To avoid competition and secure plans before the spring rush to find housing, Northwestern students are looking for off-campus housing and signing leases earlier.
“I felt like it was a little too early to be signing the lease, but it’s better now that it’s out of the way,” said McCormick sophomore Rob Kotz, who signed his lease a week ago. “It’s a big weight off my shoulders.”
Students who want to get a jump-start on the competition tend to start at the beginning of Winter Quarter. Jill Redman, assistant manager of B&A Property Group in Evanston, said that she has had NU students inquire about September leases as early as December.
B&A, which owns housing on Ridge Avenue and Simpson Street, puts students on a waiting list for apartments closer to the university. The earlier students start looking the higher they get on the waiting list, Redman said.
Three- and four-bedroom apartments are the earliest to go, according to Eric Paset, managing broker for North Shore Apartments and Condos.
“The bigger apartments are really in demand this time of year,” Paset said. “They become real scarce towards the end of March.”
But Paset was quick to point out that students shouldn’t worry about a lack of housing. He said the need to look early is partially hype, since there will be plenty of studios and two-bedroom apartments available during spring.
“I think because students hear that one of their friends finds an apartment for next year, everyone feels the need to do it,” Paset said. “It circulates and everyone starts getting anxious really early.”
However, apartments close to campus are in high demand and become harder to find during Spring Quarter.
“The closer the buildings are to campus, the harder it is to find an apartment,” said Cameel Halim, president of Wilmette Real Estate and Management Company, which leases apartments in Evanston. “They fill up pretty quick.”
Weinberg sophomore Eli Goodman and his future roommates knew they wanted to solidify their plans for next year before their top choices were taken.
They narrowed down their options before winter break and went to see the apartments when they returned to school. Goodman signed his lease within the first couple weeks of the quarter.
“The most desirable ones are hard to get,” Goodman said. “We wanted to start early so that we’d have an easier shot at getting an apartment. We didn’t want to butt heads with other groups.”
Those who start early usually have the luxury of first pick, since few other students are searching for housing.
Weinberg sophomore Monica Wyant, who signed her lease the second week of January, began knocking on doors and clipping classified ads as soon as she returned from winter break.
She didn’t have any competition for her place in the Willard Apartments, 1901-07 Sherman Ave.
“We heard things fill up pretty fast and we wanted to get things set in stone before things got too stressful in our lives and we didn’t have time to look,” Wyant said. “It’s a big relief to know what’s going on, especially during midterms right now.”
Reach Kendra Marr at [email protected].
