• Quicklinks |

• Home
• About Us
• Services
• Campus Life
• Shopping

• ISS Home
• Pre-Arrival Information
• Immigration Information
• OSU Information
• Transfer Students
• Orientation Information

Off-Campus Housing

Finding suitable housing off campus may be frustrating and time-consuming. It is important to look at several rental properties within your price range before making a decision. The Off Campus Student Association (OCSA), located at 045 Student Union, publishes an apartment comparison sheet, which compares apartment sizes, cost, amount of security deposits, whether or not utilities (gas, water, electricity) are paid for by renter or landlord, whether or not furniture is provided, etc.

You may also look up the OSCA’s housing guide at http://www.offcampushousingguide.com/schools/osu/osu.html or read the "Want Ads" in the local newspaper for rental housing.

You can make an appointment by telephone to see the properties that are of interest to you. When you inspect the property, take note of any repairs that need to be made and ask to see a copy of the lease you will be expected to sign. Take photographs of the damaged areas in the apartments and date them. Keep them in your file till your lease ends and you finally vacate the apartment.

Most landlords will expect you to sign a lease (a written contractual agreement between you and the landlord.) The lease specifies what the landlord will do and what the renter will do. It is essential that you understand the lease before you sign it. A lease protects you from having your rent increased for the term of the lease and provides an opportunity for you and the landlord to have written advanced agreements about repairs, etc. Take a copy with you to read carefully. Safely keep all important documents, your signed lease, photographs and a checklist of the apartment in your file.

When you inspect a rental property notice or inquire about:

• What (if any) utility payments are included in the rental fee?
• How much will the security deposit be?
• Use the Housing Condition checklist (from OCSA) to evaluate the condition of the property.
• Note the location with respect to stores, laundries, etc.
• If you will be paying your own heating or cooling cost, try to find out what the actual costs for these utilities were last year. If the thermostat is not located in your property, find out where it is located and who will monitor it.
• Check appliances (stove, refrigerator and air conditioner) to make sure they are clean and working.
• Find out who will be responsible for repairs to the property and appliances and who will maintain the grounds. (Make sure this is written in the lease.)
  

Once you have decided on the property you want to rent, READ THE LEASE CAREFULLY, and do not hesitate to question anything you do not understand or agree with. If a potential landlord tells you that the lease is “just a form,” or that something won't "apply to you," BEWARE! That is a sign of potential problems ahead. Once you sign the lease, it is a binding legal contract. If you (or the landlord) violate it, serious disagreements can arise that might have to be resolved in a court of law at considerable cost to you.

If you have any doubts or questions about a lease you are almost ready to sign, bring it to the Renter's Advisory Council, located at Room 045 Student Union, and ask for advice or call (405) 744-7283.

In addition to the Apartment Comparison Sheet, the OCSA has other printed information sheets, which will be extremely useful to you. Take the time to stop in at that office to obtain information and advice before you decide to rent off campus housing.