Ask around.

We are always being told by our elders that the younger generation does not network anymore. Or that ipods and cell phones have caused us to become introverts. Well, to change this, I implore you to talk to people on campus about off campus housing. You might not ever realize that you know people who live off campus. The main reason to do this is to make sure you stay away from bad landlords. I personally have had horrible landlords. Some never return phone calls. Others show up unannounced and some never even bother answering the phone. By talking to other students, one could gain information about where and where not to live.

For instance, I have lived with three different rental companies; Legacy Management, Good Fellow Management, and Unger Apartments. Legacy Management was slightly unorganized but was always there for their residents if they were needed. Good Fellow Managements owner lived out of state and we rarely met face to face with him. I am now living with Unger Apartments and this by far has to be the most interesting and frustrating experience. The major problem with Unger Apartments is that whenever you need to get in touch with the owner, she is never available. If you leave a message, she will not return your phone call for some time. Hopefully, the issue is nothing serious because if it is, you will be on your own. They are also unorganized and often get residents bills mixed up. These are just a few experiences that I have had and I am sure your friends have similar stories. These are only a few of the student rental companies and there are many more. Before making your decision, ask around and familiarize yourself with the companies before you make the wrong decision like a lot of us already have.