Top 10 Things I Wish I Knew Before Moving Into my Off-Campus Apartment

Moving into an off-campus apartment is a daunting task and a big step in your college career. Finding the right place, preparing to move, deciding who you want to live with, and the countless other steps in the process may seem very intimidating. However, your college apartment is likely going to provide you with some of your best memories, and with the tips on this list you can feel more confident and informed on the entire process.

1. Know how close you want to be to campus

Figuring out the perfect distance away from campus for your apartment is definitely a tough decision to make. Obviously it’s helpful to be closer to campus so you can have a quicker and easier commute, but it’s also fun to get away from campus and live your life a little bit more detached from school. Another thing to consider is where your friends are living and if they have found a neighborhood off-campus that they enjoy. There are a lot of factors to think about, and it’s best to talk with your roommates and come to a group consensus before you start your search.

2. Document any damage when you arrive

This is a step that does not get brought up enough. Once you arrive at your apartment and it’s still empty, do a walk-through and take photos of anything you see that might be considered damage. Your landlord may have missed some problems from the previous tenants, and if they find those issues when you move out you might get stuck with a bill to repair them. Having photos from the day you moved in will prove that you did not cause the damage.

A photo of the living room of an apartment in Chicago’s Wrigleyville neighborhood.
A photo of a hallway inside of an apartment in Chicago’s Wrigleyville neighborhood.

3. Don’t forget the essentials

There are a lot of things you need to successfully live in an apartment. Even if you have spent time in the dorms or other on-campus options, being in an off-campus apartment means you are fully responsible for 100% of your living situation. It is a great idea to look online at a few different checklists and resources for everything you need when moving into your first apartment, and you will definitely be surprised at how many things you hadn’t thought of.

4. Use a realtor for your apartment search

This is another tip that I think needs to be talked about way more. In many cities, Chicago included, realtors are a free resource for finding apartments. For my apartment, we reached out to a popular real estate agency that handles a ton of properties on the north side of Chicago and gave them our specifications for the apartment we wanted. They connected us with an agent and he did all the searching for us, set up tours, and we ended up with a great place that we are really happy with. I would highly recommend this strategy.

5. Cooking at home v.s. Using a meal plan

This one might only factor in if you are transitioning from on-campus housing to an off-campus apartment, but it’s important to think about. If you are living close enough to campus it could be smart to see if there are meal plans available for students who live off-campus. I personally did not use that option, but I have many friends at DePaul who have and they always talk about how convenient it is to grab food between classes and not have to worry about packing lunch or going home to eat.

6. Plan out your budget

This one might seem very basic and general, but it needs to be something you put time and effort into. For a lot of people moving into off-campus apartments, it’s their first time managing all of their living expenses on their own. If you do not plan ahead and stay on top of everything it can start you down a very unfortunate path. Make sure to understand your costs each month and balance out the money you have coming in as well to stay on track and lessen the stress of living on your own for the first time. 

A photo of Southport Avenue outside of the window of a Chicago apartment.
A photo of the dining room of an apartment in Chicago’s Wrigleyville neighborhood.

7. Consider the extra costs

Living on your own comes with a lot of costs and there will absolutely be some that you had no idea were coming. This goes along with the previous tip about budgeting and the third tip about doing your research, but it’s generally a good idea to talk to friends and family and look around online to prepare yourself for all the costs that come with living on your own.

8. Do some research on your new landlord

This one is another one that is typically not talked about very much, but it’s generally a good idea to get some background information on your new landlord. Whether it’s a huge property management company, a single person who owns the building, or anything in between, knowing about who owns your apartment is very important. Nowadays, especially if your building is owned by a company, you can go online and find reviews to see if they are nice and easy to work with or if you should maybe look elsewhere.

9. Utilize DePaul resources

This is more of a DePaul specific tip, but I’m sure it could be translated to resources at other universities as well. DePaul has an entire website (https://offcampushousing.depaul.edu/) that is dedicated to helping students with off-campus housing. There are resources for finding a place, finding roommates, learning about the process, and a ton more. I would definitely recommend using it if you are curious about anything related to off-campus housing.

10. Reach out to your friends and family for help!

This is a huge one. Your friends and family are there for you and want you to succeed with a big life step like moving into your first off-campus apartment. It’s likely that your friends either are in or have been in the same situation as you so they will absolutely relate to any concerns or questions you have. If any of your family has been in college they have also likely been in your shoes, and they have experience and have gained valuable knowledge concerning living on your own. This is a stressful time in your life, and it’s important to remember you can lean on your friends and family for support if you need it.

A photo of the kitchen of an apartment in Chicago’s Wrigleyville neighborhood.

No one truly knows everything about the entire process of moving into your first off-campus apartment, and you will absolutely make mistakes along the way. Using resources like this one to prepare yourself is a great thing to do and proves you are already on the right track to have it go as smoothly as possible. It’s a very exciting moment in your college experience and your life as a whole, and I hope that these tips can offer you some help along the way!

                                    ~Jeff

Learn more about DePaul Housing!