On September 16th, 2015 around 5:30 a.m. I was asleep in my bed only to be woken up by hand coming through my window on the ground floor of the house, and patting around me in my bed. In my groggy state, it didn’t occur to me that somebody was trying to break into my house but my first reaction was to slam my window shut. I ran out of bed and into the living room to see my roommate still asleep on the couch and the front door leading outside to be wide open. I saw a figure run past the open door, and I screamed at him and slammed it shut.
I immediately called the police who were at my house within seconds. They searched and filed a report but never caught the guy. All of the evidence that was found was a chair from my neighbor’s porch with muddy footprints on it set outside near my window.
At that point, I had already been living in my off-campus house for a year. Since the day I moved in, I had told my landlord that I would like a screen bolted onto the window that my bed was up against. I had heard about break in’s in student houses in Cortland and had thought of that exact scenario before, but never did I believe I would actually experience it. While my window was open, as it was the end of the warm weather, it also never had a lock.
My landlord's reaction was unsupportive and completely disrespectful. This was something that happened in the house her company owned, my safety was threatened, and there was no concern shown. In fact, she told my roommates and my own father that she didn’t even believe I was telling the truth.
When thinking about living off campus, students often think about the money they’ll save, trying to find the perfect distance from the bars and campus, and the opportunity to comfortably have friends over. I absolutely was concerned with the same things, and my roommates and I picked the first apartment off campus that we had looked at in the first few weeks of our sophomore year. The lease was signed for the following year.
This is my fourth semester living in the same apartment, and there are plenty of things I wish I knew when I was a sophomore looking for off-campus housing for my junior year.
1.) The Difference of Safety Between a Dorm and an Off Campus Apartment
I cannot guarantee that if my requests about my window were filled, someone still wouldn’t have had to tried to get into my house. He still got through the front door, and to this day I’ll never have answers as to why he was in my window after he got the door open. Was there a miscommunication between my roommates locking it? Was the lock picked? These questions will never be answered, but it is crucial that you communicate with your roommates about safety precautions wherever you decide to live. My home was not the only one broken into that week, and there are student homes broken into yearly in Cortland. It is important to lock doors and windows. If somebody wants to get into your house, they will, but these things will limit the chances. Screens can get cut, windows can be broken, and maybe a screen on my window wouldn’t have stopped the attempted robber, but it would have limited the chances. Keep in mind; in the dorms on campus, there are key pass doors, RA’s on duty, cameras, and plenty of other eyes. In your home, it’s your own responsibility to protect yourselves, and it’s a big one to take on. Lock your doors.
2.) Explore Different Options
When you visit possible homes, don’t just pick the first one you see with an open living room that’s perfect for parties. Look for different amenities that can alter your living experience. Look on the ground, ceilings, and at light fixtures. I’m not saying you’ll find the best of best infrastructure in student homes in Cortland, New York, but look for things that may be fire hazards or equipment that might not work properly. Address these things with the landlord before you sign the lease. Remember that when a landlord takes you on a tour of the home, they’re looking to sell you in. They need the house/apartment filled in order to make money, and they can say anything possible for that to happen.
3.) You get what you pay for.
The perfect example I could think of with this is the dreaded blue bag system for trash. The blue bags are expensive, annoying, and are the only way some houses trash is collected. In my own house, I don’t pay extra for trash removal. My house shares a shed that we throw our trash in with three other houses. I can smell garbage from the shed from my room when my window is open (which is now never.) It gets filled to the ceiling until it is cleaned out months later. If I could go back to choosing a living situation, I wouldn’t at all mind paying a little extra for a more sanitary system. Paying a couple hundred dollars extra a semester for student housing may be worth it in the end, so the best thing to do is to be able to compare multiple living situations if you get the chance to.
4.) Don't let your landlord take advantage of you.
From what I have learned about landlords that own student-housing companies, there are nice ones, and then there are ones who will absolutely use your lack of experience to their advantage. At the age of 19 or 20, you most likely have never signed a lease, had to worry about paying rent, or even living on your own in many cases. When you visit a house in perspective of renting, they’ll convince you that so many other people are looking at it or that there are not many apartments left in Cortland so you have to decide right away. THIS IS NOT TRUE. There might be other people looking, but if you’re looking in the beginning of the school year for the following year, take your time and pick a place you’ll be comfortable in. Remember, it’s difficult to read somebody’s true character when they’re trying to sell you something.
My roommates and I moved into my apartment in August of 2014 and were pressured to sign the lease for the 2015-2016 school year the week we first moved in. We were afraid we wouldn’t have a place to live, signed it, and completely regret this decision, as we had no idea what we were up against.
5.) Choose roommates you can count on.
Again, remember safety is your own responsibility off-campus. If you have roommates who are not concerned with locking doors or are bringing random guys into your house from a night out every weekend, those are all of your problems now. Live with people you can trust to make good decisions and be concerned about the safety of your house together. Have these conversations before you decide to live together because when living off campus, there is more than just roommate compatibility involved. Also, remember point number 4 when choosing your roommates. Don’t get yourself stuck with them for two years after you’ve decided it didn’t work out the first year.
6.) READ EVERY PART OF THE LEASE!
Read every clause of the lease, and make sure they’re all things that are going to maintained and worth your money. You are stuck to this lease for usually two semesters at least, so make sure everything is reasonable. For instance, if you’re promised snow removal in lease, make sure when winter comes, there are people clearing your driveway for you every time because you’re paying for it. If the lease says two semesters, and then you decide to study abroad for one, this is something you need to be aware of. It’s not the easiest thing to find a random roommate to take your place. If you see any SUNY Cortland class group on Facebook, there are posts about looking for a house spot to be filled just about on the weekly!
7.) Do your research.
When you get a note from the people moving out of the house you’re about to move into that says “How to Survive Living Here” that’s probably not a great sign. If that note says watch out for mice, bathroom molds, and gas leaks, don’t sign the lease to live there for another year.
In all seriousness, speak to the people that lived there before you if possible. If somebody asked me about living in my off-campus house, I would be 100% honest with them (hence this entire piece.) Ask around and find out which landlords in Cortland can be trusted and maintain a good business and which ones people aren’t as happy with.
