Pros and Cons of Apartments Near Your College Campus

Searching for apartments near a college is a good idea if you’re a college student or if you work on campus. It’s often not the best choice for families, retirees or elderly persons who want to enjoy a quiet living environment. The noise level is definitely heightened when school is in session, and summer course offerings means that you’ll have to endure the impact of student activities year round.

Pro: Convenient for Students

The best choice for an apartment if you’re a student is to live off campus, nearby. You don’t have to worry about transportation. Even if you have your own car, parking fees can be costly and exacerbate a tight student budget. When you’re without a car, the ability to walk to classes in decent weather is a life saver. When you compare the costs of renting apartments that are not near the college campus plus campus parking fees, to the cost of renting apartments close to campus, you’ll see that latter costs less. You get the economic benefit, plus you eliminate the stress of finding a ride, or finding a parking space at school.

Con: Noise Level

Campuses are notoriously loud and nearby residents learn to cope with it, or move out. The noise is not contained to the activities on campus, but to the surrounding businesses that accommodate students in the early hours of the morning. Students also park off campus to attend events, classes and parties, and sometimes students see fit to park in spaces belonging to renters in the neighborhood.

If you work from your apartment, are a student who prefers to keep the noise level to a minimum, or have children that need to sleep early, then you’re going to want to stay away from apartments near a college. There’s not much you can do to mask the sound, other than to wear headphones and shut all windows and doors. Even then, the noise penetrates, and your tenancy will be miserable as a result.

Pro: Student Accountability

When you live in a dorm, you have resident counselors and other students close by to hold you accountable. If you’re not leaving your room to attend classes, someone will take note and call you out on it. You lose that accountability when you move off campus, but there’s still a chance to have it if you live in apartments near the college. Other students who live in the same apartment building or house can serve as accountability partners, whether you ask them to or not. It doesn’t hurt to have that, and it’s difficult for other students to hold your accountable when you live far away.

Con: Higher Crime Rates

Many burglars target apartments near college campuses, because students are often not home. Students attend classes, work at a job or attend events. It’s easy to monitor a student’s habits and strike when they’re not home. In other residential neighborhoods, there are different groups of people living in the same community, ranging from single persons to families. The chance of someone being home is higher in a mixed community, which is often not present in a community comprised primarily of students. If you do rent an apartment, be sure to take security measures beyond what your landlord may be willing to provide, such as installing dead bolts and window and door alarms.

You can overcome the challenges of living in apartments near a college if it’s a necessity. If it’s not, consider other alternatives for housing.