As students return from winter break and begin looking for housing for next year, The Temple News would like to remind them that the university provides resources for them during their housing hunt.
As the university’s student population has risen over the last decade or so, so have the number of students looking to live on or near campus. Many turn to off-campus housing like apartment complexes or individual private apartments for a cheaper and more flexible living option to residence halls.
While we understand why many students make the decision to live off campus, they must realize and accept all the responsibilities that come with signing a lease and renting a space. The Office of University Housing and Residential Life offers resources like a “Tenant’s Rights and Responsibilities” and “Understanding Your Lease” pages that explain what most landlords expect from renters.
Students thinking about moving off campus or renewing a lease should take a few moments to review these procedures and consider the extra responsibilities one has living off campus like paying rent every month, taking care of trash in a timely manner, paying utilities and maintaining the condition of an apartment.
The university, though, should recognize just how many students are seeking off-campus housing — only about 21 percent of undergraduates live in on-campus housing — and make the resources they have more apparent to students.
While off-campus services are available online through University Housing and Residential Life, Temple could be doing more to explain to students why making the move off campus is a mature commitment as much as it is a money-saving measure.
In order to make sure students are getting the most out of their housing experience and are learning to be respectful and responsible tenants, students and the university have to meet in the middle to make living off campus a positive experience.
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