Questions to Ask Yourself Before you Rent:
What kind of rental unit do you want? Furnished or unfurnished?
- Apartment:
- 1, 2, or three bedrooms?
- Garden apartment or townhouse complex?
- Converted apartment in a private home?
- Efficiency or studio apartment?
- Rooms in a student house?
- Rooms in a private house?
- House?
What are your transportation needs?
- Within walking distance?
- On an MTA bus/metro route?
- UMBC shuttle availability?
- Carpool availability?
- Do you need to be near shopping facilities or your job site?
- Close to your trusty car mechanic?
What are your privacy needs?
- Do you want a private bedroom?
- Can you share a bedroom with someone?
- Can you share a house with other students?
- Can you share a bathroom?
What can you afford? (Include utility costs!)
- One-bedroom apartments tend to be the most costly option but offer total privacy.
- Rooms in student houses or private homes tend to be the least expensive.
- The closer you are to campus, the higher the rent is likely to be.
How much legal security do you want?
- Written leases offer maximum legal protection, but often require a 12-month commitment
- Without an agreement regarding the term of your stay, you can legally be asked to leave anytime.