The time has come to decide where to live next year. While there is certain security in remaining in the residence halls, off-campus housing is a viable second option.

Deadlines

When selecting an apartment, it is important to keep an eye on the calendar. Generally, most lessors target the months of November and December when it comes to open house events and the availability of signing a contract.

“We’ve had a lot of luck leasing earlier,” said Scott Zondag, office manager of Star Properties. “Last year we found there were a lot of students who wanted to start off earlier than later.”

After finding a place to live, the deadline to keep in mind is when the rent is due. All lessors will make it clear when they expect the bills to be paid, although that specific time of the month varies.

Star Properties, for example, requires its tenants to have their rent checks in by the 15th of the month.

Pricing

One thing of note about off-campus housing is the diversity in both type and price. According to the Northern Star housing guide, published November 8, 2007, non-dorm options range from $220 per month to $1,700 per month.

Meanwhile, the cost of dorm life is ostensibly higher. Per semester rates in a residence hall range from $3,369 for a triple room in Douglas or Lincoln, with the gold meal plan, to $5,512 for a single room in Stevenson with the titanium meal plan, according to NIU’s Web site.

“Do your homework on rental rates, look around,” said Chris Rubeck, property manager for the College Housing Group. “Make sure that what you’re getting is what you want.”

Additionally, pricing can be broken down into several categories, including: rent, utilities (heating, electric and water) and security deposits, among others. This doesn’t include the option of cable, Internet or phone, or the cost of groceries and furnishings.

Know your Options

Coming to a conclusion on where to live is often marred by indecisiveness and second guessing. Because there are so many factors going into selecting not only the best, but the most suitable apartment, students often rush to judgment when making their decisions.

In an effort to prevent this from happening, make a numbered list of what you value in housing – location, price, size, other – and coordinate from there.

“I’d say [finding a good apartment] starts the year off either really well, or really poorly,” Zondag said. “If you live somewhere you hate, it’s going to reflect upon the rest of your year. If you live somewhere you love, it’s going to be easy to come home at night.”

After leaping those bigger, more important hurdles, it is time to start asking questions regarding the little things. Is there enough parking available? How good or bad is the reputation of the management? Is the property safe and secure?

“A lot of people don’t care where they live, just as long as they get off the street,” said Jim Mason, owner of Mason Properties. “Security is a big factor that’s popped up in the 10 years. Prior to that nobody cared; everybody took safety for granted.”

One final option to take a look at is that of roommates. Unlike the residence halls, there is no random pairing of roommates. Apartments and town houses range anywhere from one bedroom to five bedrooms and finding at least one roommate is ideal to defer the already high cost of living.

Know the rules

The management companies want you to live in their housing developments. It’s how they make money. But no lessor is going to give out an apartment before going over the details of the contract.

This is how they prevent themselves from losing money. That said, there are two things to remember before signing on the dotted line: The rules within the lease must be followed, and the contract is binding.

“I’m very strict about [the lease],” Rubeck said. “You’ve got to follow the rules and regulations of the lease if you want to continue a good relation with management.”

Bear in mind each individual housing complex is different. Some apartments allow pets, or even encourage them, while others want nothing to do with an animal of any sort. Check and recheck the lease annually to prevent the loss of a security deposit.

Each lessor requires a security deposit the day the lease is signed, and the reasons for that are twofold: One, it reserves the apartment, and two, it serves as financial protection in the event anything goes awry over the course of the year.

Most security deposits are in the sum of one month’s rent, although individual rates vary by company.