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Usually the first decision upon arrival often involves your residence. Housing opportunities both on and off campus provide choices to best fit your lifestyle and preferences. Consider the following factors when choosing whether to live in university housing or live in an off-campus apartment.
Off-Campus Housing vs. Residence Halls
Availability:
Space in UW Residence Halls is limited. Applications should be submitted as soon as they are available. Seattle offers a variety of housing options, but the best, least expensive, and closest apartments or rooms to the university are often leased a few months in advance of a new quarter. Hunting for a place to live can be time-consuming, but armed with appropriate advice you will find a place that best fits your needs.
Convenience:
Generally, you need only walk a short distance from the residence hall to classes, while off-campus apartments vary in distance from campus. Many apartments in the U-District (the neighborhood surrounding the university) are within walking or biking distance, while other neighborhoods have good bus service to UW.
Furnishings:
Residence hall rooms come furnished with two to three beds, desks, chairs, closets, or wardrobes, a telephone line with multiple mailboxes, and Ethernet access. Off-campus housing may be furnished or unfurnished and you may need to set up telephone and utility services.
Cooking:
In most residence halls, access to a full kitchen is limited. You can choose a dining plan most appropriate to your dietary needs and habits. Dining choices range from salad bars to burgers, sandwiches to Pan-Asian entrees, and pasta to Mexican food. If you live off-campus, cooking for yourself can be less expensive, healthier, and more flexible, although more time-consuming. You will need to buy and prepare your meals with food from grocery stores. Eating meals out at local restaurants can become expensive.
Condition:
Residence halls are clean and well maintained. Less expensive off-campus apartments can be a bit run-down; however, most can be made comfortable. Before signing a lease for an apartment, walk through the premises with the landlord and note in writing any needed repairs for their information and for your files.
Privacy:
As residence halls house hundreds of students, sometimes there will be considerable noise. Sharing a room with one or two people calls for adjustment and flexibility. Living in the halls does provide a social atmosphere and the opportunity to meet friends. Apartment living is quieter and more private. You also have more choices about your lifestyle.
Legal Obligations:
Both a residence hall housing contract and an apartment lease are legally binding documents. The housing contract is for the academic year, but you can vacate for a monetary penalty. An apartment lease is difficult to break; however, you have a few options for the length of a lease, which you will need to negotiate with your landlord or with Student Legal Services (HUB G-16).
Cost:
Residence hall costs for room and board are usually competitive with Seattle housing rates. Depending on the neighborhood, you may be able to rent inexpensive housing jointly with other students and share food, rent, and utility costs. Or, you may spend a considerable amount more for a private and comfortable apartment.
Living with a Roommate:
Sharing space with new people, whether you are sharing a bedroom, kitchen, living room, or bathroom, can be both a positive and negative experience. To make the best of your living situation, a good policy is openness, communication, and honesty with your roommate(s). It is a good idea to meet with a prospective or assigned roommate to discuss issues such as privacy, guests, phone use, schedules, study and social habits, and—if applicable—food, chores, cleaning, and finances.
UW Affiliated Student Residences:
Residence Halls:
There are nine halls on the UW campus, which house over 5,000 students. New residents are usually assigned to Stevens Court Building L, Terry, Lander and Mercer Halls, located on southwest campus; and Haggett, McCarty and McMahon Halls, located on north campus. Students who are at least 20 years old and returning residents are eligible to live in Hansee Hall and 2104 House, both on north campus. Most new students are assigned to double or triple rooms. All halls are smoke-free and coeducational, which means that men and women live in different rooms, on the same floor or on separate corridors. Rooms are furnished, but do not have bedding or linen. Dining areas are located throughout campus and the Husky Card payment system simplifies the purchasing process.
Stevens Court:
Stevens Court offers 28 one-bedroom apartments for married couples or registered same-sex domestic partners with no children. Included in the monthly rent are satellite TV, Ethernet access to UW computer systems and e-mail, and utilities. Laundry facilities are available on site.
Commodore Duchess Apartments:
The one-bedroom apartments are primarily for married or domestic partners currently enrolled in classes. Students must be at least 20 years of age to rent. Studios are available for single students on a limited basis. The apartments are completely unfurnished.
http://www.commodoreduchess.com/
Radford Court:
Unfurnished apartments located three miles northeast of UW are available for single students, couples, and families.
http://www.radfordcourt.com/
Blakeley Village, Laurel Village:
Two-, or three-bedroom unfurnished apartments are available for students with families (married couples or registered domestic partners, with children). These apartments are located about one mile east of campus. These popular options offer affordable pricing and an academically- and family- oriented community.
For information about the different halls and to find application information:
Housing and Food Service Office
301 Schmitz Hall
(206) 543-4059
http://hfs.washington.edu/
hsfinfo@u.washington.edu
Off-Campus Housing
Housing comes in many varieties—furnished and unfurnished, room and board rooming houses, studios, 1 bedrooms and up, apartments and houses, as well as roommates advertising “to share” their accommodations. Prices vary greatly.
Something to keep in mind: If you decide to choose an unfurnished apartment or room in a house, u will have to purchase all the furniture yourself, which could get expensive. In addition to rent, there is the cost of utilities, which can include electricity, water, garbage and recycling pick-up, Internet, etc.
One of the best resources available to students is the ASUW and GPSS Student Housing Affairs office. Browse through housing listings both in their office and online. Pick up a of their “Husky Housing Handbook” for tips on finding housing, landlord-tenant relations, and limited legal advice.
Student Housing Affairs
HUB G-20
(206) 543-8997
http://depts.washington.edu/asuwsha/
The FIUTS office (HUB 302B) has postings specifically for international students.
Be sure you are familiar with U.S. landlord-tenant rights and responsibilities. While most landlords generally follow the law, some may try to take advantage of unfamiliarity with local regulations. For further information on your rights as a tenant, visit the following sites:
Washington State Bar Association Landlord-Tenant Laws:
http:www.wsba.org/media/publications/pamphlets/landlord-tenant.htm
Your Rights—The Tenant Union Help Center:
http://www.tenantsunion.org/rights
Classified advertisements in the newspaper are yet another way to look for housing. Newspapers charge per letter, so often people shorten their ad’s wording to save money. Here are some common abbreviations you may come across:
A/C - air conditioning
dplx – duplex (2 apartments in a house)
DW - dishwasher
fp – fireplace
furn/unfurn - Furniture provided/furniture not provided
hdwd flrs – hardwood floors
Lg 1 Br 1 Ba. - A large one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment
loc - located
NP – no pets
nr - near
NS – no smoking
off st prkg – off street parking
pvt ent – private entry
sec -secure
strg - storage
util incl – utilities included
W/D or lndry- Clothes washer and dryer or laundry
w/w carpet – wall to wall carpet
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