Here’s what USC students should consider when looking for housing during COVID

In a typical year, most students sign off-campus leases before leaving for winter break, but the timeline has shifted for some this year as class plans for the fall semester remain uncertain.

“We don’t know what COVID is going to do. You can have an idea of maybe three to five places that you feel comfortable with,” Julian Capel, director of Off-Campus Living and Neighborhood Relations at USC said. “Once we get more direction as a nation, as far as what COVID and the vaccine looks like on the university side, then make a thorough decision. It’s no rush.”

Approximately 75% of USC students live in off-campus houses or apartments.

Zamani Lyde, a freshman at the University of South Carolina, said she is going to start looking for housing within the next couple of weeks.

“It was a shock how upperclassmen have to navigate housing,” Lyde said.

Amanda Whalen, a recent USC graduate, said that one thing she wished she knew as a freshman was that many students rent houses. It wasn’t until her senior year that she moved into a five-bedroom house near the Olympia and Granby neighborhoods.

Whalen previously lived in apartments and, when she compared her rent from sophomore to senior year, it had decreased by about $300.

Students looking to rent a house will still need to search in the spring, according to Capel. Current renters are required to give about three to four months’ notice before moving out so houses may not be advertised before then.

Erin Slack, a sophomore at USC, had originally planned to live in an apartment complex for this school year. But then COVID-19 hit and now she owns a house in Rosewood instead.

Slack decided to change her housing plans because she and her parents were concerned about the higher risk of her getting COVID at an apartment complex, and it was cheaper than renting an apartment. Her parents are cosigners on the mortgage and title but she and her roommate pay the mortgage themselves.

“When you are a kid your parents really do everything,” Slack said. “They pay the mortgage upfront. They pay the water bill. So, when you own a house, you really have to be disciplined enough to pay every month,” Slack said.

A big misconception is that living off-campus is a “free-for-all.” From following city ordinances to paying for parking to remembering to take the trash out, students have a lot to consider, according to Capel.

Before signing a lease, Capel said students should visit the location and reach out to the city’s code enforcement office to inspect the property for free.

“Nobody is going to put an ugly picture on their website so you need to go inspect it with your own set of eyes,” Capel said.

Michael Atkins, a property manager and owner of 16 properties in Columbia, said when he talks with potential renters, he expects them to know who their housemates are and that they are interested in touring the property.

When Whalen and her roommates began looking for a house, they toured multiple properties before signing a lease. It was important for her to see how safe the neighborhood was.

“Being in a house where we have neighbors who are students makes me feel a little bit safer. Also, not being in a neighborhood that’s all families, because I am sure families do not want to be around five college kids,” Whalen said.

One of the most common questions parents ask Capel’s office is where the safest place to live is. He said he directs them to the Community Crime Map, which shows crime in nearby areas.

The Office of Off-Campus Living and Neighborhood Relations works as the “middle man” with student apartments, neighborhood associations, community members, parents, and students. It also offers legal consultations for students who want documents like leases to be reviewed.

“I know we don’t like to read a lot as people, especially a lot of words on paper but for your leasing agreement, you want to read that,” Capel said.

A mistake that Capel has seen students make is signing a lease agreement for more than one year. He said sometimes students think the contract they are signing is an application when it’s actually a lease agreement. If the students have signed leases elsewhere, they have to pay rent for two different properties.

Capel added that oftentimes, students do what their friends want to do but that may not be the best fit.

“Make sure it makes sense for you,” Capel said.

This story was originally published January 20, 2021 at 11:40 AM.