With registration for next semester starting, dreams of changing residence may be prevalent, especially for those having roommate problems or landlord troubles. Whether looking for next semester or next school year, people are already searching for their future abode.
Students looking for apartments and houses for the spring semester will find listings in November and December. While it is too early to sign a lease for summer or fall, these listings are usually available in spring and students can begin to explore housing options and save money.
There are two areas the student can consider when looking for a place to live: on-campus housing in the residence halls and off-campus housing. Students who want to live off campus may choose from private residence halls, co-ops, apartments and houses.
\Look for the things that will make living pleasant or unpleasant,"" said Cynthia Campos, campus coordinator for the Tenant Resource Center.
There are benefits to living in University Housing for younger students, but campus housing is also available for graduate students.
There are halls for non-freshmen in Adams and Tripp Halls, which are located in the Lakeshore area and in Barnard Hall, which is part of Chadbourne Residential College.
The university also offers residence halls and apartments for graduate students. Eagle Heights, which is located northwest of the campus and past the hospital, has student apartments for single graduate students and students with families.
There are a limited number of parking spaces, but each apartment comes with a spot. The University Apartments Community Center offers child care, health services, and recreational and other activities.
According to Heather Taplick, UW-Madison Women's Housing coordinator, students may be released from their housing contract at the end of this semester for four reasons: graduation, withdrawal from the university, transfer to another school or study abroad.
""Students are not allowed to be released from their contract because they want to move to off-campus housing. Their option would be to fill out a room change request,"" Taplick said. ""These are not always accommodated due to the limited number of available spaces.""
Individuals who wish to be released from their contract must complete paperwork in the Assignment Office, which is in the lower level of Slichter Hall. Students who leave the university without completing a contract release form will be billed for room charges until they secure the release.
""It is to the students benefit to sign the contract release before second semester, because otherwise we assume they will be returning and they will incur charges until the release is verified,"" Taplick said.
Students who reside in University Housing and have no outstanding account balances or disciplinary problems will receive information about the 2004-'05 contracts through the mail in January.
Current students who do not live in University Housing but are looking to live in the dorms next year must complete an application in spring. Priority is given to Wisconsin residents and contracts are offered based on the number of spaces available.
Private residence halls are privately owned businesses that provide living experiences similar to those offered by on-campus residence halls, including meal plans, resident assistants and planned events. Many also offer computer labs, fitness centers and academic advising.
Students must contact the private residence halls directly for information because private dorms are not part of the UW System. There are a number of private residence halls near campus. To the southwest are Princeton House, 1815 University Ave., and The Regent, 1402 Regent St. To the east of campus are The Statesider, 505 N. Frances St., The Towers, 502 N. Frances St., The Highlander, 121 W. Gilman St., and The Langdon, 126 Langdon St.
Cooperatives are another option for students who are looking for an affordable place off campus that comes with a built-in community.
""Co-ops are great transitional places to live, especially for a student that has lived in the dorms,"" said Tony Anderson, who has lived in a co-op for seven years and volunteers at the Madison Community Co-op, 1202 Williamson St. ""There is an instant base of friends and you don't have to shoulder all of the responsibility by yourself.""
Although the houses are set up and run independently, the MCC is a nonprofit cooperative organization that owns 11 houses in Madison.
Cooperatives are unique in that they require students to sign a contract, not just a lease, which usually lasts from Aug. 15 to Aug. 14, but this may vary house to house. The contract specifies the member's job, which could be cleaning, bookkeeping, cooking or maintenance.
""All members take part in the decision-making during house meetings and other community events, such as eating dinner together,"" Anderson said.
Anderson's advice to those interested is start at the MCC Web site, which has pictures, descriptions of the houses and contact information.
Interested students are invited to come see the house. After a few visits and dinner with the rest of the house, an interview determines if the student is to become a member.
Living in an apartment or house is one of the most popular options for students given the availability of such housing in the area.
Many factors need to be considered when looking at apartments and houses.
""There are many important things to look for when you go to visit a place. These are things that you might overlook, like good water pressure. So when you go in, turn on the water in the kitchen and bathroom,"" Campos said.
The TRC advises students to view the apartment or house before signing the lease. It is important to see if the windows, locks, heat and appliances work.
""Students need to drive a bargain. The landlords are in business to make as much money as possible and students should not be afraid to negotiate for lower rent,"" Campos said.
Campos also said students need to be sure to get everything in writing.
To change a lease, the tenant should cross out the section he or she wishes to delete and both the tenant and landlord should initial and date it. Any other changes to the lease or promises to repair should be written out, signed and dated by both parties.
There are a variety of resources available for students looking for off-campus housing.
The Campus Information and Visitor Center operates an online listing service for off-campus housing and will begin advertising fall 2004 listings the week of Dec. 8.
The listings allow students to search by the type of housing, number of bedrooms, time period, location and price range.
The TRC has a number of resources for first-time renters and will be making presentations for students interested in learning about renting. The presentations are Nov. 17 at 7:30 p.m. in Witte Hall and Nov. 24 at 7:00 p.m. in Sellery Hall.
TRC Web page:
CIVC housing Web page:
MCC Web page:
Private residence halls Web page:
University Housing Web page:
