Apartment Hunting
In this section:
- Why Live Off Campus?
- Determining Your Needs
- Where to Start Looking
- Interactive Map
- Viewing Rentals
- Doing Your Research
- Getting to Know Your Landlord
- Seeking a Roommate
- On-Campus Housing Commitment
Choosing to live off campus is a decision that will have an impact on your college experience. The appeal of living on your own is enhanced by the opportunities it presents for more privacy and more personal space as well as a greater sense of freedom. However, it is important to identify and understand the responsibilities of living off campus and to be prepared to handle a range of added tasks, such as cooking, cleaning, and budgeting. As a prospective tenant, you have the right to ask the landlord questions. Before signing a lease, be sure that you are satisfied with the apartment, services provided by the landlord, and the security of the unit.
Before you begin your housing search it is important to determine your needs and what you can afford. You should consider the following:
- Where do you want to live? How far do you want to be from campus, the nearest bus stop, and other conveniences?
- What size unit are you looking for?
- How much can you afford for rent and utilities?
- How much can you afford for a security deposit?
- Do you need a place to park your vehicle?
- Do you want a unit that is furnished or unfurnished?
- What length of a lease do you need?
- How many roommates do you want to have?
- Are you able to take care of snow removal and/or lawn care?
- Do you want to have a pet?
- What type of housing do you want?
Apartment- Independent rental unit within a building, separated from other units, with private cooking and living facilities.
House- Single or two-family building where the WHOLE building is for rent.
Studio- A small apartment with kitchenette, bathroom, and a living room/bedroom area
Shared Rentals- Individual room listings in houses and apartments where others already live. You will move into a situation with others you probably do not know. In most of these rentals, you and the others in the house share the kitchen, living room, and other common areas.
There are a number of rental units available in the University area and many ways in which you can search for them:
- Visit www.orangehousing.com. Orange Housing is a local company that is not affiliated with Syracuse University or SUNY ESF but maintains a website of apartment offerings in the neighborhoods adjacent to campus.
- Check out The Daily Orange and other local newspapers.
- Ask friends and classmates who have or are renting in the area.
- Attend the Off-Campus Student Housing Fair that is held every September in the Schine Student Center. Several area landlords, representatives form the City of Syracuse’s Division of Code Enforcement, the Syracuse Police Department, the Syracuse Fire Department, and various neighborhood associations are on hand to answer questions and share information with students.
Click here on the neighborhoods to view descriptions.
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You should view two or more rentals that fit within your needs. When looking at each rental you should take notes and ask several questions.
- Utilize the Apartment Hunting Checklist (Appendix A, page 35) to document the condition of each apartment
- Check for safety concerns: working locks on doors and windows, exterior lighting, etc.
- Check to ensure that your prospective new home is not in violation with City of Syracuse Building Code. City of Syracuse Division of Code Enforcement can be reached at 315-448-8695.
- Request a summary of the past two years' heating and cooling bills for the prospective property from the landlord. The landlord must provide this information upon written request.
- Examine the amount of parking available in your new neighborhood. Be sure you are aware of the on-street parking regulations that you are expected to abide by or associated parking costs.
- Consult with the Landlord Information Sharing Programming that is hosted by the Office of Orientation and Off-Campus Programs. The Landlord Information Sharing Program is a program that provides students with a method for communicating with each other from year to year about their rental housing challenges and successes.
- Talk with the current tenants about the location, apartment condition and their relationship/experience with the landlord.
- Visit the area both during the day and at night to get a feel for the safety of the area. Pay attention to noise, activity level and appearance of nearby buildings.
- Check out the neighborhood crime statistics for your new area at www.syracusepolice.org.
Seek out firsthand information about the landlord. If the present tenants still occupy the apartment when you consider leasing it, they are likely to be a good source of information. It is also a good idea to check with next-door neighbors and friends in the area. Once you move into the apartment, make an effort to check in with your landlord from time to time.
As you think about with whom you would like to live, consider the following questions:
- What are you looking for in a roommate?
- Do you or does your potential roommate smoke? If yes, will this be a potential problem?
- Do you and your potential roommate have similar sleeping habits?
- How late do you like to sleep on the weekends? Weekdays?
- How late do you stay up on the weekends? Weekdays?
- Do you and your potential roommate have similar study habits?
- Can you and your potential roommate handle each other’s lifestyle differences (i.e., use of alcohol, sexual orientation, etc.)?
- Do either of you have pets?
- How important is cleanliness to both of you?
- Consider the amount of personal belongings you both may have. The more there is, the more opportunity there is for clutter.
- How much time do you both spend on the phone? Will this be a potential problem?
- How much time do you both spend in the bathroom/shower? Will this be a potential problem?
FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS
First-year students are required to live in University housing for their first two years at Syracuse University. If your immediate family resides in the Syracuse, NY area then you may commute from home.
TRANSFER STUDENTS
Transfer students who have completed fewer than 40 academic credits are encouraged to reside in University housing unless they are students with families or students who commute from the permanent home of their immediate family. Housing for transfer students is on a space-available basis until all spaces on North and South Campuses are filled.
Once a student is housed…Syracuse University requires students to reside in University housing during their first two years of enrollment at the University regardless of class standing with the exception of SUNY ESF students who are required to reside in University housing during their first full year of enrollment. Without limiting the preceding sentence, incoming transfer students must reside in University housing until the end of their second full academic year of enrollment at the University regardless of class standing. Students will be financially responsible for the cost of University housing attributable to the mandatory periods even if they fail to occupy University housing as required by University policy.