This article is for Christian internationals needing to find housing and related practical concerns on arrival in the States.

Here are the titles of some of the practical topic headings related to housing that we will be adding to this article (further below) in coming weeks:

- Temporary Housing
- Deciding where to live
- Availability
- Location
- Furnishings
- Cooking
- Searching for a place
- Understanding newspaper ads
- Signing a lease
- Heating and electricity
- Other charges
- Telephone

Finding a Room or Apartment

Temporary Housing

If you need temporary housing while looking for a room or apartment, the international student office at your campus may be able to assist you. Your department secretary may also have suggestions for temporary housing. Ask about temporary housing early, because staying in a hotel or motel can be very expensive.

Deciding where to live

There will be many housing opportunities both on campus in student housing, as well as off campus in private dormitories, apartment houses, rooms, or with families. You will find more opportunities to meet American students and practice English in dormitories, but private apartments or rooms may be quieter.

Availability

Some campuses have limited housing in residence halls, and often the more inexpensive off-campus rooms and apartments are in short supply, so it's best to start your search for housing several months before you plan to begin your studies.

Location

Look for a place close to campus or near bus lines. Also consider how close shopping for food is, and whether laundry facilities are in the building If you have children, look for a place that allows children, has other children, and places to safely play. Some campuses have special housing for families and married couples.

Furnishings

Halls of residence usually provide a bed, desk, chair, storage for clothes, and some limited storage space. Apartments, married student housing, and private housing may or may not be furnished, and the monthly cost will be higher where furnished.

Cooking

Most halls of residence do not allow cooking in the rooms, but do provide a cafeteria where American meals are prepared for you as part of a meal plan. Some residence halls have small shared kitchens where cooking is allowed. If you live in an apartment, you will be able to buy your own food and prepare it. Usually those renting a room in a private house are given kitchen privileges, but not always.

You can save money by buying and preparing your own food, or sharing cooking with roommates, and you can cook your own national dishes.

Searching for a place

Start with the international student office, they should be able to tell you where your campus housing office is. At the campus housing office, you'll find information about dormitory rooms and apartments, and perhaps some rooms available with families.

Look at the campus and local newspaper in the "Classified" section under "Unfurnished Apartments," "Furnished Apartments," "Rooms for Rent," "Rental to Share," or "Sublets." Often these are arranged by location.

"Unfurnished" means that you provide your own furnishings (chairs, tables, beds).

"Furnished" means that these items are provided, but the cost will be higher.

"Rooms for rent" usually are in a house with a shared kitchen and a shared bath and toilet. Usually these are lower in cost.

"Rental to Share" usually is an apartment or house that someone already is renting, and wishes to share the costs. Usually you would have your own room, but share the rest of the apartment.

"Sublets" are situations in which the original residents leave before the lease is completed, and are looking for someone to take their place.

Understanding newspaper ads

Abbreviations are often used in newspaper ads, making it difficult to understand. Common abbreviations:

Signing a lease

In most cases, you will be asked to sign a "lease," an agreement between you and the manager (or "landlord") of the housing facility. In the United States, a lease is a legally binding document, so be sure you understand everything before signing. Sometimes it's helpful to bring a friend along who can explain things, or you can request a copy of the lease before you sign it, and show it to someone if you have questions.

The lease will state how much monthly rent is to be paid and the monthly due date, when you can move in, how long you are responsible for paying (often a whole year or sometimes two semesters), what is included (water, heat, and electricity are sometimes included but sometimes extra charges, telephone is not included). Some leases automatically renew unless a 30 to 60 day written notice is given.

The lease will also have rules about pets, storage facilities, loud noise, security, and other things to protect the building and others living there.

Usually a "security deposit" (often the same amount as one or two months rent) is required. This deposit will be returned to you if the apartment or room is left clean and undamaged when you leave.

It is very important to carefully inspect the room when you first move in, make written notes of any damage you find, agree with the manager about the condition, and get the manager's signature on your notes. Give the manager a copy and keep your own copy. This will aid you when you move out in any disagreements about the condition, and help you get the entire security deposit back.

Be sure to ask about rules for hanging pictures, and whether you are permitted to paint or change anything.

More responsible managers will pay you a small amount of interest in addition to the security deposit when they return it.

A lease protects your rights, as well as the rights of the manager. If you rent without a lease, you usually must give 30 days notice if you plan on leaving.

If you have difficulties with your lease or manager, you may ask the international student office for suggestions. They may not be able to help you, but they may be able to refer you to someone (a tenants union, or a renters' organization) who can help you understand your rights and give legal aid.

