Off Campus Living

Deciding to live off campus and explore a bit more independence is exciting.  Many students required to live on-campus for a period of time can't wait for the time when they can have their "own" place.  This page explores the pros and cons of living off campus and gives you some valuable resources to use when/if you do decide to be on your own.

Pros of Off-Campus Living

Responsibility: First and for most, living off campus provides you an opportunity to start doing what you will have to do for the rest of your life, uphold responsibility.  This includes budgeting money for; rent, utilities, food, etc., cleaning, cooking, and navigating different relationships such as with the landlord and other tenants. There is really no better way to learn these things then by doing them.  When you have the threat of losing your apartment because you're late on your rent, or not eating because you didn't save any money for food, well, you learn quick.  Living off campus allows you to take more charge of your comings and goings, how you spend your time, and with whom you associate.  

Independence:  Though you will still have rules to follow (laws really), you will not have as many restrictions as you would living on campus.  You will begin the learning process of real budgeting, paying bills (hopefully on time), and making decisions about money, where you spend it and how you spend it. 

Personal Space: Even if you have a roommate or two, chances are you will still have more opportunities to have your own space. You won't be sharing bathrooms with 20 other people, you may have your own room, roommates may have different schedules allowing you some time alone in your own home and in general you have a little more freedom for making the space yours.

Save Money - Though this could depend more on the school you attend and where the school is located, it is possible that living off campus could save you a great deal of money. This however, is one of those categories you will have to research.  If you are planning to just live alone without a roommate, it may not actually be cheaper.  You may also have to consider living with more than one other person in order to make it financially work. 

Cooking: In your own place you have the option to cook your own meals which can be a very nice change from the prepared food of the dining hall.  Of course, if the food doesn't taste good, you won't have as many options to try something else. 

Cons of Off-Campus Living

Bulk, up-front payment: You will be required to have first and last month's rent up front and may even need more money as a deposit.  This can be quite a substantial up-front cost.

Leases: You will have to sign a year long lease and breaking it means you lose money.  Having a lease is not bad, but if you like to go home during the summer to save money, you may have to re-think your money saving options.  Also, with a lease you will have to make sure you have the money to pay the rent each month and be on-time with the payment to avoid negative consequences. 

Miscellaneous expenses:  Not only will you likely have to pay for some, if not all of the utilities, but you also add the cost of internet, cable,  furniture, cleaning supplies, food, gas for commuting, etc. 

Not as convenient: If your apartment is not close by, you will have to find a place on campus to spend your time since you no longer have a dorm room.  Living off campus can also make it more difficult to be connected to campus activities, you may not always know what's going on, and can limit your access to people/peers or teachers, depending on your schedule. 

Driving Time/Parking: Living off campus means you must now think about traffic and how long it will take you to arrive on campus.  Then you also have to consider how long it will take you to find a parking spot and how long it will take to walk from the parking spot to your class. This was not an issue when living on campus. 

Important Resources

Tenants Rights in Maine - Pine Tree Legal's website has a lot of information about tenants rights and responsibilities.  

Consumer Rights When You Rent An Apartment - Off the maine.gov website.  More information about your rights and responsibilities. 

Maine Tenant's Rights To Withhold Rent or "Repair and Deduct" - Information taken from nolo.com regarding when repairs are needed in your apartment. 

Tenant's Rights To Break A Rental Lease in Maine - Information off of the nolo.com website. 

Helpful Articles

The 5 Most Common Causes for Roommate Discord - Article from newyork.com by Amy L. Hayden (May 8, 2013).

Living with Roommates: Lessons from 5 Communal Homes - Article from apartmenttherapy.com. 

Living Off Campus: Checklist for Making it Work - Article taken off of mymove.com

4 Student Loan Mistakes To Avoid When Living Off Campus - Article from USNews by Susannah Snider. (Aug. 25, 2014 | 8:30 a.m. EDT)