Safely finding a college apartment while social distancing
Although the format of many college students’ upcoming school year is uncertain, the need for an apartment home during the semester is inevitable.
Apartment hunting is a bit more complicated with our current health situation, but don’t let that scare you away.
As you begin your apartment hunt, search online for apartments that offer virtual tours of their community whether it’s a 3D virtual experience or a prerecorded YouTube video walkthrough tour.
Many apartment communities are also offering one-on-one tours of their property and model apartment homes that allow you and the property manager or staff member to tour the property while following social distancing guidelines and sanitizing between individual tours.
As you tour a community, keep the following in mind: Who’s living there? Is it an older community, maybe more professionals and families living there, or is it mostly made up of college-age residents? Neither is necessarily a negative, but try to figure out what you prefer.
As you learn more about unit availability, keep note of which floor each is on. Do you want a first floor so it is easy to move in your furniture? Are you able to carry groceries or a bike up to a second floor? Do some provide outdoor storage or space?
Research neighborhoods around your campus. Look beyond just the apartment community and into the surrounding area. Think about if you will be driving or walking to campus.
Is it more important to have parking? Don’t forget about things like pharmacy and groceries. You can ask current residents or the leasing office about the closest ones and check them out for yourself before signing.
Read your lease carefully. Then read it again. And one more time just to be sure. Talk to your family or anyone who might be helping you in this process about the language on the lease. Discuss it with your future roommates to make sure you are all on the same page, and ask questions. Those who work in the leasing office are there to help you.
Finally, if you’re not moving into a furnished apartment, you may need to begin creating your shopping list for the items you’ll need for your new home.
Consider splitting items with your future roommates for common areas or assign different necessary items to different roommates so everyone pitches in.
If you don’t feel comfortable furniture shopping in-person right now, look into stores that have drive-up/pick-up options, online purchasing and/or delivery options available so you can digitally furnish your new apartment home.
This is going to be your home for at least a year, so make sure you’ll be happy with where you are and with whom you are sharing a space.