After sophomore year, the coin laundry, overbearing roommates and gross community bathrooms start to get old. A necessity for an upper classmen is off campus housing. Seems as easy as 1-2-3, yet it can be quite a journey. First things first, if you want to go to student advertised off campus housing such Sebastian Village and University Landing, be prepared for dorm life with your own bathroom and a kitchen. Nobody tells you that when you sign your name on the dotted line that you will be subjected to random apartment checks. When you talk to the leasing office you are assured that this would be like having your own apartment, a feeling of independence. In fact these room checks are actually really important because they can definitely get you kicked out.
Don’t be naïve and believe that you are super safe because of the cameras and lone security man. Break-ins do happen at these apartments. The ironic thing about this to me is that they often have inactive alarm systems. What is the point of intrusion alarms if they do not work? The chime that plays when the door opens will not suffice when it comes to scaring off burglars. The idea of burglary at these student apartments is not a farfetched idea whatsoever. According to crime statistics, in the A&T area there have been burglaries in the past.
When you look at the prices you are paying compared to local apartment prices in Greensboro things get really confusing. Yes, you get cable, rent, utilities and internet all in one bill but on average you pay around 500 dollars for a 4 bedroom apartment, and all 4 of the occupants are paying this price which would make the rent 2000 a month.
Therefore, when you realize how much you are being ripped off, you and your three other friends might want to look into house hunting. A four bedroom house although hard to find goes for around $1000 a month in this area. In all reality house hunting can be the most difficult and corrupt process if you don’t just hire a realtor. Most craigslist ads are scams and there are so many scamming services that it’s ridiculous.
All in all, off campus living is not as easy as it sounds, don’t think you can find a great spot in just a week and once you find your perfect spot, be good to it. Nobody tells you this, but a bad rental history follows you and makes life so much more complicated.
So I say if you are looking for housing this semester and you are tired of the on campus life, be sure that you are able to afford wherever you decide to live and make sure you make all your payments on time. If you decide to try an apartment that is not all-inclusive like most student apartments, realize that you will have to open accounts with Duke Energy and maybe the city of Greensboro for your water bill, they have deposits so be prepared.
- Nia Smith, Contributor