When should I start looking for accommodation

[phd2020]

Hi guys, now that I'm admitted to one of my top schools, I wonder when should I start taking care of logistical issues such as moving and renting etc.?

[BCB]

This is very dependent upon region. I don't think it would hurt to start looking soon. Many college towns will sign leases quite early for August move in dates. I am in a hot housing market where we opted to buy instead of rent and we closed on a house at the end of April and moved in near the end of July. I think several of the other students in my program secured housing around May or June.

[plasticities]

I'm in a similar situation and I don't have an answer to your question but I am following this thread for advice. I have a few related questions, so instead of starting a new thread I'm hoping that they can also be answered here as well. TIA!

 

I will likely be moving to a major US city and I am not an American. My first question: where are the best places to look for rental housing (off campus)?

 

I will likely visit campus in early March and then won't be able to return to the city until I move there in August. I'm assuming that March will be too early to find housing, so is it possible to secure a rental later if I am not in the city? Has anyone done this?

[BrazilianPhD]

I started negotiations to rent an apartment in April, closing the deal in May to move from Brazil to the US in August.

 

I think I found the place at ForRentUniversity.com. Not having an SSN was a problem with many websites. And I also had to worry about ways to make a deposit to rent an apartment, how to get insurance, how to get electricity, how to get basic stuff delivered to the apartment (e.g., furniture), all of that while I was still in Brazil. It seemed to me that people at that website were used to talk about challenges faced by foreign students.

 

Contacting current PhD students to get their tips and opinions was also helpful.

[nouseforaname]

I'm in a similar situation and I don't have an answer to your question but I am following this thread for advice. I have a few related questions, so instead of starting a new thread I'm hoping that they can also be answered here as well. TIA!

 

I will likely be moving to a major US city and I am not an American. My first question: where are the best places to look for rental housing (off campus)?

 

I will likely visit campus in early March and then won't be able to return to the city until I move there in August. I'm assuming that March will be too early to find housing, so is it possible to secure a rental later if I am not in the city? Has anyone done this?

 

 

One place I like to look for housing, typically is Zillow.com, you can look for rentals and also put in min. / max. rent pricing.

[XanthusARES]

Check out Craigslist for the area you are looking to move to. They generally have a lot of apartments that aren't on the main rental sites (like rent.com and apartments.com). If you're looking to rent from a landlord rather than from a company, Craigslist is a great place to start. That being said there are positives from renting from a company that you won't get from a landlord, so the choice is really yours.

 

As far as timing goes, it doesn't hurt to start looking now. Some college towns expect people to be signing leases now to move in August. Just talk to students in the program and see where they live in terms of distance to the school, parking, public transportation etc... They can also go check out an apartment for you if you can't get to the city to check it out for yourself.

 

One final piece of advice. You're going to be at the PhD program for a minimum of 4 years (although I'm pretty sure that average is closer to 5.5 now). If you have the money and if the market is good, you should consider buying. Again, assuming the market is good, you'll build some, not a lot, but some equity in the house in 4-5 years which will help with a down payment for your house in your new faculty position. There are obviously risks to buying a house and you definitely need to know those and be willing to take them, but I know a lot of students who bought houses during their programs and it hasn't been bad for them. Only do this though, if you have the money, if you can find a house that will give you a mortgage payment on par or cheaper than rent in the area and if you are comfortable with the possibility that perhaps the house won't sell when you move.

[BCB]

One note on craigslist - While there are many great deals, you should be careful about how you approach those ads. There are many scam postings in my area and some of them are pretty convincing - particularly if you are international and won't be able to verify things in person. I would advise not using craigslist unless you are already here and can meet the landlord and see the property before putting down a deposit. That being said, many craigslist ads are through individual landlords/subletters who may be a little more flexible on lease terms/etc. Another plus with craigslist is that there are often rentals that are available immediately too.

 

I agree that it is definitely a good idea to talk to PhD students who are in the area too! I am always happy to provide this information to incoming students and would also be willing to go check out apartments for people.

[YaSvoboden]

When I started my PhD I just drove to the new city, stayed with a current PhD student for a couple days, and then drove around looking for apartment complexes. It worked out just fine, though I don't know if I would recommend it.

[plasticities]

Thanks for the tips. Asking a current PhD student to check out potential rental units is a great solution!

[Mandalorian]

Definitely read some online reviews and try to get a feel for the place. Of course, the best thing you can do is visit yourself and look around, but that's not always feasible. Talking to current students or people familiar with the area is a good idea. One thing to consider is you can always rent for a year, get a feel for the area, and then move.