Types of Housing What types of housing are available? Students in America have several options. If possible, try to plan your accommodations at least three months in advance. Options include: Dormitories (residence halls)—Dormitories are usually located on or very near the campus, making it easy for you to walk to classes. Meals and sometimes cleaning and linen services are provided. The large number of people living in the dormitories and frequent planned activities make it easy to meet new friends. However, dormitories tend to be crowded and noisy, making it difficult to study and find privacy. Family housing—Some campuses provide housing for married students and their families at a low cost. Fraternity/Sorority houses—Some fraternities and sororities own large houses where many of their members live together. You must be a member of the fraternity or sorority to live there. Apartments—Apartments may be located in another person’s home or together in a series of similar rental units. Some large apartment complexes (groups of apartment buildings) have features such as laundry machines, parking, tennis courts, group meeting areas, and swimming pools. Apartments often have one, two, or three bedrooms and one or two bathrooms, in addition to a kitchen and living room. “Efficiency” or “studio” apartments provide an inexpensive alternative if you want to live by yourself. They are usually small, with living and sleeping areas combined into one room. Apartments located near campus tend to cost more to rent than apartments farther from campus. Apartment management will limit the number of people permitted to live in each apartment. Houses—Houses are usually expensive to rent unless you share expenses with three or four other people. Also, the cost of utilities (heat, electricity, water, and garbage removal) will usually be higher in a house, and you may be expected to care for the lawn or yard as well. As with apartments, houses closer to campus cost more, and the number of people permitted to live in them may be limited. How do I find housing? For information on dormitories and family housing, contact the international student office or campus housing agency. For information on fraternity and sorority houses, contact the fraternity or sorority in which you are interested or the campus Hellenic (Greek) office, which will have information on all fraternities and sororities. You may want to find a roommate with whom you can share expenses in an apartment or house, or you may be interested in renting a room from a family. If so, check bulletin or “notice” boards, or check your school and city newspapers under the “Roommates” or “Rooms for Rent” sections of the classified ads. If you are looking for an apartment or house, you might consider the following: • Check the “For Rent” section in the classified ads in your school and local newspapers. • Walk or drive through a particular neighborhood or section of town looking for “for rent” or “vacancy” signs. • Read an Apartment Shopper’s Guide or other publications that provide information on properties for rent. These guides can be found in convenience and grocery stores in larger cities. • Use an apartment referral agency that will help you find housing without any fee for its services. (For a listing of these agencies in your city, look under “Apartment Finding & Rental Service” in your telephone book’s “yellow pages.”) What issues should I discuss with a potential roommate? Before you move in with a friend, another student, or a family, you should discuss the following: • How much rent and utilities will each person pay? • What household chores will each person do? • Will you purchase food and cook together or separately? • What hours are you allowed to have guests or play the television or stereo loudly? • What rules regarding drinking alcohol and smoking will you have in the home? • Will you share a telephone or purchase separate telephones and services? • How much advance notice should each individual give before moving out? Where can I get furniture? If you rent a “furnished” apartment, basic furniture, such as bed, couch, table, and chairs, will be provided. The rent will probably be slightly higher, but renting a furnished apartment may be worth the extra money if you plan to be in the United States only for a short time. If you prefer to buy your own furniture, you may wish to check second-hand (used) or thrift (Goodwill, Salvation Army, St. Vincent de Paul, and so forth) stores, garage and yard sales, flea markets, bulletin boards on campus, and the newspaper classified ads section. Another option, especially if you are living in the United States for a short time, is renting furniture. (For a listing of businesses that rent furniture, look under “Furniture Renting & Leasing” in the yellow pages of the phone book.) What is a deposit? A deposit is a sum of money paid by individuals living in a rented apartment or house to guarantee against damage to the building. If there is no damage and you clean the apartment or house thoroughly before you move out, your landlord or apartment manager should return most or all of the deposit. Most states require the landlord to return your deposit money to you within 30 days after you move. What is a lease? A lease is a written agreement, or contract, between the tenant(s) and the landlord. A lease usually states the following: •The rent amount per month. •When the rent is due every month. Unlike landlords in some countries, those in the United States ordinarily do not go around collecting rent payments. You are expected to take the rent to your landlord on or before the day it is due, or mail it early enough so it arrives by the day it is due. •The deposit amount. •How long you are required to stay (for example, six months, 12 months). •What utilities you are expected to pay. •How many day’s notice you must give before moving out. •Rules you must follow (such as no pets). •Services the landlord agrees to perform (such as yard work or repairs). •Other conditions you and the landlord agree to follow. Your lease is a legal, binding contract—make sure you read it carefully before signing it. Do all apartments require you to stay for a certain amount of time? Few landlords rent by the month. Most require you to stay for six months, one year, or for the school term. Often the landlord will require you to pay the first and last month’s rent in advance. If you move out before the date agreed upon in the lease, you may lose the money you paid for the last month, or you may be required to pay rent for the entire time of the lease, even though you won’t be living there. It may be possible to have someone else live in the apartment under your lease (this is known as “subleasing”), but you will still be responsible to pay for any damage. Before subleasing your apartment, check your lease contract to see if you are allowed to do so. What if my landlord isn’t being fair? In such a case, you can seek help from the student legal service or attorney at your school or from the Community Legal Aid Society.

Utilities Heating and electricity Heat may be included in the monthly cost of your room or apartment. If not, ask the landlord or other residents of the building, or former residents what you might expect to pay monthly for utilities. If electricity is not included in your lease, you will be responsible to pay for the electricity you use, either directly to a utility company, or sometimes to the manager of your building, based on your usage as measured by an electric meter. Be aware that heating with electricity can be very expensive, so it's cheaper to use the building's heat rather than a small electric heater. If utilities are not included, you will need to make arrangements with the local utility company that provides the form of heat your dwelling requires (usually gas or electricity). The manager of your dwelling can help you with this, or tell you who to contact. Sometimes the telephone book will list the phone numbers for utilities companies in a speacial section at the begining of the phone book under "Community Services - Utilities." Be sure to let the utility company know exactly when you will move in, and again when you will move out, so that you are only charged for the utilities you use. Sometimes the gas or electric company will require a deposit from you before they establish service. Once you have paid your utility bills on time for several months (up to a year), they will return your deposit. Water The usage of water is usually included in the amount you pay for rent, but it's good to ask. You can drink the water right from the tap in the United States, it is clean. In some areas it may have an unpleasant taste due to minierals disolved in the water. If you so desire, you can purchase an inexpensive water filter to remove the taste. Telephone University halls of residence may have a telephone in the hallway that everyone can use, perhaps a pay-telephone, or there may be a telephone in each room. In most cases though, you need to arrange for your own telephone service. Other charges Your lease should mention if other costs are included or will be extra. Charges may include garbage pickup, water, shared electrical (for hallways, basement) or other costs.