After entering college, looking for a place as a student is a real transition into long-awaited adulthood. Most young people still find it difficult to dive headfirst into independence like that. At first, the relatives pay the student for food and a roof over the head. For everyone, this is an exciting business, so stress is indispensable. Still, you can minimize that by getting ready.
Dormitory – The most affordable option
Most college graduates fondly remember living in a dorm. And not only for romance and freedom. The advantages of this option can be felt.
Pros.
- Affordable price. Living in a dorm for nonresident students is several times cheaper than renting an apartment or room.
- Closeness to the place of study. It is often not difficult to get to the college, and besides, there is always good company there.
- There is everything you need for life, and if something is missing, someone is always ready to share. Most of the residents of the “hostel” live amicably, support each other.
- You quickly get used to living conditions, even if they are far from ideal. If you are lucky with your neighbors, it will be much more fun to live and cope with the stresses of student life together. The number of parties in dorms is often greatly exaggerated.
Cons.
- Some dorms leave much to be desired from a sanitary and technical point of view.
- Shared kitchen, toilets, showers. You poorly keep track of things, for example, dishes; it can also become common.
- Most have a curfew. You won’t be able to enter without problems at night.
- Neighbors, if you’re unlucky. But you can change them.
- Not everyone can get into the dorm of the college. The number of places is limited.
Room in the apartment
An alternative and the next most affordable option is to rent a room for a student. Sometimes, the owners of large apartments rent out living space in parts for the sake of profit, letting in each room from one to several tenants. Most often, elderly single people go to such earnings. First-year students should come with their parents. They can also issue a lease agreement. This will guarantee reliability and help convince the owner to rent the apartment to the student.
There are several ways to look for housing. Look for ads in the vicinity of the college. There may be options on the Internet just for students. It makes sense to look at it in social networks. Write to the groups of the city where you are going to study, to the group of the college. Local realtors always have a base of tenants who rent out a room or several. Maybe there is a corner where you want to move in.
Student apartment
The ideal “adult” option is to rent an apartment for the duration of your studies. But you will have to pay for it “like an adult.” Therefore, it makes sense to attend to the search for friends. Look for them on social media groups in your city or college.
Usually, students rent apartments by twos or fours. This should be immediately reported to the owners! Few of them will be delighted when they find out that a whole camp has settled in the apartment instead of two young guys. Still, if you enter cohabitation in the contract and determine the share of each in payment in advance, there will be much less conflict and stress for both sides. An apartment for a student in the college area is the most expensive. And the demand for such housing is great, especially in summer. A compromise is an apartment with good transport accessibility, from which you can get to the place of study by several types of public transport.
Rent through accredited agencies.
Seeking professional service from a property management company, to help you find a suitable rental location is the best scenario. This makes it possible to choose from a wide range of real estate objects with high security and transparency of the deal of the contract. So, you open access to all products and services, making it possible to use the services of trusted owners. It is significant for people who have come to an unfamiliar city.
Final Words
Be on the lookout. Do not fall for the tricks of unscrupulous realtors when renting an apartment. Even if you have decided on the type of places, ask the agent to choose ones. This will show you prices by area and know that the agent is serious about your deal. A realtor can advise on the legal aspects of the transaction, provide guidance on costs or help with leading questions, but you should take the time to analyze the real estate market before contacting an agent. Discuss the stages of the deal with the agent in advance. Good luck finding your perfect home.