University Apartments and
Off Campus Housing: Myth vs. Fact

If it seems early to be addressing this issue, you're right!  You see, one of the myths is that you have to sign a lease for next year before fall midterms. This is simply not true.

We have received a number of calls and e-mails in our office from students wondering about the timeline for the university-owned apartments, when the Tenant Guide will be published, and when is the best time to sign up for off-campus apartments. It is my hope that you will find the following information helpful as you make choices about your housing for next year.  Keep in mind that all first and second year students must live in a residence hall, so this information is intended for those of you who will be third year students next fall.

University-owned apartment sign-up

The apartments owned by the university include Campus Town East, Campus Town West, Humphrey, Carmel, Gilman, Frenn, and Trebor. We offer semester, 10 month, and 12 month leases in all of our apartments. The 2007-2008 assignment process will begin in late October with deposit collection. New applicants to the university apartments will receive a random assignment time prior to the Winter Break, and sign-up will occur online on Monday, January 28, 2008. In October, we will send a letter and an e-mail with more details to all eligible students living in the residence halls.

Tenant Guide

The 2007-2008 edition of the Tenant Guide is due to arrive in our office in mid-November. As soon as we receive it, we will distribute a copy to each eligible student living in the residence halls. You will receive a copy in your mailbox - you do not need to come by our office to pick one up. We timed the release of the Tenant Guide, based on conversations with students, parents, MUSG and local landlords, in order to give students some breathing room between the time they begin this academic year and when they begin to search for housing for the next academic year.

Off-campus housing

It is a MYTH that if students do not sign up for housing right away in the neighborhood that there will be nothing left for them later. There is PLENTY of housing in the Marquette neighborhood for everyone! As of the first day of classes this semester, 21 landlords (including the university-owned apartments) still had vacancies of all types in their properties for this fall - studios, 1, 2, 3, and 4 bedroom units, and at least six houses. At the time the fall off-campus housing rush began, over 10 years ago, there were 55 apartment buildings and 30 houses in the neighborhood. Today, there are over 100 apartment buildings and nearly 90 houses to choose from, and the number of students seeking housing has not changed significantly.

Academic plans

As you progress through your sophomore year at Marquette, you may find that you wish to take advantage of any number of academic opportunities that may take you away from the Marquette campus during your junior year, such as study abroad opportunities, co-op positions, and internships. Locking yourself into a lease too early can complicate your ability to take advantage of these opportunities.

I believe that as students, you have the power to control the leasing timeline in the neighborhood if you choose to take time looking at your options, wait to see who you really want to live with a year from now, figure out what your academic plans will be as they pertain to study abroad, co-op, and internship opportunities, and wait to sign up for housing.  The landlords will have no choice but to wait for you.

More information about housing options in the university apartments and the Marquette neighborhood is forthcoming, but in the meantime I encourage you to enjoy where you are living right now, rather than worrying about where you will live 9 or 12 months from now.