Though unknown to many, the Office of Off-Campus Living is solely devoted to helping students make the transition to living outside of Penn's dorms.
Located at 4046 Walnut St., the OOCL offers students a variety of services, such as a Web site with a housing search engine, landlord reviews and step-by-step guides to renting.
"We try to educate the students on everything that is involved," said office director Miki Farcas.
The Web site, which receives about 130,000 hits per year, features informational pages on insurance, utilities and safety issues, among many other topics.
Despite the resources available, Farcas has known many freshmen who started their housing search too late and and were unprepared.
"Every year the rush to get the house ... starts earlier and earlier," Farcas said. She added that landlords begin posting housing as early as mid-November.
Most students interviewed, though, said that they had never heard of the OOCL and generally just worked directly through landlords such as Campus Apartments and University City Housing.
"I've seen it on Walnut Street," College senior Michael Hu said of the OOCL.
"I went online and got a list of landlords. Other than that I didn't really use it for anything," Hu said.
Farcas said she has tried to reach out to students before they begin their searches to make the process easier.
"What ideally should happen is for us to reach more students before they begin their search," Farcas said. "This is something I'm trying to figure out."
Last October, Farcas began working with the Undergraduate Assembly and holding informative seminars for undergraduates.
"We put together some very good programs," Farcas said. She wishes to formalize her programs with the UA and make them more available in the future.
For those on the lookout, Farcas said that "the most helpful services are lease reviews and counseling," which educate future tenants on the more complicated aspects of off-campus living, such as lease terms.
She also holds an annual housing fair in April.
The OOCL also holds monthly seminars to educate tenants on how to handle more serious problems, such as roommate, maintenance and legal issues.
"Houses should comply to certain standards ... our documentation, materials and seminars bring these issues forth" to students, Farcas said.
OOCL seminars emphasize that off-campus students have more responsibility.
Farcas said that the OOCL's Web site and office educate students on everything involved with moving in, living in an apartment, paying bills, moving out and dealing with security deposits.
Experts such as a housing coach and a landlord-tenant lawyer also help students resolve serious issues.
As a last resort, the office offers legal counsel at a student discount of $50 an hour.
Although off-campus students no longer have to deal with resident advisers and ID cards, Farcas wants students to know that off-campus life is not a free-for-all.
"They are bound by the same conduct" as when they are on campus, with regards to noise, trash and parties because they live among home owners and year-long residents, Farcas said.
As key pieces of advice for students, Farcas said to "never sign a piece of paper that you do not get a copy of, always document how you find the apartment, even by taking pictures, and put important requests in writing."
