Moving off-campus is supposed to bring about feelings of freedom and independence. As someone who has lived off-campus for the past year, I can tell you these feelings are partnered with stress and drama. While the perks of living off campus such as having your very own bedroom and not having an RA doing rounds each night are pleasant, these “luxuries” come with a high price.
The first major hurdle is picking out the group of people whom which you will reside with. Make sure to think back on the relationships of ALL members who are potentially going to be included. Even if the drama between your two best friends seems way in the past, it is surprising how much resurfaces when living in a house with just a few people. Also, your best friends might not be the best housemates. Choose people you get along with, but might not necessarily have strings attached to. You don’t want to spoil a good friendship over a utility bill or a dirty dish. Additionally, if members of the house plan on going abroad, make sure the subletter situation is figured out in advance to avoid unpleasant surprises in the future.
In terms of number of people, I recommend 4 or less. Most houses in Burlington do not include every utility. Chances are, the most responsible person will have the bills in their name. In both my past and present living situations, that would be my role. You would be surprised to know how difficult it is to get multiple people to write a check when you ask for it. It can be an uncomfortable situation when you cross the line from housemate to debt collector, so keep it simple.
When you finally figure who is going to live in the house, it is time to start the search. I would advise searching as early as November. While some people hold true to the idea that the longer you wait, the lower the rent rates will become, that does not appear to be the case. UVM is expanding each year, and not very many houses are being built off-campus to support this growing community. This means that the landlords will be able to rent their houses, regardless of the price and/or condition. The competition is absolutely cutthroat, and within hours of checking out a house, someone else could be turning in a deposit before you. Make sure that when you look at the houses, you are seriously prepared to turn in the paperwork and deposit that day or at least that week.
There are a lot of places to look for housing in Burlington. I found my first apartment on Craigslist. Many of the private owners (not professional Landlords) post their apartments and houses here. You can also find people looking for subletters here, which is helpful for those of you who plan on going abroad. Another great resource is the university’s own search engine. Landlords contact UVM and can post their spaces on here: http://offcampushousing.uvm.edu/. In addition, many of the bigger landlords have their own private websites, which can be found by searching on Google. It seems to me that the bigger landlords have the highest rates. For a rule of thumb, cheaper rent is around $500/ person, and the more expensive rent is upwards of $700.
In looking for a house, I have found a few different things that separate the average slum from a livable space. The first is having closets in each room. I had to use the coat closet in the hall as my personal closet, which was more inconvenient than you could ever imagine. Another major thing is looking at which utilities are included in the rent. Burlington is a cold, cold place in the winter, and the cost of gas heat is sky high. Heat included is a MAJOR plus and will literally save you hundreds.
Another big thing is the location of your house. My previous house was on a family street, which had both positives and negatives. I felt very safe on my street, had a special permit to park my car there, and I was able to fall asleep by 10 pm any night of the week. The downsides were having a longer walk to downtown, and not being able to have parties. My house this year is in the center of town, which is super convenient for both going up to campus and going downtown, but it is extremely noisy. In addition, I know several people in my neighborhood whose houses have been broken into.
My advice is to think about your priorities, and to choose a location that best serves your needs.
My final piece of advice is not to stress out too much. While I advise you to plan well and be prepared early, you also have to be flexible. You will be able to make it work, regardless of what curveballs are thrown into your plans.
Good luck and happy hunting!