Student Apartments in Moscow—for non student? (Boise: renters, homes)

[Needanewhome123]

Hi, I'm looking to move back to Idaho but am priced out of Boise and the surrounding area.


I'm looking at apartments in Moscow...but am not seeing much (in apartments.com. I am noticing lots of "student apartments" that have very reasonable pricing.



Does anyone know if these apartments will rent to a non-student for a year lease? I work from home and am trying to rebuild my small business that the covid shutdown almost destroyed.


Outside of the potential for drunken college kids having parties until 2am (I honestly don't mind)....could there be any downsides to living in an apartment community like that?


Same goes for Pullman...am considering that area as well due to no state income tax.



However, I do own a few guns and I don't think they're legal in WA (but they are 100% legal in ID because I originally purchased them there from a gun store).


Also, to save me a trip out there....can anyone describe Moscow in general from a scenery point of view? For example, Boise is the "city of trees" and there are a ton of them there...but it's situated in the high desert and meh.



Is Moscow more scenic than Boise? Are there nearby fishing and hunting opportunities? Is there humidity in Moscow?


thanks!

[NW Crow]

"Student apartments" will share kitchen, bathroom and common area among 2-5 people. No surprise on the practice but pick your preferred number. Advertised price is often per bedroom and ask about any other fees. Stand alone places where student leased the whole place could allow non-students if they want, I'd think; but comes down to their preferences and landlord rules.

One downside might be people shuffling in and out and how it gets decided.

I dunno if non-students are allowed. Could vary, might be exceptions but in many cases the answer may be no. Check with 1-2 directly and see.

Moscow is in a pretty open agricultural area but planted trees in town and there is an arboretum on campus. Some hiking / biking trails 10-25 miles away in the hills / forest north of town. The main deep forest wilderness / mountains is at least 50 miles away to the east, as is the biggest lake.

Google images for "Palouse" to get a better sense of the immediate topography.

Yeah there is a variety of fishing and hunting opportunities, though many will be an hour or two away. A lot of streams and rivers nearby but which have good fishing? Check fishing websites or tackle shops.

Humidity? It is a pretty wet area much of the year outside summer but not that hot and only for a few months. So mostly you have wet or hot but not often both. Whether it is a issue sorta depends on your tolerance. In general I'd say not bad. It is probably higher humidity than Boise but I haven't checked the details. More noticeable in summer? Get other opinions.

[banjomike]

I can't say much about apartments, but I doubt you would have any gun possession problems in Washington if you aren't a convicted felon. Washington state isn't unfriendly to guns, but the Seattle area probably is.

While I was a student in Moscow, I loved the Palouse scenery. It is agricultural, but the farmland is all rolling hills full of brightness or shade that shine when the crops are green and turn golden when they're ripe. There's nothing barren to be seen.

It's also good for upland bird hunting. (Or was- I know nothing recent about the local hunting there.)

The winter overcast and the humid, foggy days were what I disliked there the most, along with the fewer hours of strong daylight in the winters.

[Needanewhome123]

Ok thanks. Not interested in sharing a room. No wonder they're so cheap.

[oregonwoodsmoke]

The only way you are going to find out is to call the apartment management and ask them. Maybe some allow non-students and others don't.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by NW Crow

"Student apartments" will share kitchen, bathroom and common area among 2-5 people. No surprise on the practice but pick your preferred number. Advertised price is often per bedroom and ask about any other fees. Stand alone places where student leased the whole place could allow non-students if they want, I'd think; but comes down to their preferences and landlord rules.

One downside might be people shuffling in and out and how it gets decided.

I dunno if non-students are allowed. Could vary, might be exceptions but in many cases the answer may be no. Check with 1-2 directly and see.

Moscow is in a pretty open agricultural area but planted trees in town and there is an arboretum on campus. Some hiking / biking trails 10-25 miles away in the hills / forest north of town. The main deep forest wilderness / mountains is at least 50 miles away to the east, as is the biggest lake.

Google images for "Palouse" to get a better sense of the immediate topography.

Yeah there is a variety of fishing and hunting opportunities, though many will be an hour or two away. A lot of streams and rivers nearby but which have good fishing? Check fishing websites or tackle shops.

Humidity? It is a pretty wet area much of the year outside summer but not that hot and only for a few months. So mostly you have wet or hot but not often both. Whether it is a issue sorta depends on your tolerance. In general I'd say not bad. It is probably higher humidity than Boise but I haven't checked the details. More noticeable in summer? Get other opinions.

OP, you need to be very careful when looking for housing anywhere near a university area. There's been a new trend (no longer new, however), of building what in some markets are called "apodments", that consist of clusters of bed-and-bath "pods" organized around a living room and kitchen shared in common. This model originated on college campuses as a new dorm arrangement to help create a sense of community, but it was adopted by some developers to provide further affordable housing off-campus.

Unscrupulous building managers try to pass these off in advertising as "apartments", but they're not any such thing. Some go so far as to get unsuspecting renters like yourself to sign a contract offered via online, then when the student (or recent grad, or whoever) arrives on site, they find out all the contract includes is a bedroom and private bath. This is illegal, but some students feel trapped, not knowing that a fraudulent contract is unenforceable. They fall for demands for payment of a hefty cancellation fee, threats of legal action for cancelling, and other high-pressure tactics. It's a scam.

Don't let it happen to you.

[Ruth4Truth]

You might look for mother-in-law apartments in people's homes. These can be pretty decent, and some rent for below market rate.

I suspect the owners/managers of those units advertised as "student apartments" would take anyone willing to pay, but you don't really want them. The chances are high that they're not apartments at all. They're basically dorms.