Moving off-campus can be stressful, but it absolutely does not need to be.

I will explain everything from a->z from the perspective of a fellow Rutgers student who has gone through the process. I hope my experiences can provide guidance for you in your move off-campus.

Most landlords start doing showings for the following year at the end of October.

College rentals are one year leases 99% of the time. This means that each and every year a landlord must either have their current tenant renew or ensuingly find a new tenant. They begin the search for new tenants at the end of October or beginning of November. It's not much of a search for the landlord because houses on College Ave are in extremely high demand. They're in such demand that most off-campus houses on College Ave get rented within 2-3 weeks of the landlord doing showings.

Your Group Needs To Move Quickly.

Becuase housing on College Ave is in such high demand houses get taken by groups very quickly. Often groups will see a house, love it, but because they can't get everyone to sign the lease in time, another group gets it.

Make sure you have a group of people who are ready to sign a lease for housing for the following year and book showings as soon as they're avaliable.

We offer something special on RU Renting where you can reach out to the current tenant and ask if they plan to renew and arrange to succeed them in renting their house, saving yourself the headache that is finding housing at Rutgers.

If you don't have a group we can help you find a group.

If you're looking for a group of people to live with, we can match you with the right people. If your group is looking to add one or few more people to live with, we can also match you with the right people. Navigate to this page: Find a Roommate and fill out the form and we will match you with suitable housemates based on your preferences and their preferences.

RU Renting was created for the purpose of helping YOU find a place to live off-campus at Rutgers.

You can browse the avaliable properties here: RU Renting Listings. There are filters so you can narrow your search to find your dream house. After clicking on your future place you can book a showing by clicking "Book a Showing" and selecting a time that works for you and for your group. You and each of your group members will receive a text the day of your showing serving as a reminder of when your showing is.

If the house you tour isn't the one, no problem!

We're here to help find the best place for YOU and we won't stop servicing you until you find the right place. RU Renting was created by Rutgers students, for Rutgers students.

Having a good landlord is vital to a good off-campus living experience.

"Having a good landlord" means something different to everyone but here are the things that I think are non-negotiatable:

1. Communicates clearly and responds in a timely manner.
2. Fixes maintenance issues promptly, especially those affecting health and safety.
3. Respects tenant privacy and provides proper notice before entry.
4. Charges only what is agreed to in the lease with no surprise fees.
5. Keeps the property safe, clean, and in good working condition.

On RU Renting we offer a way for you to reach out to the current tenants of a house that you're interested in and I'm sure they'd be more than happy to tell you what the landlord is like. You can also check reviews on the landlord specifc to the house your interested in on Judge My Landlord.

Nearly every college rental lease will be one year long, however a few landlords offer 10 month leases. I know this goes without saying but I'm going to say it anyways: read the lease that you're about to sign it is a binding contract. Moreover, if your parents pay your rent make sure to send them lease before you sign it.

Here's what you need to know to look out for when reading the lease:

1. The exact rent amount, due date, and any late fees.
2. The lease start and end dates and how renewal works (if you plan to renew).
3. The security deposit amount, conditions for deductions, and return timeline.
4. Which utilities and extra fees you are responsible for paying.
5. How maintenance and repair requests are handled.
6. Limits on guests, subleasing, or use of the property.
7. The landlord’s right to enter and required notice.
8. Pet rules, fees, and liability if pets are allowed (most of the time they won't be).
9. Any clauses that shift excessive liability or waive tenant rights (this is what sending it to your parents would help with).

We try to the best of our ability (with the information we're given by the landlord) to answer all of these questions for you on the listing page for each property, but there are things that the landord might have changed their mind on or decided to add to the lease, so always make sure to read the entire lease before signing it!