[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"detail-sidebar-cat-1-en-105":3,"doc-seo-305270-105":53,"doc-detail-305270-en":126},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"success",[7,14,19,24,29,34,39,44,49],{"id":8,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":11,"show_sort_weight":12,"slug":13},11,1,"Template","Presentations",90,"presentations",{"id":15,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":16,"show_sort_weight":17,"slug":18},12,"Resumes",80,"resumes",{"id":20,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":21,"show_sort_weight":22,"slug":23},14,"Invoices",70,"invoices",{"id":25,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":26,"show_sort_weight":27,"slug":28},15,"Posters",60,"posters",{"id":30,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":31,"show_sort_weight":32,"slug":33},16,"Social Media",50,"social-media",{"id":35,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":36,"show_sort_weight":37,"slug":38},17,"Forms",40,"forms",{"id":40,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":41,"show_sort_weight":42,"slug":43},18,"Letters",30,"letters",{"id":45,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":46,"show_sort_weight":47,"slug":48},21,"Paper Templates",5,"papers-templates",{"id":50,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":51,"show_sort_weight":4,"slug":52},158,"General","general-158",{"code":4,"msg":54,"data":55},"ok",{"site_id":56,"language":57,"slug":58,"title":59,"keywords":60,"description":61,"schema_data":62,"social_meta":119,"head_meta":121,"extra_data":123,"updated_unix":125},105,"en","best-colleges-guide-to-off-campus-housing","Best Colleges’ Guide to Off-Campus Housing","","Best Colleges’ Guide to Off-Campus Housing helps students address practical questions and risks when renting away from campus. It explains how to plan for upfront and recurring costs, using budgeting principles such as keeping rent and utilities within 30% of net income, and highlights common pitfalls tied to lease terms, deposits, and property pricing. It also outlines how seasonal vacancy changes the market, how to evaluate roommates, and how to compare apartment versus house options across privacy, security, maintenance, noise, and affordability.",{"@graph":63,"@context":118},[64,80,101],{"@type":65,"itemListElement":66},"BreadcrumbList",[67,71,74,77],{"item":68,"name":69,"@type":70,"position":9},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":72,"name":10,"@type":70,"position":73},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/",2,{"item":75,"name":51,"@type":70,"position":76},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/general/",3,{"item":78,"name":59,"@type":70,"position":79},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/best-colleges-guide-to-off-campus-housing/305270/",4,{"url":78,"name":59,"@type":81,"image":82,"author":87,"headline":59,"publisher":90,"fileFormat":93,"inLanguage":57,"description":61,"dateModified":94,"datePublished":95,"encodingFormat":93,"isAccessibleForFree":96,"interactionStatistic":97},"DigitalDocument",{"url":83,"@type":84,"width":85,"height":86},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/best-colleges-guide-to-off-campus-housing/305270.png","ImageObject",442,249,{"name":88,"@type":89},"Patrick","Person",{"url":68,"name":91,"@type":92},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-09-20","2026-09-19",true,{"@type":98,"interactionType":99,"userInteractionCount":9},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":100},"ViewAction",{"@type":102,"mainEntity":103},"FAQPage",[104,110,114],{"name":105,"@type":106,"acceptedAnswer":107},"What upfront and recurring costs should students plan for when renting off campus?","Question",{"text":108,"@type":109},"The guide lists upfront costs such as first and last month’s rent, security deposits, pet deposits, and holding fees, along with recurring costs including rent and utilities and other onsite services like internet or cable. It warns that large upfront lump sums can jeopardize a student’s ability to pay rent later.","Answer",{"name":111,"@type":106,"acceptedAnswer":112},"How can students decide whether a monthly rent is affordable?",{"text":113,"@type":109},"The guide recommends building a monthly rental budget and aiming for rent plus utilities to be no more than 30% of monthly net income (after tax). It also notes that students may need to pay below city averages because student income is often limited.",{"name":115,"@type":106,"acceptedAnswer":116},"How does the rental market typically change over the year, and when should students look?",{"text":117,"@type":109},"The market fluctuates by location and season, with vacancies likely spiking after graduation as students move for work. Options may shrink in the month before the fall semester, so starting in the last weeks of summer can make it harder to find a suitable place.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":78,"og:type":120,"og:title":59,"og:site_name":91,"og:description":61},"article",{"robots":122,"canonical":78},"index,follow",{"doc_id":124,"site_id":56},305270,1789823271,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":127},{"doc_id":124,"user_id":128,"nickname":88,"user_avatar":129,"doc_module":9,"category_id":50,"category_name":51,"doc_title":59,"doc_description":61,"doc_content":130,"file_id":131,"file_url":132,"file_type":133,"file_size":134,"view_count":9,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":9,"is_downloadable":9,"audit_status":9,"page_count":135,"language":136,"language_code":57,"site_id":56,"html_lang":57,"table_of_contents":137,"faqs":138,"seo_title":139,"seo_description":61,"update_tm":125,"read_time":76},549758146520,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/avatar/80002397d8c0411e94?