Rentals Near University

[akck]

Thanks rekuci and Indyjing. I'll pass this information on to my son. I think he found a roommate, another entering graduate student he met during his visit. Last year, he found a place to rent with his roommates the week before classes started, so I don't think he's thinking too far ahead (or he doesn't communicate his plans to us). This is taxing since one or both of us will help him drive his car to Madison and it would be nice to know when. Thanks again, you've both been very helpful.

[akck]

I just wanted to thank everyone here again. My son and his roommate went ahead and put a deposit on a place, located about a 1/2 mile south of the campus. They went through Madison Property Management and of course weren't able to see the place, other than on Google Maps and what was on the listing. Hopefully, there isn't anything negative about the management company. Thanks again for your help.

[7G9C4J2]

Madison Property Management is one of the bigger ones, so he should be ok. They'll be up to date on state tenant/landlord statutes, will have plenty of maintenance people on staff, and know what they're supposed to be doing. If he has problems (which I doubt, but things can happen), pass along the link for the Tenant Resource Center.

Be sure to encourage him to do all the usual due-diligence stuff, like minutely examining the place at move-in, documenting the condition in detail on the check-in form, and returning it to the management company promptly. That can save him hundreds in his security deposit return. When I worked for the campus-area landlord back in the early aughts, it was like pulling teeth to get students to complete and return those forms, and of course the ones who never bothered to turn it back in were the ones who whined the loudest about deductions from their security deposits.

I'm glad he found a place to stay! Good luck to him in his academic career in Madison, and I hope you get a chance to visit during the years he's living here. Have a great summer!

[akck]

Just wanted to give an update. My son is now situated in Madison. He was happy with the rental seeing as it was rented sight unseen, and was better than one of his past rentals as an undergraduate. It's an older house made into a duplex, but was in fairly good shape, but most rooms had a slope to them. His roommate commented that they were paying for location as it's about a half mile from the Chemistry building, walking distance. The area looks to be populated by older students as we saw a lot of people walking home in scrubs, so it's not likely a party area. It seemed that everyone was moving in at the time.

We did roam the neighborhoods looking for cast-offs, but were unsuccessful as most was broken furniture. We did have success at the St. Vincent De Paul, picking up a dresser and kitchen table. He also got a new bed from Steinhafels, figuring he'd be using it for 4+ years. A-1 lost out because they couldn't deliver it timely. We did see a lot of mattresses dumped on the curb (marked with orange paint), so if you're not too particular....

All-in-all, I think it was wise to have locked in a rental in spring, as there weren't many choices left in the area. They likely would have ended up in an undergraduate area with its associated problems. My son also commented, that if he injured himself, he could walk to the emergency room, saving the cost of an ambulance ride.

Thanks again for the help. I wasn't there that long, but I had a good vibe of the city. Also, after traveling from the west coast, it felt more like "home" once we crossed into Wisconsin.

[7G9C4J2]

Thanks for the update, and I'm glad that your son had a successful move!

It sounds pretty typical, to be honest; August 14/15 is called "Hippie Christmas" for an excellent reason. Smart choice to get him a new bed rather than a used one, too; Madison hasn't had as big a problem with bedbugs as some cities have, but new is still safer/better.

I well remember those slanting floors; the first apartment my spouse and I rented had such a slope that we could literally ride the rolling desk chair across the living room without pushing it. Your son is definitely paying for location over amenities, but he'll be glad he did after a long night in the lab.

I do hope you'll manage to get back to Madison at least a time or two over the next four years for some fun rather than moving. For a city of less than a quarter-million, it has a fair bit going for it, and it can be a fun place to visit. Besides, you've got a free place to crash now, so might as well start planning your next visit right now!

[akck]

Thanks MBW. My wife wanted to go too, but she lost out to moving boxes and suitcases. So, we're planning a visit next year, depending on his schedule. Oh, and crashing wouldn't be my wife's first or second choice. A hotel room with AC would be the choice since we'll likely visit during the summer.