Tis the season in State College-- for virtual tours and roommate selections, applications and fees, realtors and appointments, money worries and tours, tour, tours.
For many students, renting their first house or apartment is the biggest financial decision and responsibility faced thus far in their lives. With parents miles away at home, this may be also be one of the first major decisions students make completely on their own. However, it's also a decision that many students feel unprepared for and overwhelmed by. Unfortunately, bad choices when it comes to housing often have serious legal, social and financial implications that are felt every day for 365 days of the year.
About 28,000 Penn State students live off campus in State College or its surrounding areas, according to Student Affairs' Web site. With the competitive market for housing, students have been applying earlier and earlier each year to avoid being left out in the cold. Most realtors in the area are currently accepting applications, and some have even finished accepting applications for certain buildings. For students who got a late start on their search, the pressure is on to find the place of their dreams (or at least not of their nightmares) and lay claim to it quickly.
However, Loretta Doss, Penn State assistant director for Office of Off-Campus Living (OCL), said students need to take their time to look for housing. The OCL is run by Student Affairs and guides students through the rental process. Doss said students should consider their housemates, the property's amenities and everything included in the rental price. It is also important to think about the property's proximity to campus, parking, grocery stores and laundromats if washers and dryers aren't on the premises.
When is the move-in date? Will the apartment be furnished? Is subletting allowed? Are pets permitted? Will the lease be joint and several or individual? With individual leases, you are only responsible for your part of rent. With joint and several leases, you can be held financially responsible for your roommates' rent if they pull out of the apartment or fail to pay it. Ask your realtor all of these questions and write down their responses. After looking at multiple apartments or houses, remembering these details can be confusing. The OCL Web site also advises asking your realtor confirm their statements by signing them.
"I suggest at least looking at five different styles of places," Doss said. "It has to be what you as an individual want."
Doss added that you should never submit an application until you are certain you want to live in a property because applications are usually legally binding. If you submit an application and are later offered the apartment, you are usually obligated to take it or pay rent until another tenant can be found. Doss said students who fill out an application too hastily might later regret their decision after finding another property they'd prefer.
"Filling out an application means you intend to live there," said Doss. "Don't sign anything unless you can afford to pay for it." This also means that you should not accept an on-campus housing contract and submit an off-campus apartment application or submit applications to more than one realtor.
The Apartment Store is now taking applications with a $25 processing fee. Administrative assistant Nicole Farrington said this process is for students who are "100 percent sure which building they want to live in."
Westside Village will begin taking applications with a $35 processing fee in late October, according to leasing consultant Katie Eick. However, Eick says potential tenants would have to sign their lease for their commitment to be official.
Students need to carefully read their entire lease and understand that it is a binding legal agreement, Doss said. If renters are having difficulty understanding their lease or their rights they need to go though it with their property managers or contact their state Attorney General for free general legal advice.
The OCL can also assist students with some of these concerns and with landlord disputes.
They can be found in 135 Boucke or reached at (814) 865-2346. The OCL's Web site suggests that if you have been promised any amenities by your realtor that are not explicitly stated in your lease, get these guarantees in writing before signing the lease. Do not take realtors at their word.
Let's face it: With the vast number of students seeking off-campus housing and the speed with which apartments and houses are filling, students are at the mercy of landlords in many ways.
This lack of power often contributes to students feeling undervalued and disrespected, in addition to settling for less than ideal treatment and property maintenance by landlords. Being informed of your rights and getting information in writing can put power back in the hands of students and take some confusion out of the daunting process of finding and renting your first "home."
While some of this advice may seem overly cautious or cumbersome, your housing decision is one that'll affect you in profoundly positive or negative ways on a day-to-day basis. I hope your apartment, however humble, is a place you can enjoy coming home to every day and won't make you want to kick yourself 365 times.
Caitlin O'Malley is a junior majoring in international politics and public relations and is a columnist for The Daily Collegian. Her e-mail address is cmo160@psu.edu.