_k=1775819394049821470","Best Colleges’ Guide to Off-Campus Housing  \nAccording to a 2016 New York Times article, 87% of students live off campus. This guide was developed to address the questions and concerns of students renting for the firsttime, as well as experienced student renters who want to pursue their next rental the right way. We address the common snares of renting, the questions to consider when entering the rental market, and how to identify and avoid rental scams—a crime firsttime renters are particularly vulnerable to.  \nThings to Consider Before Shopping  \nYou will need to identify and avoid the costly pitfalls of the rental process. Factors like the terms of the lease, the deposit, the condition of the unit, and potential roommates come with their own hazards. We’ve put together a series of questions to ask yourself before committing to anything.  \nWHAT CAN YOU AFFORD?  \nAccording to Business Insider, the median cost of renting a one-bedroom apartment in 15 major American cities ranges from $1,171 per month in Phoenix to $3,600 per month in San Francisco. The data from Business Insider doesn’t factor in other costs. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports the average expenditures per consumer for 2018 were $61,224. This includes costs such as housing, utilities, food, healthcare, and entertainment. Of the $61,224 identified as average annual expenditures, $20,091, or 32.8%, went towards housing, making it the largest expenditure.  \nGiven that rent can be the most significant expenditure for a student, outside of tuition, establishing a monthly budget with a comfortable rent is crucial. Ideally, your monthly rent and utilities bill should be no more than 30% of your monthly net (after tax) income. Most students will want to pay well below city averages, given that your income as a student will likely be limited. Once you’ve established your monthly rental budget, you need to think about any upfront costs. These costs can include:  \n• First and Last Month’s Rent  \n• Security Deposit  \n• Pet Deposits  \n• Holding Fees  \nThese lump sums, sometimes refundable at the end of a lease, may set you back so far that you can no longer make rent. This can be especially true of places that ask for the first and last month’s rent and a deposit all at once. This could indicate that a property manager is pricing their units in such a way as to keep their student-tenant population low.  \nRemember, typical recurring costs include:  \n• Rent  \n• Utilities  \n• Miscellaneous Services Offered Onsite (Internet, Phone, Cable, etc.)  \nWHAT DOES THE RENTAL MARKET LOOK LIKE?  \nThe rental market fluctuates depending on location and time of year. Following graduation, many students will move out as they find work opportunities away from their campus neighborhood, and the number of vacancies will likely spike. This could bea great opportunity to secure a place for the year to come, especially if you plan to live and work near the university during the summer. Conversely, in the month leading up to fall semester, housing options may shrink as students come back to school. If you wait until the last few weeks of summer to start looking, this can make finding a suitable apartment or house difficult.  \nHOW DO YOU CHOOSE A ROOMMATE?  \nThere are some basic considerations to make before choosing a roommate, close friends included:  \n• Do they have a reliable source of income, and will they be able to afford the monthly rent and utilities? How does this affect your rental budget?  \n• Do they have pets?  \n• Can you trust them to be around your personal belongings?  \n• Are they willing to sign a lease and abide by the terms of the contract?  \n• Are your lifestyle choices similar?  \n• How do you plan to split up home responsibilities?  \n• Who will they invite over as guests?  \nGiven that many students live with more than one roommate, these types of concerns can quickly compound. You need to have a strong sense of how comfortable, respectful, and cooperative potential roo","cbCaigMdNtqqAEZ5","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaigMdNtqqAEZ5","pdf",158257,9,"English","# Things to Consider Before Shopping\n## What Can You Afford?\n## What Does the Rental Market Look Like?\n## How Do You Choose a Roommate?\n## What Kind of Property Should You Rent?\n### Apartment\n### House\n## What Rental Period Best Meets Your Needs?","[{\"question\":\"What upfront and recurring costs should students plan for when renting off campus?\",\"answer\":\"The guide lists upfront costs such as first and last month’s rent, security deposits, pet deposits, and holding fees, along with recurring costs including rent and utilities and other onsite services like internet or cable. It warns that large upfront lump sums can jeopardize a student’s ability to pay rent later.\"},{\"question\":\"How can students decide whether a monthly rent is affordable?\",\"answer\":\"The guide recommends building a monthly rental budget and aiming for rent plus utilities to be no more than 30% of monthly net income (after tax). It also notes that students may need to pay below city averages because student income is often limited.\"},{\"question\":\"How does the rental market typically change over the year, and when should students look?\",\"answer\":\"The market fluctuates by location and season, with vacancies likely spiking after graduation as students move for work. Options may shrink in the month before the fall semester, so starting in the last weeks of summer can make it harder to find a suitable place.\"}]","Best Colleges’ Guide to Off-Campus Housing | PDF"]