This is the ninth and final article in a series exploring next year’s housing options for Boston University students.
Despite guaranteed on-campus Boston University housing for all four years, many students take advantage of off-campus housing for the freedom and independent living conditions, students said.
‘Living off campus is so much better than on campus,’ said College of Arts and Sciences junior Alex Cheema-Fox, who lives on Glenville Avenue in Allston. ‘Not only do you have more stability and day-to-day freedom, but you get more space for your money. You also don’t have to worry about move in [and] move out dates or getting busted for alcohol.’
Off-campus housing is a popular alternative to on-campus dormitory residences for many upperclassmen and some freshman and sophomores, BU Off-Campus Services director Craig Mack said.
There are a variety of options available in the Allston area, including apartments and house rentals. The average cost for a one- or two-bedroom apartment in Allston ranges from $1,000 to $1,600.
The Allston area provides many advantages for students in the Boston area, Mack said.
‘[Allston] is a great community because it is surrounded by Brighton and Cambridge,’ Mack said. ‘But Allston is a very cultural area with many established families living nearby.’
Cheema-Fox agreed, saying his ‘landlord is a great guy.’
‘He maintains the place for us, shovels the driveway and even brings our trash cans up from the curb,’ he said.
But while it may have ‘all the perks that go along with living in the city,’ Mack said living off-campus is not all glamour. Crime is more of a problem in Allston than in the on-campus dormitories with security, he said.
Responsibility is also a key factor in living off campus because landlords provide students fewer services than BU does for on-campus residents. Shopping for food and cleaning apartment bathrooms are two areas students said can be a drag.
‘You have to be very attentive to all the little things you take for granted,’ Cheema-Fox said. ‘You need to watch over the state of everything in the apartment and think about things like the possibility of electrical systems going down if you turn on a hairdryer.’
Students who seek off-campus housing can choose to go through Boston University’s off-campus housing department or through a realtor. If choosing to go directly through a realtor, Cheema-Fox suggested students ‘walk in with high standards and stick to [their] guns as much as possible.’
‘Many realtors will try and take advantage of students,’ Cheema-Fox said.
Cheema-Fox also suggested choosing a realtor very carefully and making sure the landlord signs the lease. The landlord should also keep the lease information after the fact, Cheema-fox said.
It is also helpful to go in with a list of particulars, Cheema-Fox said. Realtors will respect a student more if he or she goes in knowing what they want, he said.