Post columnist talks about the need of leasing alternatives for students who are only in Athens for a single semester.
After doubling up on classes and spending my summers accumulating extra credit hours, I got myself in a position to graduate a semester early. By completing my degree in December rather than May, my hope was to save a semester’s worth of tuition payments and rent.
I held off on signing a lease until I was certain I would only be here for the fall semester. After confirming my early graduation status with my advisor, I set out on an apartment hunt. I emailed several different realtors about leasing an apartment for only the first half of the 2015-2016 academic year.
Unfortunately, my inquiries were met with discouraging replies. Some realtors were more helpful than others, but they all said the same thing: “We don’t offer semester leases.”
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I suddenly found myself with three unappealing options: shell out the money for a year lease, live in the dorms for my final semester or try to find a sublease.
Paying rent for a year would defeat the purpose of graduating early – to save money. Although I could try to sublease my apartment to another student for the spring semester, it’s a risk. If I can’t find someone to take over my lease, I will be stuck paying six months of rent on an apartment I won’t still be living in.
While living in the dorms for a semester is a practical option, it’s often an undesirable one for most seniors. After living on my own and getting a taste of off-campus independence, the thought of moving back under the rules of the residence halls is less than thrilling.
The final option for semester housing is to rent an apartment or bedroom from someone else. Students may sign a 12-month lease with the intention of staying all year but unexpected events occur, forcing them to find students to temporarily take over their spot. For students graduating a semester early, this is a great option for housing; however, subleasing is a headache and informal, semester-based contracts can be tricky.
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Adding to the housing struggle is the race to find an apartment at least a year in advance. At other schools in Ohio, the apartment hunt doesn’t start until a few months before students plan to move in. At Ohio University, students begin searching for apartments up to two years in advance. I was in awe when my landlord showed my current apartment last week to a group of sophomores hoping to lock down a lease for their senior year — in 2017!
The rental process at OU needs some revamping. With more and more students beginning the apartment hunt years in advance, it creates a sense of urgency to find an apartment ASAP. And for students who are seeking “unconventional” leases, the pressure to find a place is then amplified.
There needs to be more leasing alternatives for students who are only in Athens for a single semester. Off-campus housing offers very few formal options for students, and it’s making the apartment hunt (and graduating early) more of a headache than it’s worth.
Maria Fischer is a junior studying journalism. Email her at mf628211@ohio.edu.
