For those students who have decided to live off campus for the first time next fall, the end of spring semester can be a stressful time.
Ed Gilhool, the associate director of Housing and Dining Programs, said he gets questions each spring from students who are nervous about beginning the search for a house or apartment.
"Honestly, I'd say the most common question is, 'Where do I begin?'" he said.
Students also want to know where to find a property, what are considered good properties and how to sign a lease in an informed way, Gilhool said.
Most students begin to show interest in moving off campus around their sophomore year, he said.
Housing and Dining e-mails an information newsletter to all students who ask about off-campus housing, Gilhool said. The newsletter contains links to property listings, a renting terminology dictionary and tips about leases, budgeting and credit, among other things.
Similar information is posted online at www.american.edu/offcampushousing, a Web page through which students can find listing, message potential roommates and list properties they want to sublet.
AU offers an off-campus housing workshop called "Moving On, Moving Off" several times each spring, Gilhool said. These present information to students that help them all the way through the process of moving off. The school holds additional workshops if requested to do so by academic programs, greek chapters or other student organizations on campus.
In February, AU also held its first housing fair in at least five years, Gilhool said. Close to 20 properties and roughly 300 students attended the fair in Mary Graydon Center.
These resources are meant to council students in how to approach their landlords and make sure their rights are being upheld, among other things. They are not about telling students where or where not to live, Gilhool said.
Despite the many questions students have, those who are moving off campus next semester may have an additional advantage. The poor state of the housing market has caused a lot of houses to open up for rent, which will give students more options, he said.
Many landlords and apartment complexes also provide special discounts for renters, but students will likely not know about these unless they visit the property and ask what specials are offered.
"Now is certainly the time to look and find those specials because it really could impact what you pay to live off," Gilhool said.
Gabriel Herman, a junior in the School of Public Affairs, moved off campus this year to save money and have more freedom. He currently rents a house on Yuma Street with several friends for a per-person cost of $650 a month, he said.
"It's so much cheaper than living in the dorms, and I'm 21 so I want to be able to drink," Herman said. "I want to be able to have parties."
He said the hardest part of moving off campus was getting all his potential roommates organized and getting the money for a down payment up front. His main piece of advice for students trying to move out of the dorms is to get money upfront instead of trying to divide up expenses later.
"Be able to cut a check on the spot when you see a house," Herman said.
Sabina Asimove, a freshman in the Kogod School of Business, said she also had difficulty finding enough roommates to make her apartment affordable. Asimove said she is hoping to move into an apartment in the Avalon in the fall semester because it is slightly cheaper than the dorms.
"I want to save some money and plus I want to have my own apartment," she said.
Though the process of moving off campus can be daunting, students should not let it intimidate them, Gilhool said.
"I think a lot of students really want to take that step and move off campus, but they're a little bit nervous about things like signing a lease or going out and finding the right place," he said. "Our office can be a great resource for those students."
You can reach this staff writer at mkendall@theeagleonline.com.
