After freshman year, most students move out of their dorms and into apartments and houses around Bloomington. Moving into an apartment or a house is a great way for students to gain independence and figure out how to live on their own without the help of a resident assistant. However, there is a lot to consider when looking for the living situation best suited for your student. Rent, utilities, location and transportation are just a few of the many things that students and parents must consider before signing a lease for the following school year. This process can be daunting and difficult to manage so here are five tips to help you find the best off-campus housing at IU.
Start looking for housing ASAP
The sooner you start looking for housing, the better chances you will have of being happy with the lease you sign. Most students try to sign a lease before the beginning of their second semester, but some even sign as early as a month into the school year. There are many ways to find out about housing opportunities, including through emails that are sent to your student’s IU email and the IDS Housing Fair hosted every semester.
The IDS Housing Fair hosts representatives from many of the local housing complexes and provides students with an opportunity to ask questions and learn more about their options. This is a great place to help you get started on your search or narrow your options down.
These are great ways for students and parents to learn about off-campus housing throughout Bloomington and get in contact with the leasing offices directly. It can be daunting to start thinking about the next year so far in advance, but the sooner you start looking, the more confident you will be in the decision you make.
Money, Money, Money
Living off-campus is expensive. However, there are ways to find the cheapest living options available. First, remember that the sooner you sign your lease, the cheaper the monthly rent will be. The closer it gets to the next school year, rent for houses and apartments increases.
Additionally, a lot of apartment complexes around Bloomington offer amenities such as a pool, gym and even free-to-use tanning beds. If you are looking to be cost-efficient, consider if you need those amenities. Also, the newer a house or complex is, the more expensive it will be. It is common for a one-year-old apartment without an elevator to cost the same as a six-year-old apartment with amenities like the ones mentioned earlier. This goes for location as well; the closer to campus your house or apartment is, the more expensive it will be. Consider what is worth the cost. Would you rather be closer to campus or have a pool and a gym to use as you wish?
Finally, pay attention to whether utilities are included in the monthly rent or not. Some leases have these as a separate cost entirely and can add on to an already expensive unit. Be conscious of these costs and the more you are aware of them, the less likely you will be signing a lease that has you paying more than you expected.
Roommates?
Having roommates is a great way to decrease the cost of your rent. However, living with other people can be difficult. Most students learn this during their freshman year in a dorm, but there is still a possibility of signing a lease with someone who you are not compatible to live with. Even your best friend can turn out to be a bad fit as a roommate. Discuss cleaning routines, quiet hours and communication preferences before the lease is signed. If there is little compromise from the start, you can move on and find different people to live with.
Additionally, you do not have to have roommates. There are studios and one-bedroom apartments offered all over Bloomington, so if you cannot find roommates or are not comfortable living with other people, you will still be able to find housing. It is common for students to feel pressured to live with roommates in college because it is cheaper, and they feel they will be missing out on an experience; but consider if this experience outweighs the cost. Sometimes it is better to live on your own than to be unhappy for a year with roommates.
Location
While there is plenty of off-campus housing in general, there is limited off-campus housing close to campus. This is a factor that is important to a lot of students, so the sooner you start searching for housing, the closer you can get to campus. However, some students also consider if they are living close to places like the grocery store and gym, so they do not have to worry about driving there.
Transportation to and from your housing is just as important as its location. You can live far off-campus but still have access to the bus system or a car, or you can live close to campus and have the choice to walk. However, getting to and from class becomes more of a chore when the weather gets cold, so consider whether you would rather wait for a bus in cold weather just to be close to a grocery store or bear a walk to class because it is close.
Read reviews
Most off-campus housing has reviews written by current and past tenants. Instead of reading the one-star or five-star reviews, read the three-star reviews. These reviews are most likely to have both pros and cons that are valuable to consider, such as maintenance issues, noise and upkeep of amenities. Additionally, ask those who already live off-campus to see what their living situation is like. Ask if you can see their apartment or if they are willing to give you a tour. You are more likely to get an honest review of their off-campus housing experience than if you were to contact a leasing office.
This article is part of the 2024 Parent Survival Guide, an IDS special publication.
