7 Off-Campus Housing Tips


Living off campus is a completely different experience to living in a McMaster accommodation. You’ll have much more freedom, but also more responsibilities. To ensure that you find the right place, feel comfortable during your time there, and save money, there are some things you need to do.

1. Check Everything Before Making a Decision
Never feel too shy to poke around when visiting potential housing. Look out for red flags like water damage, mold, broken windows, creaky floors, and signs of bugs.

2. Choose the Right Roommates
Your best friends may not make the best roommates. Pick people you can trust to pay their share of the rent and utility bills and who want the same kind of lifestyle as you.

3. Read the Lease
Your landlord must provide you with a lease before you seal the agreement. Only sign if you are happy about terms like the number of people that can live in the house, the subletting policy, parking, who is responsible for maintaining appliances, and what is required for the return of your security deposit.

4. Find Cheap Furniture
Most places come unfurnished, which means you’ll need to acquire all the furniture yourself. The cheapest way to do this is to ask former students. The people leaving your apartment may be able to sell you their stuff. If not, get in touch with other graduates.

5. Plan for Home Maintenance
You need to keep the apartment well maintained if you are to avoid damages. Should an appliance or fixture need a repair, call your landlord and document everything.

6. Prepare the Kitchen
When you move in, purchase all the basics you need for the kitchen and split the cost with your roommates. Set ground rules about what essentials you will share, how you’ll label your food, and how you will divide the cleaning.

7. Meet Your Neighbours
Develop a good relationship with your neighbours. They will be useful contacts to have if you ever need to borrow something (like a hand tool) and they’ll be more likely to turn to you in the case of minor disputes (such as noise) instead of calling the police.

You can avoid many of the above complications by living in student accommodation. For instance, places like West Village Suites have dedicated maintenance personnel and all the suites are fully furnished. Plus, you are only responsible for paying your own lease, meaning you never need to worry if your roommates are late paying their bills.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Renting an Apartment Versus Renting a Room in an Apartment

When it comes to off-campus student housing, you have two main options: you can rent an entire apartment or you can find a room to rent. There are advantages — and downsides — to either choice. To make the right choice, you’ll need to think about what matters most to you. You Value Your Privacy If you like spending time alone or you value peace and quiet, you’ll be more comfortable in your own apartment. If you rent a room, you’ll need to share common areas with other people who may have very different ways of living. You Need to Save Money Apartments for rent inHamilton are always much more expensive than a single room. If saving money is a priority, a room is the way to go. You’re Difficult to Live With It is important to be tidy when living with other people. Being forgetful or messy may be a cause of conflict with roommates. Think hard about your habits and whether you’d be willing (and able) to change. Simple things like washing the dishes straight after yo...
Read more

On-Campus Vs. Off-Campus Housing

There are obvious similarities and differences between living on campus and living off campus. They both have their perks and drawbacks. But they also offer a certain level of freedom and independence for college students. While on-campus living is required and best for new students, off-campus living can be beneficial for upperclassmen. Unfortunately, however, it can be nearly impossible to choose between the two. If you’re not sure which is best for you, just weight the pros and cons of each. Pros and Cons of Living Off Campus Off-campus housing isn’t for everyone. But it can serve as an introduction to adulthood and offer more freedom than on-campus accommodations. However, the benefits of living off campus don’t end there. Off-campus apartments also offer: ·  More space and privacy ·  More freedom and less rules ·  Private kitchens and bathrooms ·  A greater variety of amenities ·  Less noise ·  The ability to have overnight guests a...
Read more

How to Tell When You Should Live Without a Roommate

Sometimes, choosing a good friend to be your roommate isn’t enough. It may be that you’re simply the type of person who prefers to live alone. The problem is that it can be difficult to know this when it’s your first time living away from home. You may decide to try one year in McMaster University housing , but if tension builds up, you should probably live without a roommate in the future. You Never Bring Anyone Home You should feel comfortable entertaining friends at home and bringing dates back. If you do neither, it may be because you struggle to feel completely at ease when your roommate is close by. You Argue About Chores It may be that one of you is messy, whereas the other is super organized. Alternatively, it may be that you are just unable to agree on whose turn it is to do a particular chore. If this is becoming a constant source of arguments, you need to consider parting ways. You Can’t Stand Waiting for the Bathroom Ideally, you’d like to be able...
Read more