By now, most of you have completed at least one quarter at Ohio State and many of you may be planning on moving off-campus next year. One quarter can be enough time to get your feet wet and, for some, it is a wait that seems to go on forever until they are able to enjoy the “freedom” of leaving the dorms. Some students rush to sign a lease as early as November, just two or three months since moving on-campus. However, binding yourself to a contract and moving off-campus successfully are decisions that require more effort than most students realize. Ohio State has resources to help you!

Before considering moving off-campus, it is important to weigh the pros and cons of this choice:

 

Cost
- Living on-campus you know what your housing and food expenses will be.
- Living off-campus can mean unknown utility costs, some of which can be more expensive than students expect. Think of gas, electric, water, phone, cable and Internet; also, consider the up-front costs of application fees and security deposits and sometimes first and last months’ rent, in addition to the potential cost for furniture needs.

Length of Lease Contracts
- Living on-campus means that your residency expires at the end of term, upon graduation, or can potentially be accommodated for study-abroad, and/or personal emergencies.
- Living off-campus you are often locked into a 12-month lease (even if you do not have plans to stay during the summer). In most cases, you are bound to a contract so even if you graduate, transfer schools, or have to leave school for personal reasons, you are still obligated to fulfill your lease obligations.

Responsibility
- Living on-campus means that your room will be cleaned and maintained periodically by building staff.
- Living off-campus means cleaning, dealing with repair issues, grocery shopping and cooking (plus cleaning after cooking). It also means learning how to keep and stay within a budget and planning for unforeseen expenses, which are important life lessons.

Roommates/Co-tenants
- On-campus, if your roommate moves, or you move, it is really no big deal and usually has no financial impact on you.
- Off-campus, the joint and several liability clause that exists in almost every lease means that any one person on the contract can be held responsible for the entire monetary value of the lease term, so if you live with three people and one moves out and you cannot find someone to take his/her place, you are still obligated to pay the landlord/management company the entire month’s rent. Also important to consider is that sometimes people sign leases so early they do not get the chance to really get to know the people they are signing a binding contract with, leading to potential personality or living conflicts.

If you are considering taking this leap, we recommend that before you sign any lease, bring it in to the Student Legal Clinic for a free lease review so that they can explain your rights and responsibilities under the contract. Also, throughout your lease term, the Student Housing Legal Clinic can help with your off-campus landlord issues. The services are always free of charge and the information you obtain is priceless!

More information at
http://moritzlaw.osu.edu/shlc