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What is in your lease? My husband's first year out of college, he rented an apartment with a "friend of a friend of a friend". The guy turned out to be a flake, and left the country 2 months into the lease. My husband was responsible for paying rent on the whole apartment, despite the fact that both parties signed the paper--no where in the lease did it say "Party 1 pays $1000 and Party 2 pays $1000", it just said, "Parties 1&2 will pay $2000/month".
The rental office won't bother trying to fill the apartment if you're on the hook for the whole lease...
I have been renting for, well, a really long time and I have never seen a lease that would allow each party to only be responsible for their share. In all cases, if you had three roommates, for example, and they all moved out while you stayed, you would be the one responsible for paying the full amount.
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Originally Posted by city_data91
Something to keep in mind when looking at the cost of an apartment vs a dorm is the fact that the apartment goes year round while you're only paying for a dorm when school is in session. For that reason, an apartment will probably end up costing more in the long run (because you're paying 12 months vs 8 months). But if you break it down by the month, you might find the apartment is similar in price to the dorm (or possibly cheaper).
While there are plenty of expensive apartments out there, I have never heard of a student paying more to live off campus unless they lived by themselves, or lived in a swank pad. Plus, with living off campus, you get your own bedroom, a living room, a kitchen, semi-private bathroom, possibly a balcony/porch, and a few others.
My school's dorm comes out to about $551 a month for room and $333 a month for the required meal plan. That is $884 a month (cable + Internet is an extra $28 a month). The entire rent for my off campus two bedroom apartment is less than $884 a month and I have a roommate, so rent is split in half. Even with utilities it is cheaper for us. Not to mention my campus is 'dry', even for those who are of age.
Yes, it might be cheaper considering the dorms are only 9 months. The dorm residents cannot occupy the dorms during Spring Break, Winter Recess, Thanksgiving Holiday, Summer (unless they are in summer school), and a few other times. Plane tickets are not free, the costs of flying the student home four times a year could really add up.
There are some dorms around Boston that run up to the $2,000 price range per month. That is two grand for a shoe box that you share with someone else. You can get a pretty sweet studio or one bedroom for under that price and a nice two bedroom depending on location.
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Originally Posted by Mattie
No, we aren't responsible for the entire lease( thank goodness). Each kid was given a separate lease to sign, being charged 1/3rd of the rent. While it is a 12 month lease, the total cost is comparable to the dorms. This is a new complex right off campus. The apartment is a 3 bedroom, 3 bath unit, that now only has one occupant. Since the complex won't want to have the other bedrooms unleased, I'm just wondering how they will handle it.
It sounds like your son is living in a student-housing complex. These operate more like dorms than a true apartment complex. That means that each room is rented out individually, not the entire apartment/suite. I have friends who lived in such places, and if their apartment had an empty room, the management would lock the door to the empty room (or rooms) so the other occupants could not use them (because they were not paying for them).
I have been renting for, well, a really long time and I have never seen a lease that would allow each party to only be responsible for their share. In all cases, if you had three roommates, for example, and they all moved out while you stayed, you would be the one responsible for paying the full amount.
I have been renting for, well, a really long time and I have never seen a lease that would allow each party to only be responsible for their share. In all cases, if you had three roommates, for example, and they all moved out while you stayed, you would be the one responsible for paying the full amount.
It's more common in "college towns". My daughter (meaning ME, since I was the cosigner and she didn't have income) got stuck with rent in all types of rental situations. First, she was responsible for additional rent when one of the roomies in her 3 bedroom apartment just up and moved out of state. Then she was responsible for 1/3 of the rent when her bf and their other roommate kicked her out after a fight and a breakup. Then she went into a 4B/2b apartment that one girl was living in. It was being rented to her as a 2B/2b and the managers were supposed to just LOCK the other 2 bedrooms. But the maintenance man was quitting the week she moved in and said what the heck, have the rooms. THAT'S how people can live in a large place alone and pay only partial rent. Fortunately, her final year, she had 3 roommates that stuck to their lease and all lived there and paid the rent on time. Roommates can be a nightmare, fortunately that often means that people need mid year housing to escape a bad situation. The OP's son should have no trouble finding someone assuming the rent isn't higher than the surrounding areas. Students usually go on the cheap.
It's more common in "college towns". Then she went into a 4B/2b apartment that one girl was living in. It was being rented to her as a 2B/2b and the managers were supposed to just LOCK the other 2 bedrooms. But the maintenance man was quitting the week she moved in and said what the heck, have the rooms. THAT'S how people can live in a large place alone and pay only partial rent. Fortunately, her final year, she had 3 roommates that stuck to their lease and all lived there and paid the rent on time. Roommates can be a nightmare, fortunately that often means that people need mid year housing to escape a bad situation. The OP's son should have no trouble finding someone assuming the rent isn't higher than the surrounding areas. Students usually go on the cheap.
It sounds like you are talking about student housing off-campus, which are essentially dorms offered as 'suites' or apartments.
What I am talking about is housing that is not geared specifically to students. Housing that anyone can rent. Housing that people who do not go to college, or never went went to college can rent. Housing that follows the general same guidelines throughout the country wether in college towns or not. Housing where you sign a binding contract to pay X amount in rent for the whole apartment as a whole.
I have had roommates who just upped and left too, and wether I was in college at the time or not did not matter, the landlords in all cases still wanted full rent, not just my 'portion'.
In a rare case you might get a landlord who is sympathetic to your situation and may allow you to pay only your 'portion' until you can find a roommate.
It sounds like you are talking about student housing off-campus, which are essentially dorms offered as 'suites' or apartments.
What I am talking about is housing that is not geared specifically to students. Housing that anyone can rent. Housing that people who do not go to college, or never went went to college can rent. Housing that follows the general same guidelines throughout the country wether in college towns or not. Housing where you sign a binding contract to pay X amount in rent for the whole apartment as a whole.
I have had roommates who just upped and left too, and wether I was in college at the time or not did not matter, the landlords in all cases still wanted full rent, not just my 'portion'.
In a rare case you might get a landlord who is sympathetic to your situation and may allow you to pay only your 'portion' until you can find a roommate.
None of ours were student housing, just housing near a big college so they assume to rent to mostly students. Only one apartment offered flexability by locking bedrooms so a 4B/2b could be rented as a 2 bedroom, 3 bedroom or 4 bedroom unit with different monthly rental fees. I know what you are talking about though, private, off campus "dorms" often will rent per person rather than per unit.
We got stuck with plenty of rent because most landlords don't care about personal issues or who is doing what, just that they rent...whatever it is....be paid on the 1st of the month by whoever is living in the unit. And since my name was on as cosigner I felt I had no choice but to pick up the slack for those who bailed. I didn't like it, but what could I do?
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