How to make your off-campus living a blessing, not a curse

And you thought that after freshman year housing drama would be over.

As this year's sophomores are finding out, they aren't immune to housing concerns. The specter of living off campus, of finding a place, of signing a lease haunts the 50 percent of sophomores with only three years of housing. And when the room next door puts down a deposit on a house on Gerald Street, panic sets in. What should you do?

Take a deep breath, bring your blood pressure back to normal, and put down the phone. Marianne Carrabba, the director of off-campus life in the Office of Residential Life said students still have time to find an apartment said.

"The most important thing I can say to you is that even though most of you might feel like you have to get an apartment before 'all the good ones are gone,' we've been doing this for years, and I can tell you that you have all year to find a place," Carrabba said.

Carrabba said that realtors would try to pressure students into buying early but that many nice apartments are available even into next summer.

Mike Delsesto, former Undergraduate Government of Boston College director of residential life and BC '08, works with T&M Realty. He said students often feel pressure once their peers start putting down money for an apartment.

"There is a misconception that you have to find a place early," Delsesto said. "You actually have a lot of time to find a place. There is a limit as to how many large houses there are, but if you aren't sure that's for you, then you still have a lot of time."

Delsesto said that he encourages students to see as many apartments as they can.

"You want to do as much research as you can. I would recommend going to at least two real estate companies and going to a number of showings. This is how you will get the experience to know what a good deal is," he said.

Because students often have little experience looking for apartments, Delsesto and Carrabba have worked to make information available to the public. These resources include information sessions, a housing fair, a guide to off-campus student living published by the Office of Residential Life, online resources at bc.edu/reslife, and REPs - the UGBC's student-submitted rating system for off-campus properties accessible online.

Carrabba stressed that students should do their homework so they know what to look for when they are being shown an apartment.

"The four most important things to look for are heat, water pressure, bugs, and the reputation of the landlord," Carrabba said. "These are things you should be asking the current residents of the apartment about, not the realtor or landlord."

Also making an appearance was off-campus community liason (off-campus RA) Steve Montgomery. He told students to be careful with whom they live, especially if they want to stay out of trouble next year.

"With four people and under, you increase your chance of having a good relationship with the community,"

Montgomery said. "Problems multiply as you add more people. Look at a house as a place to live. Don't just look for parties."

Brian Cunningham, BC '08, agreed, relating a story of his housemates hosting a band at their house - a night that ended with blue flashing lights.

"Be careful living with people you don't know," Cunningham said. "You don't know how sensitive your neighbors are going to be until they are calling the police."

Joan Doyle, secretary for the Office of Residential Life's off-campus division, said that many of the pitfalls students tend to fall into during the rental process are a result of their lack of experience, something unscrupulous landlords may prey upon.

"One of the important things for students to understand is that they have rights. Your apartment is your house when you live in it. A landlord can't put the key in the door and walk in. He has to give you 24 hours notice," Doyle said. "A lot of students feel harassed by their landlord. To protect yourself, you need to make sure that you document everything. When you move into an apartment ,you should have an ACS [Apartment Condition Statement] in hand to document everything so you won't be charged for damage you didn't commit," she said.

Doyle also warned students to be careful when moving in with people going abroad.

"A lot of rental agents will tell students they will have no problem finding a roommate for second semester, that the school will help them, but the truth is that a lot of students coming back second semester are offered housing on campus. If your name is on the lease, you are legally responsible for paying the rent if you don't find a subletter."

Carrabba emphasized that students need to be sure to be informed - that plenty of resources are available, but aren't always used.

As Carrabba said, "You aren't alone when you are off campus. BC still has a lot of resources available. Use them. Living off campus doesn't have to be a drag, but it can be if you aren't careful."