Preparing for a new year of college can be a lot of fun. Many students either live at home or live in dormitories their first year or two of college. If you are ready to branch out and find student housing that isn't on campus, then you'll want to consider looking at student rental houses. There are three important things to know about student house rentals.

Student Housing Must Still Be Approved

While a school won't tell students where they have to live in most cases, most student-approved housing that isn't on campus must still pass certain approvals. Whatever college you are attending will be able to give you a list of homes that are approved as student housing in your area. Most of these houses will have to meet minimum standards of upkeep, as well as require students to do their part to ensure the home is kept in good condition. Most landlords of student rental houses will do similar cleaning checks and maintenance checks that are conducted in dorms and other campus apartment units. The benefit is that you know the house you are living in will meet a certain level of cleanliness and have appliances that are properly maintained.

Roommates Must Be Brought to the Rental Agreement

Most housing that isn't on the campus will require you to provide enough roommates to fill the house. Because of the fact that landlords of student rental houses want to ensure every room is paid for, it is usually required that a minimum of people agree to live with you in the house. Otherwise, you will likely be responsible for paying for the vacant rooms. Landlords with homes for students generally like renting to groups of people who are friends and can cover the monthly expenses of rent and utilities for the year.

There Are Options for Shorter or Temporary Agreements

By renting a home with a group of college friends, you'll want to find a rental agreement that works for all of your situations. There are some situations where a landlord may allow for month-to-month contracts, but it usually is only done during the slower summer months. In situations where one of the roommates needs to move out sooner, most landlords that provide student housing will allow tenants to sell the remaining time on a contract to another party. This makes it easier for a landlord because they won't have to be the one to find a new party to pay rent for a room.

Branching out with your friends and getting a larger place to live can be a lot of fun. Most college rental houses are close to the campus, and they are usually surrounded by other homes that have college tenants. You can have a whole neighborhood of homes that have college students, which can make it a fun area to live in.

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