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THE BATTALION
Home sweet home
Hunt for fall housing begins, students raise many important questions
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By Cindy Gallegos
The Battalion
There is great joy and comfort in having some
where to call home. Having one’s own place gives a
person a sense of liberty and responsibility. In con
trast to the dorm scenario that most people picture
as the college experience, there are various options
for student housing. However, these options create
difficult questions.
When should l start looking? How much cash can
I spare each month? How do 1 find a subleaser?
Students are often bombarded with the stresses of
hunting for desirable and cost-efficient housing. Most
students agree that off-campus housing definitely has
its advantages.
“You get a greater sense of independence because
you have to take on more responsibilities,” said Brid-
gette Alderson, a senior park and recreation sciences
major.
To simplify things, Off-Campus Student Services
provides a resource for sticky situations in which peo
ple often find themselves trapped.
“People always have questions about their lease
and things they don’t understand,” said Jennifer
Ford, assistant coordinator of.Off-Campus Student
Services. “We can usually answer those kinds of
questions.”
It is not uncommon to feel pressured, misled, or
even tricked after visiting various housing agencies.
Information is thrown out from all directions, and it is
up to each person to decide what is best.
Off-Campus Student Services was designed to al
leviate some of these frustrations. Important informa
tion regarding leases, housing and information about
specific apartment complexes is available.
There is a knowledgeable staff that is ready and
willing to answer a range of questions involving any
thing from leases to roommate problems. Ford said
that students should be aware of what they are signing
before they sign. By being informed, students can
avoid problems involving management.
“The most common problem we hear of after peo
ple are living somewhere is some kind of maintenance
issue,” Ford said. ‘Things aren’t getting repaired, and
they don’t understand the process for getting those
things repaired.”
Sometimes, agencies will show a potential renter a
model unit that is spruced up with Aggie decor but will
«
The most common problem
we hear of after people are living
somewhere is some kind of
maintenance issue. Things
aren't getting repaired, and they
don't understand the process for
getting those things repaired"
— Jennifer Ford
assistant coordinator of Off-Campus Student Services
not show the condition of the actual unit that the renter
will be living in. This is only one of many aspects to
take into consideration. Others are location, safety and,
of course, price.
“When you’re in a duplex or in a house, the utility
bills are always going to run you more,” said Deanna
Gorsuctt, a local apartment manager.
Depending on the lease agreement, there are a va
riety of ways the extras may be included or exclud
ed into the bill. It is important to take this into con
sideration when calculating the total amount that
will be spent.
Be sure to ask about phone, cable and Internet con
nections and the availability of laundry facilities.
Questions like these can be answered by the Off-
Campus Survival Manual. The new manual will be
distributed at the Off-Campus Housing Fair on Feb.
21 in the Memorial Student Center.
“They’ll pass out prizes; they’ll pass out floor
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plan information,” Ford said. “We’ll have our new
survivor manuals.”
The housing fair is an excellent opportunity for the
students to have a good time and gather helpful infor
mation. It is always wise to ask many questions con
cerning the length of the lease.
“My advice for those people who just want a se
mester lease is to start now,” Ford said. “If you wait
until May or June, the semester leases are gone.”
Fortunately, there is the option of subleasing for
students who are interning, co-oping, or going home
during the summer. Subleasing is an arrangement in
which one individual rents his apartment to another
person who needs a temporary place to live. Subleas
ing can be the right answer, but the renter must be cer
tain that subleasing is allowed at that property.
Another option to consider, if the location allows
it, is summer storage.
“We allow them to do summer storage,” Gorsuctt
said. “They're allowed to keep their belongings in
the apartment.”
An important issue that many people experience is
the roommate scene. The off-campus services provide
and encourage a roommate contract that can be signed
to avoid roommates who may skip paying rent.
“It happens a lot of times where somebody’s room
mate leaves in the middle of the semester,” Ford said.
“Now you’re responsible for that full amount of rent.”
The roommate contract is a great defense in a small
claims court for an unfaithful roommate. Certain
housing options also allow separate leases.
“With separate leases, you're only liable for your
self and not everyone else,” said Mitzi Mills, another
local apartment complex employee.
A lot of responsibility is required in the search for
that perfect place. Locator services are available, of
ten free of charge, to assist with this decision.
“If you want a house or a duplex, it's probably bet
ter to go through a locator service,” Ford said.
It is suggested that students looking for a house or
duplex go through a locator service, whereas, when
looking for an apartment, going solo will suffice.
Gorsuctt said management services can be a good
place to start when looking for housing.
“We deal with many properties on different sides
of town,” she said. “We know what other properties
are doing, and we’re aware of the market rate for prop
erties that are comparable to the ones we have.”
Whatever route a renter decides to take, this new
experience and responsibility can be one of the hard
est things to handle.
“Doing everything on your own is probably the
hardest thing to adjust to,” Mills said.
About
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