Leasing FAQs

Our units are available exclusively to Rutgers University students and are leased on a first-come, first-serve basis.

RU Living complies with the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination and Federal Fair Housing Laws. We do not discriminate against prospective tenants because of his/her race, creed, color, national origin, sex, gender identity or expression, marital status, civil union status, affectional or sexual orientation, familial status, actual or perceived physical or mental disability, ancestry, nationality, and domestic partner status or any other protected class under the state and federal law.

The first step to apartment or house hunting is knowing yourgroup size. Knowing how many people you’re going to live with helps narrow down your options. For example, if you have a group of five, yourself included, we can eliminate any properties that are legally unable to house less than five people. We can then construct a list of properties that we think might interest you, and carry on from there!

Consider what kind of space you need. A single at the lowest price possible, absolutely, but do you also want a great location? How about off-street parking? On-site laundry? Central air conditioning? Your own backyard for BBQ’s? Do you want an entire house or apartment? Are you OK sharing a double? Carefully consider what’s most important to you, this will help you stay on budget and help you find a home that’s just right for you. If you’re unsure of what would best suit you and your roommates, ask us! We’re more than happy to make unit recommendations that will fit your lifestyle.

It is important to have a general idea ofhow muchyou want to spend per month, or per year, on your living space. It’s also important to consider overall value, not just price. For example, are you willing to pay a little more for a safe neighborhood, a short walk, a hot shower or a clean place? How about great service just in case something breaks (and something always breaks)? We can help you narrow down your options even further once we know your budget.

Location is everything! Fortunately, all of our units are within short walking distance of both College Avenue and Easton Avenue. If you enjoy the bar scene, then Easton Avenue is for you. If you’d prefer a more mellow area, perhaps a house or apartment closer to Alexander Library is for you. Let us know what your interests are and we can help you decide.

One last thing! Think about what you would like to have in your home. If you’re a great chef and love to cook, then a home with a large kitchen and cabinet space is right up your alley. If you’re a shopaholic, then closets are everything! If you love sports and want an area to practice, perhaps you’d enjoy a house with a large backyard. Before you tour any unit, have an idea of what will best accommodate your lifestyle. We can certainly help you find what you need.

Give us a call at our main office, shoot us a text or send us an email and we’ll schedule a time for you to tour our units. You may be able to see apartments within minutes if we have existing appointments scheduled with our clients, otherwise, as a courtesy to our existing clients, we schedule appointments 24 hours before showing an apartment. Apartments are rented first-come, first-serve but you’ll need to tour the apartment first.

Because demand for off-campus housing is so high, we offer you a waitlist option. This simply means that you are placed on a list of people that we will reach out to again. This does not mean that you are guaranteed housing. Simply, our waitlist is a way to be informed of your off-campus housing options as they become available. Again, leasing a unit or house is first-come, first-serve. After your tour, if you’re ready to lease, then be sure to come prepared! We can sign it that day if you’d like.

If you have a group of people, the fastest and most efficient way to secure your housing is to tour and sign a lease as a group at the same time. Alternatively, you can elect a point person. Essentially, a point person is someone who approaches us with the group’s best interests in mind- that is, group size and needs. He or she may choose to tour a number of units and narrow the search down to two or three. Afterwards, the group can come tour the remaining units and make decision. The point person will organize the group and let them know who to speak to at the office, when to come in and sign the lease, what the group will need to bring, etcetera. This can theoretically be a two step process but is typically many more steps, so consider your approach carefully. For example, what if the last members of your group don’t agree because they didn’t see all the terrible options the point person eliminated? What about parents, do you need their buy-in and do they also want to see the units. We can help you by establishing a tour of multiple units at the same time. This can help make the group tour process less time consuming and burdensome for you. Leases can be signed at separate times but it’s important to remember that you have not secured your housing until the last member of your group has executed the lease.

Having the proper paperwork and identification is essential in the leasing process. Here’s what you’ll need to bring when you’re ready to lease:

• License ID
• Rutgers University ID (RUID)
• Up Front Fees Housing Fees ($299)
  • Includes:
    • Administration Fee and Application Fee

Your lease is signed and you’re ready to go. Just sit back and relax while we prep your new home for your move-in. We’ll keep in contact with you throughout the year for any important updates, upcoming events and move-in tips. When move-in day approaches, you’ll be sure to hear from us about getting your key and more.