Ask any UVA student, and they’ll tell you that finding housing is stressful, no matter what year you are.
On-Grounds options are limited because everyone seems to be competing for the same few spots, like Ramazani or Gaston. The fear of on-Grounds housing is not getting what you wanted or needed to accommodate your group, and the placement coming out in late January adds to the stress of not having anywhere to live. Off-Grounds leases are usually signed in October, leaving you feeling like you might not have many options if your on-Grounds plan falls through. Mix the uncertainty, the ridiculous rents, the fact that you met your potential roommates 5 weeks ago, and you might feel like you’re going to explode.
Here are some things that no one tells you about off-Grounds housing:
The Housing Hunt Starts Early
Starting in late September or throughout October, group chats start to get made, and the conversation of “where am I going to live?” begins. Yes, only a few weeks after you settled into a new dorm, in a new place, surrounded by new people. This is one of the bigger downsides to living off-Grounds for many people. It can be very difficult to picture yourself a year from now, especially as many of your friends are changing by the day. Fear creeps in about whether or not the people you might be able to picture yourself with are really who they come off as.
This doesn’t even consider logistics. Parents may not be prepared to start having this conversation. Many leases require co-signing, meaning your parents also sign, for increased security. Housing may not have been something you discussed with your parents or guardians before leaving for college, which is completely understandable as you were worried about everything else. It may be awkward to bring this up to them over the phone, as it is a serious talk, but it is important that you know their opinions and regulations before you start touring and finding a group. There are lots of compromises you can make, like sharing a room to reduce cost.
Touring housing is likely a brand-new thing for any 18–19-year-olds. What do you look for? What is a reasonable price? How do I know this is a good apartment? Some things to keep in mind are that many places you tour are currently occupied, most likely by college students. Look around to see how they have set it up and any places that look like issues. This could include issues with the health and stability of the place, such as water damage or mold; and amenity issues, such as no washer/dryer or no counter space, etc. Make sure to look up and down, not just at eye level! I would suggest making a list of musts vs. wants. Musts can include the number of bedrooms to accommodate your group, rent cost, or utilities. These are things you cannot compromise on. Wants are things you would prefer.
The lease
Once you find a place you like, you can apply to live there. Before you sign the permanent lease, make sure everyone signing it reads it thoroughly. You don’t want any surprises down the road. Make sure you know the lease length, what is included (internet, utilities, parking, trash, etc.), the monthly rent, the security deposit, and what happens if a roommate needs to move out/sublease. If this is an apartment you plan to re-sign, definitely check on subleasing, as many people tend to go abroad in their third year and want to give their room to someone else! Not all apartments are furnished, and you’ll want to know that before, so you can start the Facebook Marketplace search.
Just as important is knowing what kind of landlord you will have before you sign. Your lease is as good as the person enforcing it. It might be a good idea to ask current/former tenants how quickly requests were handled, if they got their security deposit back, and how well the communication was. Look online at reviews if you can’t reach anyone reliable, checking for specific instances rather than vague annoyance. “My disposal was not fixed until 3 weeks after request, and only with persistence calling” means a lot more than “I didn’t like the landlord.” If there is nothing online, maybe you are in a new apartment complex; I would base it on how well the communication is now. If they give you quick and detailed responses before signing, that is a good sign!
Location
In my first year, I lived in Dillard, so I was accustomed to the thirty-minute walk to class. Now, I have a routine full of good podcasts, layers, and checklists to make sure I do not need to go back home in the middle of the day. That being said, many first-years can roll out of bed and be at class in minutes, so it can be easy to forget how much location shapes your routine.
Many off-Grounds options are farther than the average dorm. Keep in mind that when you tour your potential housing in October, you are walking through the nice fall weather, not the freezing rain of mid-January. Be honest with yourself and make sure you know you are the kind of person who will brave the cold and the rain to your 8 a.m. that is 30 minutes away. Or make sure you have the Veo app downloaded. Don’t sign a lease that you will use as an excuse to skip class every cold day. That adds up to a big chunk of the school year.
It is also important to know your major and the general area your classes will be in. A lot of off-Grounds housing is behind the Corner (14th Street/Wertland Street), Jefferson Park Avenue (JPA), or West Main Street. For reference, many STEM classes are located by the end of McCormick or on Engineer Way. If you plan on taking classes here, you might want to skip West Main Street apartments, like the Standard, Lark, or Flats. JPA might be a better fit! In comparison, if you are in (or applying to) McIntire, living behind the Corner could be the best option for you, at least if you are only considering location.
Staying connected
A difficulty of off-Grounds living is maintaining a relationship with friends you are not sharing housing with. First year, you may have had a suite or hall full of friends. Not to mention, all of the dorms are within a ten-minute walk of each other. There was no planning for social gatherings as it was usually spontaneous, and if not a simple text of “see you in 5.” You would be surprised how few people you see in the hallways of Grandmarc, even though everyone you know is apparently living there.
First-years don’t realize how much good UVA’s dining halls do for their social life. Eating every meal with a new variety of friends based on who was hungry or who you bumped into is a unique experience reserved for the unlimited meal plan and living on-Grounds. I would suggest setting aside time to have weekly dinners with your first-year friends. It will be worth it.
roommate math and distribution of jobs
Not every room is created equal. One may have a private bathroom and walk-in closet while another might be a shoebox. You may feel like those two rooms should not have the same rent. Some apartment complexes do not allow you to choose your room, but for those that do, make sure everyone agrees on the per-room cost toward rent. You need to decide who is living where, with whom if roommates are a factor, and how much everyone’s rent is before signing the lease. It is not as awkward as it may seem! Everyone needs to keep an open mind and remember that living in a college apartment takes sacrifices.
You will also realize that people have different levels of cleanliness, especially when it comes to food. The never-ending pile of dirty dishes in the sink or overflowing trash might cause you extreme stress and make you feel like you always need to fix it. Try to get to know your roommates as well as you can before signing, and always set rules about chore distribution. It is not too much to ask that people clean up after themselves and help the apartment as a whole. You are their roommate, not their mom! Figure this out before so you don’t have to have an awkward conversation two weeks into living together.
I won’t even touch on the issue that comes with signing a lease in October, because everyone is aware of the risks that come with roommates. This is all the more reason to discuss this before signing the lease. There is no reason to have pent-up anger towards your roommates regarding money or cleanliness; even if your roommates don’t stay your best friends, there can still be a respectful living environment.
The upsides are real
The last thing I want to do is scare you away from living off-Grounds. Personally, I love the freedom that it brings. Life without an RA really improves the overall quality of life for college students. Not to mention the kitchen and full fridge. Off-Grounds can feel like a step toward actually being an adult, in the good way. You choose your roommates, your routines, and how quiet or social your home is. It almost makes the stress worth it.
Living off-Grounds teaches you more about life in general, giving you skills like budgeting, practical skills, dealing with a landlord, and splitting bills. Making big decisions and living alone can’t be taught in a lecture hall, and it is something you’ll use for the rest of your life. It will also help you pop the UVA bubble and explore the greater Charlottesville area. As people start getting cars and learning the Charlottesville Area Transit system, your relationship with where you live changes forever. UVA might have an evil rite of passage for finding a place to live, but whether or not you decide to stay on Grounds or off, it all works out. The payoff is a place that can start to feel like home.
