Your ?rst apartment search made simple

It is a story we have all heard before: sophomores come back to school, fatigued from a break filled with family drama, only to face a cramped dorm room.

Off-campus housing has always been attractive for older students. However, when it comes time to find a new place, many do not know where to begin.

There are many ways to find available apartments. Most landlords have a website listing available properties, often with photos and maps of the location. There are also conventional ads which renters place in local newspapers. Regardless of these options, students often find their apartments just by talking to their friends.

“Word of mouth is really helpful in finding a good place to live,” said Gina Turner, property manager at Townhouse Apartments on Hillsborough Road.

“We don’t advertise a lot, and so it’s mostly word of mouth that brings people to us.”

Once you create a list of places to check out, you will need to get in touch with a realtor or property manager to schedule a viewing.

“I’m often out doing showings for prospective tenants, so I’m not always going to be in my office to answer the phone,” said Angela Huffman, associate property manager at Mill House Properties.
“E-mail is the best way to contact me.”

When viewing an apartment for the first time, do your homework.

“I think the best thing to do is to come prepared. Have a list of questions. If the person showing you the property can answer your questions quickly and efficiently, that’s a good sign,” Huffman said.

Don’t forget the basic questions— the terms of the lease, the rent rate, and so on.

“Ask if they require a cosigner for student leases,” Turner said. Building owners often require cosigners for student leases because students often lack the established credit history of an older tenant.

Students should be aware that the realtor is not the only person who can answer their questions. Often times, it is best to go straight to the source.

If you want to know how much utilities cost, you can talk to the power company. All you need is the address of the property. Duke Energy can give you the numbers for how much electricity the property used last year.

“A lot of people ask about crime, and I always refer them to the police department,” Turner said. “It’s better to get facts rather than an opinion when it comes to crime and safety.”

Keep in mind that you cannot guarentee nothing will go wrong later just from looking at an apartment. Find out what kind of maintenance plan the building has, be it directly through the owner or a maintenance company.

“It’s inevitable that something will happen, and you need to make sure you know what the procedure is for maintenance,” Huffman said. “Usually you can tell by how that question gets answered how well things are maintained.”

Remember that you are not looking for a hotel room — you are looking for a new home. Choose your roommates accordingly.

“Residents need to understand that a lease is kind of like a marriage,” Turner said. “They both have a commitment to the apartment. They can’t just walk away from it if they get mad at each other.”

Know what you are looking for before you start visiting places. Stephanie Shannon, a junior nursing student, looked at half a dozen apartment communities before settling on her apartment in Chapel Ridge.

“I would have a list of your non-negotiable needs before you start looking, like a pool or being close to a bus line,” Shannon said. “That way, you save a lot of time by not looking at places you don’t want to live in.”

The search process seems daunting, but remember procrastinating makes things even more difficult.

“Start looking early, because the good places seem to go really fast,” senior Megan Kennedy said.
Junior Peter Noone started his housing search with three friends in February. They looked at six houses before making a decision.

“Agree on pricing before you sign the lease,” he said. “We didn’t and that led to a pretty big argument.”

Most of all, do not feel pressured. Amelia Sciandra offers this advice to those searching for housing. “You need to take time to make the decision. We sort of rushed,” she said.

Contact the City Editor at city@dailytarheel.com.