At our most recent Life After Bryn Mawr event on April 10th, members of the Life After Bryn Mawr Committee (Rachel Heiser, Jancy Munguia ’14 and Palak Bhandari ’16) and Cruz Arroyo, Administrative Assistant in LILAC, discussed the basics of navigating housing after Bryn Mawr.

For those of you that may have missed this session, we will be planning to hold a second session during Senior Week 2017. Below is a compilation of some of the important takeaways from this session.

Key People to know about when finding housing

When finding housing, it is important to know the different people you may come into contact with throughout the search process and while you are renting a property.

Realtor – Essentially the person that helps to generate interest in a property and connects two parties; after finding housing, you may not interact with a realtor as frequently, if at all.

Landlord/Property Manager – The person who arranges the lease agreement, takes care of daily needs at the property and is the go-to person for maintenance needs

Property Owner – The person who actually owns the building and land that the property is on.

Starting the Housing Search

• Do your research – there are many sites that can help in finding housing, like: Zillow, Trulia, Craigslist, Hot Pads and Apartments.com
• Using a realtor is not required, but do make sure that you feel comfortable with the realtor (do research on the realtor and their ratings if you need to!)
• A general rule of thumb is that your combined rent and utilities should be no more than 1/3 of your monthly salary.
• Think about the timing of your housing search (February – August are peak times) as an off-season might be the chance for you to get a better deal!

Visiting Places

• When finalizing places to visit, it may be beneficial to create a list or spreadsheet of basic things to be aware of, such as rent, estimated utilities cost, average commute time, proximity to food, perceived safety, etc.
  • Nawar Naseer ’14 made a spreadsheet that we took inspiration from – check it out here!
• When you actually visit places, ensure that you are the main point of contact. While involving family or friends may be helpful, you will be the one living in the space, so make sure it works for you.
• Always see every place you might be interested in living in and check anything you can; check the appliances, check for insects and pest, and even check the temperature!
  • Pro tip: If the temperature is drastically different from what it is outside, that could be a sign that there are issues in the central heating or cooling system.
• Familiarize yourself with the property manager while visiting properties – they will probably be your go-to person in case of emergencies, so make sure they are a person you can trust.
• Want to know more about Philadelphia properties? Check out the Office of Property Assessment website, which provides public records of every building in Philadelphia. You can type in an address to find out the property owner, its value, and its characteristics!

Negotiating & Finalizing Leasing Agreements

• Negotiating is a must – If there is something you want to change, you can always ask respectfully.
  • Ex. Jancy Munguia ’14 was able to re-negotiate her apartment’s air conditioners, but negotiations can apply to utilities, pets, rents, and much more!
• Hearing back from property managers about lease agreements can last anywhere between 1-3 weeks. If it takes longer than three weeks, the property manager may start to compare your application with other applicants for the same space.
• When starting negotiations, make sure you are aware of your credit score and whether or not you need a co-signer for your lease.
  • Co-signer: Someone who co-signs a lease. Often times, a co-signer helps if you have a low (or no) credit score. In the event that the primary signer (i.e. you) cannot pay rent, they will be held responsible. 
• Philadelphia specific tip: Philadelphia legally requires that tenants get Certificates of Rental Suitability, which ensures that a property has all the necessary licenses and there are no outstanding property maintenance or fire code violations at the property

How to Navigate Roommates

• Regardless of whether you are rooming with a friend or someone you’ve never met before, it may be helpful to create a roommate agreement and/or have a conversation to figure out who is held accountable for what
  • Ex. Talk about pets, needs, sleeping arrangements, guest policy, kitchen usage, etc.