What College Students Should Know Before Living In Their First Apartment
Apartment living is exciting, but comes with lots of upkeep and planning before move-in. With more freedom comes more responsibility. As the next installment in our series on how to master your first college apartment, we’d like to share with you a few things you’ll need to be prepared for before stepping into the next stage of adult living.
Your Commute & Parking
If you’re living in an off-campus apartment, you should have a game plan for how you’ll be getting to campus every day. If you’ll be taking a bus, look up times that the bus comes by your apartment and plan what bus you’ll be catching every day. If you plan to drive, look up parking permits and decide which is the best option for you. If you’re planning on walking, make sure to get up with plenty of time to make it there!
If you’re sharing a bathroom with your roommates, you should coordinate schedules to better gauge planning the commute. It’s smart to be aware of everyone’s schedule and preferences, and this well help your relationship with your roommates as well as your commute to class.
While on your apartment tour, try to get a sense of the area and ask to see the available parking lots. You’ll need to ask if you have to pay for parking, if a certain number of spots are included in the lease, or if you can purchase a reserved spot.
The Lease & Rent
Read your lease closely and see what is included. Remember to factor in costs like cable, Internet, trash, utilities, parking and other expenses not included in the monthly rent. Look to see the specific dates of the lease as they will all vary. The lease term may also impact whether or not you’re allowed to sublet your apartment for the summer or a semester. Find out what extra fees the rental agency may also be charging you, especially if you want to try to sublet. These details might not seem important now, but if you’re planning on studying abroad down the line, it’ll be good to know.
Be sure you always pay your rent on time each month. If you don’t, it can really mess up your credit and have a strong impact on your life in the long run. To avoid late fees, plan payments with your roommates in advanced and make your payments several days before they are due or set up an auto-pay online.This is your time to show that you can handle real responsibilities. With apps like Venmo, it’s now easier than ever to coordinate rent and other bill payments with your roommates.
If you and your roommates don’t already have renters insurance in place, now’s the time to do so. Split between you and your roommates, this is a very affordable policy that will provide endless protection down the line. If you’re still worried about fitting it into your budget, our Renters Insurance for College Students is very affordable on a student budget.
Cooking & Cleaning
You’ll need to take regular visits to the grocery store. Eating out can be expensive and unhealthy. Learning how to cook meals from scratch would be good for both you and your wallet. If you’ll have roommates, consider sharing cooking and shopping responsibilities.
While it may be impossible for things not to be a little messy at times with your busy schedule, take pride in your living space. Designate one day a week for cleaning and laundry. If you have roommates, consider an chore calendar to even out the domestic duties.
Did this blog help you out? Check out our other blogs about renting in college:
What to Bring to Your College Apartment
What Not to Bring to Your College Apartment
Tips for Dealing With Your Landlord as a Student
About Byrnes Agency
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