Expensive rent!!!!!!

[az91]

Hey all, I'm going to grad school this fall in college park-maryland. I'm an international student and I want to live alone but the rental cost is extremely high. I didnt find any1br/1ba apartments or studios with 1ba for less that 1100 $ is this considerednornal??

[justinmcummings]

I can't speak for that area, but the two universities I am considering right now are both similar situations. So expensive :-/.

[Guest Gnome Chomsky]

Yeah, that's pretty normal. Maryland is one of the most expensive places to live in the country, especially that area. And if you want a one-room, you're gonna pay for it. If you're willing to live with roommates, you can probably get a place for $5-600. 

[rising_star]

You may want to check or ask in the appropriate threads on the "City Guide".

[maelia8]

I'm moving to Berkeley, CA ( think the San Francisco Bay Area currently IS the most expensive place to live in the country) and the rent there for a single apartment can be as high as 1300-1400 … I'm looking at 800-1000 a month for a roommate situation! 500-600 sounds pretty darn cheap to me

[az91]

Unfortunately I dont like to live with a room mate but I guess ill have to find one and save sone money.... maybe if get a far place and buy a car it would be cheaper?? Any experience with this??

[maelia8]

Depends on how expensive/difficult to find parking is in the area you're moving to. Where I'm moving buying a car wouldn't pay off in my opinion as you can end up spending hundreds in parking fees per year. Look up what the costs of parking are and what kind of university parking passes are available at your institution. Also take time to carefully consider the costs of commuting in terms of time and stress. Would you have to commute along a highway with serious traffic issues? Would living further away limit your involvement in campus life, and if so, is that something you're ok with? 

[elisewin]

I'm moving to Berkeley, CA ( think the San Francisco Bay Area currently IS the most expensive place to live in the country) and the rent there for a single apartment can be as high as 1300-1400 … I'm looking at 800-1000 a month for a roommate situation! 500-600 sounds pretty darn cheap to me

 

When I was living in Berkeley in 2011-12, I paid 800 for a room in a house with 4 more girls. A friend of mine paid 650 for a SHARED room without a bed, just two mattresses in the floor. So yep, hella expensive over there.

[maelia8]

Yup Totally jazzed to be going to Berkeley, but not looking forward to those prices ...

[Spinosaurus]

Look for a roommate. Driving would mean being stuck in traffic, paying for gas, maintenance, parking.

Have you considered biking? There are also shuttles, you can look into places close to the stops. Basically, look for a roommate, at least for the first year, after that- weigh your options with better knowledge and see what you can do.

[Guest Gnome Chomsky]

Look for a roommate. Driving would mean being stuck in traffic, paying for gas, maintenance, parking.Have you considered biking? There are also shuttles, you can look into places close to the stops. Basically, look for a roommate, at least for the first year, after that- weigh your options with better knowledge and see what you can do.

Yep. You might save a few hundred on rent if you live far from campus but you'll make up that difference in car costs. Car insurance can be $1-200 a month, to actually buy a cheap used car could be $2,000 (which averages out to $170 a month for a year), registering the car is another $100 a year, gas is $150-200 a month, parking is another $100 a month, and maintenance like new tires, oil change, tune up, etc cost money too. You really have to have common sense. Is it worth getting a car to save $200 a month on rent?

[i.am.me]

You can look to live in the surrounding areas on campus for cheaper rent - not with a large apartment complex, rather renting a room from someone who owns a home or there are homes for rent in which roommates share (iunno...like greenbelt, riverdale, hyattsville, landover, or even farther out like takoma park and silver spring). There are school shuttle buses so try to look for a place on a route. 

 

My friend (an international student lived really close to campus (on of the school apartments) our entire MA program and she paid 550 to live with 3 or 4 other people - while she got her own room, the boy roommate slept on a pull-out couch ::shrugs:: they made it work. 

 

If you are an international student at UMD - try contacting the Office of International studies, they can point you to organizations on campus that are set up to help international students find accommodation and support. 

Edited April 6, 2014 by i.am.me

[az91]

Thank you guys, gonna contact the housing office and see whats available. Also ill calculate the costs of having a car and hopefully figure out if its better to buy one or not

[nugget]

If you are lucky enough to find a place with a living room that has a door, you or a roommate could use the living room as a bedroom and it would definitely lower your rent. I've seen this done with 3 students in a 2 bedroom apartment and it seemed to be functional. It isn't ideal for inviting your friends over but not having a living room could be worth the sacrifice in exchange for extra spending money. You could even have a sofa bed or futon instead of a mattress and transform your bedroom into a living room if you have company over.

Edited April 10, 2014 by jenste

[stella_ella]

That sounds awful. Do you have any relatives living there? See if you could rent from them, and maybe they can give you a nepotistic deal

[I am not sure yet]

I'll move to Baltimore in the summer, I don't intend to have a roommate, so I'll rent a studio. You can get a decent place under $1000. I don't mind if it's a small place but I do want to live near campus.

[az91]

I found a few studios for 900-1100 $. I prefer to live alone, all my life I have been living with others and I want to be independent so I favor a studio. Even though lll have to pay a bit more