<p>I'm most likely getting an apartment next year, but want to get cheapest price possible. I'm planning to wait until the summer when the apartments are to desperate to lease all of their apartments.</p>
<p>I'm flexible on the number of rooms (1, 2, or even 3 if it's really cheap), but the apartment would need to be within walking distance to campus. What's the chance that I could get a super cheap apartment?</p>
<p>Haha no housing is not option though, because I would have no where else to stay for the entire year.</p>
<p>There is no “cheap” within walking distance -ever. But, if you are comfortable living with strangers, there are always people looking to sublet at the last minute. Craigslist is a good place to check. The upscale apartments that rent by the bed or the room drastically drop their prices in August too. By drastically, I mean $500 instead of $800. Be aware, most of those leases near campus are 12 month.</p>
<p>Go ahead and wait if you don’t mind possibly getting screwed over later. =] Seriously, waiting until August is like shooting yourself in the face. Would you honestly like it to be 20 days until school starts and you don’t have somewhere to live?</p>
<p>My friend waited until the last minute (meaning end of Julyish) and she got mega lucky and was the last one to get into a 6 person apartment [ two rooms with two people, two singles] for 400 something a month. (singles are like 600 something).</p>
<p>I’m signing a lease for the same apartment on a different floor for the same price on Thursday so there really isn’t any reason to stress yourself out and wait.</p>
<p>Both sides of this are true. The majority of apartments close to campus will be preleased well before next semester by students who are trying to secure housing early and avoid being homeless throughout the summer. These apartments will almost always go for >$600/room and are of reasonable quality. This is most valid in west campus and north campus. I don’t know about Riverside/FW etc.</p>
<p>On the flip side, with the overflow of contractors piling into west campus who failed to anticipate the economy, there is a surplus of housing in west campus. Since the property values of the area combined with the market competition drives these prices up, preleasing in this area will generally start at a high price tag. Unfortunately, since supply ultimately exceeds demand–by the end of the summer–these places will indeed have to drop prices or face vacancy. Since property managers know that the space must be maintained/heated regardless of occupancy according to city regulation, they would rather undercharge than have no one there at all.</p>