While many Penn students have just settled into their new home, some are already starting the search for next year's off-campus housing.
Take Euree Choi. A second-year dental student who commutes from Bryn Mawr every day, Choi has already begun looking at possible housing options for next year. Although she said that there is not much information available from landlords yet, she still feels the need to start looking early.
"I will have a higher chance of getting my first choice," she said.
In some ways, she's right. In other ways, it still might be too early to start looking.
Miki Farcas, director of the Office of Off-Campus Living, said that students -- especially those seeking to live in shared houses or large apartments -- start the housing inquiry process earlier and earlier each year. Since tenants typically do not give notices of intention to vacate until November, most landlords do not post listings until that time.
Part of the problem, she said, is that most listings do not get posted because of a tendency to transfer leases between friends -- a fact that accounts for the absence of some properties on the listings database received by the Office of Off-Campus Living in November.
"People are trying to figure out who they know that [lives] in the house they want, and how they can get to live there," Farcas said.
According to the Office of Off-Campus Living's fall 2004 records, 4,024 undergraduates and 8,796 graduate students lived off campus. The numbers for on-campus undergraduate and graduate students are 6,313 and 862 respectively.
Data from previous years were not available, but Farcas said that the numbers rarely change significantly from year to year.
While she emphasized that beginning to search early may have its advantages, she added that there is also the possibility that students looking for the ideal location might neglect to research the property, budget utilities and understand the binding contracts of a lease.
William Lynch, property manager for University City Housing at 3418 Sansom St., said that he expects students to inquire about future housing options within the next two weeks. The company owns 90 buildings in University City -- including Hamilton Court, which tends to fill up extremely quickly -- the majority of which are leased to Penn students and faculty or University affiliates.
Although UCH does not allow tenants to pass on their apartments to friends, first preference is given to tenants who recommend potential leaseholders.
Another landlord, University Enterprises at 4019 Locust St., began compiling a growing list of interested customers last month.
While early birds will not get any specific information now, Lynch recommends they maintain close contact with a leasing office and know exactly what they want.
And when it comes time for sightseeing, it is crucial to examine the property firsthand.
"If they show you something like, 'Hey, it's down the hall just like this,' always see the unit you'll be renting," he said.
College senior Jared Ross said that he peeked at his apartment only briefly and now feels that he did not spend enough time looking at it. Ross, who moved off campus at the beginning of his sophomore year, has lived on the 4000 block of Spruce Street for three years. He found his home, which had been leased by his friends, through UCH.
"It's such a seller's market that they don't have to do anything to get rid of apartments," he said.
However, he now regrets his haste because there are holes in the ceiling, leaks and windows that do not work -- problems that he said could have been avoided with a thorough initial inspection.
"Once they get you in the lease, you can't get out of it," he said, adding that his maintenance requests have largely fallen on deaf ears -- though he has decided to renew his lease each year.
Farcas suggested that students considering living together off campus should give the issue serious thought.
"They'd better all be on the same page and all be there to sign the leases so they are all responsible for the lease," she said.
