Can he do it without you cosigning? Some university area landlords will let your kid qualify based on their scholarship or fin aid package. Do this if you can!</p>
<p>Frequently 12 months off campus can be done for better than 9 months on campus- but don't forget to include food, utilities, etc. Also, you won't get all of your security dep back, there will be carpet cleaning, minor damages, etc.</p>
<p>Sophomore year off campus is very common. My niece lived off campus this year at Penn State as a soph and has done fine. She is not very self-reliant, so if she can do it, anyone can. At Rice a lot of kids have to live off-campus soph year. My son is off-campus at his college, but the housing is pretty bad. IT really varies from school to school. There are a lot of horror stories, especially with houses of boys.</p>
<p>Food can be a real issue.</p>
<p>My son, who is a college senior, lives off-campus and has no car. There is no supermarket within walking distance. As a result, he relies much more than I would like on whatever can be delivered by the various pizza-and-grease joints that serve the area around the campus.</p>
<p>Also, the management company consists of people with a combined IQ equal to that of the contents of your cat's litter box. Dealing with them is difficult and frustrating. Fortunately, the building is only three years old, so things don't break very often, but there are still plenty of other issues with paperwork and paying the rent.</p>
<p>On the other hand, the 12-month lease has been a big plus. It encouraged my son to take advantage of the 3-week winter sessions, and he stayed on campus all last summer to work full-time on a research project. Also, the quality of life is higher in most respects in a place where everyone has his own bedroom, as well as common space to share. There comes a time when many kids simply outgrow dorm life.</p>
<p>I have to admit that part of me wishes that my daughter, who is now a college freshman, would decide to move off-campus for next year. There was a lot of tension last week at her upstate New York school about whether snow would prevent people from being able to leave campus via their previously scheduled transportation before the dorms closed for Winter Break. In an apartment, she wouldn't have that problem. If she had to wait an extra day or two to come home, she could, without having to worry about being kicked out of her room. As it happens, though, she wants to stay on campus for a second year.</p>
<p>Soph son moved into a house with 5 other guys this year. I was worried about a lot of things, the food issue, the logistics of paying bills, the mess of a house of 6 guys...but so far no complaints. I think its a guy thing.</p>
<p>i think it depends on a lot of factors, mainly the school, the area, and the group of students who will be living together. also, how far away from home it is. an ex girlfriend of mine goes to a large state university in northern VA, and she moved off campus sophomore year to live with an interesting group of girls and guys in townhouses close to the campus. it was kind of a mess, but seemed to work well for them. they rarely ate anything except takeout and ramen, though, and always fought over the dishes. also, at one point they decided to paint the kitchen...but never finished (to this day, as far as i know). they had a hard time keeping groceries and toilet paper in stock...but a plentiful liquor cabinet. also, each roommate having his or her own room is a big plus for the student (it makes sleepovers easier...). all in all, it depends on the kid, the group, and the area/school. if no one lives on campus and you are from close to that area, it makes more sense to live off campus.</p>
<p>A friend's D (soph) moved into an apt with a junior, president of the student body. Turns out she's a major drug user, invites dealers over late at night, seems to be flunking out and is losing her grip. Friend's D has had to leave the apt for her own safety though she's still paying rent. Roomie's parents say they are concerned but are doing nothing. Both sets of parents have cosigned the lease. It can be great and it can be a mess.</p>
<p>My daughter moved off campus her second year, with a third-year boy and fourth-year boy and girl (no couples). Each of them had his/her own room, and (taking into account a summer sublet) it was $2,000 cheaper than a dorm, with more room and better food. No issues at all. She and the now-fourth-year boy are sharing a palatial (and more expensive, of course) apartment this year.</p>
<p>Interestingly, none of these people was her close friend, although she had known one of the boys for 10 years and they had several friends in common. She didn't socialize with them much -- her friends were quite a bit wilder. That was part of the point for her -- she liked having quiet, calm living space to come home to when she was done working or partying.</p>
<p>Sophomore year is the ideal for moving off campus, as they will have 3 years of use for all the furnishings they buy. Speaking of furnishings, if they keep track of the classifieds and Craigs List in May when the graduating seniors are selling or giving away all their stuff, they can make some great deals. Also, they don't have to move all their stuff out for the summer. My D lives with 2 others in an OLD (1920's era) 3 bedroom rowhouse, and both room mates have spent summers there doing summer programs. They've had their share of problems with leaks and the heat going out, but they have handled it all, and I feel it has made her more self confident about dealing with life's issues. At least now she knows what to look for in an apartment and how to handle the bills. It's all part of growing up.</p>
<p>The student legal clinic at Ohio State urges students to bring in the leases BEFORE they sign them and have them reviewed. If a management company refuses this, it is a bad sign. Also, they recommend that you get the bill amount information from the various utilities. Leaky apartments can be very expensive to heat and cool. Videotaping and photographing every inch of the apartment before and after moving in is a good idea for security deposit disputes. Also, make sure your student knows the procedure for getting things repaired. In Ohio, the request has to be turned in in writing and the landlord has a certain number of days to get it done before the students can subtract the amount paid from their rent.</p>
<p>Moritz</a> College of Law - Student Housing Legal Clinic</p>
<p>My two oldest moved off campus as sophomores. My youngest moved off this year as a junior. All were/are good experiences. All of mine ate better when they had their own kitchen. They also had quiet space at their home to study instead of having a roommate in the same room.</p>
<p>The only "problems" were ones they would have had with dorm roommates too. Things like not cleaning up after themselves and the like.</p>
<p>I would highly rec. as another poster said, to search out some of the "problem" threads and talk to your student about some of those issues. </p>
<p>I like the kids living off campus and do think it teaches more self sufficiency and independence. Mine learned how to change the furnace filters, how to handle minor household problems like clogged drains, were more cognizant of wasting utilities, more appreciative of the work that needs to be done to maintain a somewhat clean home, the boys learned to do some cooking (d. was already a great cook), and how to grocery shop economically.</p>
<p>My oldest moved into a house with 3 other guys soph year and loves it. It is within walking distance to campus, they each have their own rooms, the roomies are great guys. The only drawback is that he can't have a dog, which of course, he got. The landlord saw the dog, and now, I have a grand dog living with us and my 3 other dogs. I've got to say though, that I love this darn dog, and am going to have a really tough time when my son gets a place where he can have him :(</p>
<p>My other son is moving into a 12 bedroom duplex with 11 other guys. My only stipulation was that HE not be the one responsible for collecting rent and utilities. Somehow my oldest got stuck with that job, and although his roommates have never not paid, it is a major hassle trying to round up the money on time.</p>
<p>I'm just trying to imagine a 12 bedroom duplex!</p>