Off-campus housing options available for transfer students or students with more than 27 credits
The University of Idaho requires first-year students to live on campus. However, students with 27 credits or more have the option of living off campus. Moscow is home to several rental agencies that rent apartments and houses to college students.
Palouse Properties is a large rental company in the area with several apartment complexes and a few houses and duplexes. Other agencies include Welcome Home Properties, Woodbury Property Management and University City Rentals.
Yishan Chen | Argonaut
Even with first year on-campus rules, there are several off-campus options for transfer students. Any freshman wanting to apply for off-campus living must submit their exemption by May 1.
Most rental agencies are taking applications for summer and fall semesters. Ten-month and 12-month leases are usually available.
University of Idaho sophomore Bekah Whitney made the choice to live off campus because she said it was cheaper than on-campus housing.
“It’s cheaper, I don’t have to deal with Housing rules that I don’t agree with, I have a bigger room and my own kitchen and living room,” Whitney said. “With that said, I had a wonderful experience living in the Tower last year.”
Sophomore Jesse Wegley said his motivation to live off campus was also driven by money. The draw for living out from under Housing rules also interested him. However, Wegley said he cautions people to use those as their only motivation.
“They should base their decision on an individual basis, considering all the pros and cons,” Wegley said. “It’s harder to go to school and live off campus if you have to make money to be able to live … It can be hard to prioritize school, because you are sometimes worried about money.”
Whitney suggests a hard look at the people students plan to live with. It can be hard to live with someone who has different levels of cleanliness or ideas of what tidy means.
“Just by looking at someone’s dorm room this year, you can pretty much figure out their cleanliness level,” she said. “If it’s too far from yours, just don’t do it.”
Whitney explained the process of finding new roommates is long and rental agencies don’t help. There is a lot of personal work that goes into finding a new roommate in time, so the rent rate doesn’t increase, Whitney said.
Both sophomores said living off campus can be hard, but they believe transfer students should look at it as an option.
“Living off campus is wonderful,” Whitney said.
Claire Whitley can be reached at [email protected]