The Housing Fair is an annual event where different housing entities come to Colorado State University to help students find options for off-campus living. Different groups such as apartment complexes, property managers, television companies, etc. have positions in the ballroom where students are able to speak to a representative to learn about or sign up for their services, and in some cases sign a lease for a place to live the following year.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
The Housing Fair is similar to one stop shopping for students and living; however, there are some things you should consider when preparing for this event. One of first things to think about is what type of housing would you like to rent or own? There are different responsibilities between apartments and houses. Houses you have to maintain the inside and outside components, such as lawns. Often, apartment maintenance crews do all the repairs inside and outside of the apartment. Another important consideration is the occupancy law U+2. This law is about how many people can occupy a residence at one time – to understand this rule go to the Student Legal Services webpage or office.
Another consideration is budget. When budgeting for where your going to live think about income including financial aid and compare to your monthly expenses such as tuition, utilities, groceries, gas, cable tv, laundry, furniture and your rent. After this consideration you will be able to tell how much rent you will be able to afford without having to stress about making your payments on time. If a budget worksheet will help, they are available through the Office of Financial Aid webpage or in the Off-Campus Life Student Handbook.
After thinking about these things another thing to think about is roommates. Finding a roommate can be difficult, but possible. Think about what is important to you when it comes to housing such as cleanliness, noise levels, activities that both roommates like to be involved with, etc. and then express these things to people you are considering moving in with, so as to determine if living together is a possibility. There are activities such as Roommate Roundups that can help you to find new and possible roommates, check the Off-Campus Life Calendar for dates.
When looking to sign a lease it is important to understand the different requirements, such as security deposits or early termination of the lease. Before signing, go to Student Legal Services with the lease for them to explain to you what the lease entails.
The 2023 Housing Fair will be Wednesday, February 8, 2023 from 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM in the Main Ballroom, Lory Student Center, CSU campus.
This is a very relative question, the answer is dependent on when you are looking to move. If you are looking for a place to live during the summer it will be important to consider your options a little earlier than if you need a place to live in the fall. However, it is important to know that many apartment complexes or property managers will not know their availability until February or March, and in some cases as late as April. This doesn’t mean that you will have to wait that long to decide on a place to live; some complexes have waiting lists that they can put you on to reserve a spot when they come available.
In general, Off-Campus Life recommends you take your time before signing a lease. We recommend that most students consider signing a fall-semester lease between February and May. Attend the Housing Fair, ask questions, set up tours, and take your lease to Student Legal Services before signing. Do not commit quickly or too early. You have time.
Off-Campus Life has many resources available for students and housing. Most are listed on our home page. One resource is the Apartment Complex list, which lists apartments that will rent to students. Another resource is the Property Management list, which is all of the property managers that we know will rent to students. If you are looking for possibly a quicker process, a roommate, or a vacant listing there is always our more interactive webpage CSU Rental Search. We also have information on short-term/temporary rentals and summer housing.
TESTIMONIALS FROM ATTENDEES
