Securing off-campus housing for Int'ls

[Guest Vague-a-bond]

For those of us who won't be getting on-campus housing or can't use it for some reason (family etc.), how are you going about the issue of securing a housing before school starts?

I can see two main alternatives:

1. Arrive a few weeks beforehand (early August) and seek out apartments furiously. This involves the added cost of temporary housing during the search period, and the risk of being left with the apartments no one else wanted.

2. Take a flight out during May and seek apartments furiously. This requires a tourist visa (in some countries not easy to arrange quickly) +cost of plane tickets. Some of us are still occupied in studies/work in that period.

so what option are you taking?

Of course, Intl's living currently in the US need not answer, since you folks can just drive over/take a domestic flight and settle this in a weekend.

[Guest elvisina]

I really don't know what to do...I'm moving over from the UK with my husband, who's not a student, so we definitely want to rent privately. He's Serbian, so getting a tourist visa for househunting purposes is pretty much out of the question for him (would take too long and it's too expensive). I could fly over by myself and check places out, but I'd rather us do it together. Hmm. I'm worried about just rocking up in August though b/c I've heard that lots of leases where I'm going (Madison) get signed much earlier in the year.

Right, well that hasn't helped you at all has it?! It's made me realise I need to think about this more though!

Anyway, where are you from and where are you headed?

[meridionale]

Waitlists for apartments usually begin in March or April, but it's hard to actually get a straight answer of if there is 1 or 50 people on the waitlist, or if you will get an apartment. They will say something like "Oh, or waitlist is filling up, but you can probably get into one!" Who knows what that actually means.

If you can't afford to come over and apartment hunt, then check out sites like rent.com and apartmentratings.com. Also seek out current graduate students online that go to your prospective school and ask them their opinions. I did all of this and found a general consensus of good places for grad students. Also call places and ask for specials, because usually prices are over stated online. If you do enough asking around and research, you shouldn't be too misguided or suprised when you finally do move and see what you got yourself into. If you are that concerned, try to find places with a 5-6 month lease so you can get out easily when Christmas rolls around.

I wouldn't wait until you get here in August to find an apartment though. You might get lucky, but you'd probably have to take what you can get.

[Guest Vague-a-bond]

meridionale - If what you're recommending is that I rent a place without seeing it, I'm actually willing to do that. But would any landlord be willing to sign a lease with me without seeing me?

elvisina - Well, it's nice to know I'm not the only one with this problem. (Even though you can hop on a flight and go hunting - at the worst your husband won't like the place and the two of you will live there for one academic year.) I'm from Israel headed for Yale in New Haven, CT.

[meridionale]

meridionale - If what you're recommending is that I rent a place without seeing it, I'm actually willing to do that. But would any landlord be willing to sign a lease with me without seeing me?

Well, don't get me wrong. I recommend you fly out and find a place to live in May, but I recognize it's easier said than done. Most "main-stream" apartment complexes with an actual leasing office is more concerned with if you can pay rent than what you are like.

What I really recommend is contacting current graduate students at the school you will be attending in the fall. Take their advice and opinions and apply it to some good internet research. I'm sure a lot of schools also have a section on their website for helping international students get more information about moving and what not. You can't trust a leasing agent (they want your money), but you can trust the opinions of current grads and your department.

[Debating]

What I really recommend is contacting current graduate students at the school you will be attending in the fall. Take their advice and opinions and apply it to some good internet research. I'm sure a lot of schools also have a section on their website for helping international students get more information about moving and what not. You can't trust a leasing agent (they want your money), but you can trust the opinions of current grads and your department.

I strongly agree with meridionale on that. As far as renting a place you haven't seen and whether the landlord would be willing to do that--I assume you don't have any U.S. credit histpry, which would make this very hard. However, what you can do is find a place, call the landlord and see if they will accept your admission offer (assuming you're getting an assistantship of some sort) as a guarantee you'll be making enough money. They might also want to talk to the graduate department to confirm this info, but it should be enough for them to agree to rent to you. You can take care of the document exchange over fax.

[Bianca]

I'm from Macedonia moving to Ithaca, NY. I've no chance of flying to the US now to look for a place, not because of visa issues, but because of money. a trip like that is going to cost me at least $1500-$2000 and I can't afford that. and I was told that looking for a place in August is a very bad idea, only the bad and expensive options are left.

so I first asked the current grad students at Cornell what part of the city would be the right one for me (considering my desire to live in a busy area relatively close to the campus) and then started looking online. some landlords don't agree to do rent out their place online, but others do. I also ask them to send photos so I can have some idea of the appartment. and that's how I'll decide.

good luck to all of us

[anisa]

I'm American, but living overseas at the moment, and heading to Michigan State in August. I just signed a lease for an apartment that I have not personally seen, so it does happen. in fact, the manager was extremely nice and friendly. he said that he wants grad students, particularly PhD students. He also said that most apartments get full by end of May, so DON'T wait until August. I am very happy with the place I got--furnished, not too expensive, away from frat row.

[Guest Ida]

Sorry, this is off the topic.

Anisa, you have the same name as my little sister. It is somewhat rare, so just wanted to point that out.