Off-Campus Housing Part Four: What to Look For When Looking At Places

"Off-Campus Housing Part Four: What to Look For When Looking At Places", January 2008

Just like myself in first year, you likely have NO idea what-so-ever what you should be looking at when you are looking at student houses. And by this I mean things in the actual house, and not to do with the lease (that is addressed in Part Five of the series). So what are some things to consider, you may ask?

First, what is the current condition of the house? How are the current tenants treating it? Does it smell funny, look filthy, have animal poop all over the place (I once looked at a house where the tenants (illegally) had a dog, and didn’t clean up after it. Needless to say we got the hell out of there as soon as possible)? When you move in, you will have to clean up anything that the previous owners leave behind. Your landlord may say a cleaning service is going to come in and clean after the previous tenants, but regardless you will still need to clean.

The best people to get information from about the house are those who live in it presently. How much are their utility bills? Do they think their rent is more expensive than the place is worth? Who do they get their internet from? Do they have any recommendations for you?

Although the landlord may have had possession of the place for over a decade, they won’t (necessarily) know what it is like to live in it. Additionally, you can find out what the landlord is really like by asking the tenants. Sure, the landlord seems like a good person now, but they are trying to sell something (i.e. the house). During the summer and school terms do they not return calls for over twenty-four hours? Do they promise things and not hold up their end of the bargain? These are very important things to know. However, I would recommend you do this without of earshot to the landlord.

Are there certain idiosyncrasies of the house that one would need to consider? Can you not wash dishes in the kitchen sink if someone is in the shower? Does using a hairdryer in the upstairs bathroom blow a circuit to half of the house? Does the laundry room flood in the spring time? Does it get wet in the basement bedrooms when it rains? Can you open all of the windows in the house, or are some of them nailed shut? Does it get so hot in the summer that you can melt a candle? These are only a few of many questions you could ask.

There a number of things you should test out yourself while you are at the house as well. What is the water pressure like in the showers and the sinks? How easy is it to open and close the doors or the windows? Are there things you can hit your head against when you walk down the stairs? How sturdy are the banisters?

Then there are the fun things you need to look for. Is there noticeable mould? What about water damage? Are there a lot of mouse traps out (evidence of an infestation...or there was one...)? What about centipedes, millipedes, enormous spiders or ants? You likely don’t want these sorts of things either.

That is all I can really think of for the physical structure of the house. However, there are still many things you need to know before you can go about signing a lease (without screwing yourself over).