Housing: Finding the Right Fit

How to figure out who you’re living with – think about:
- community?
- new city?
- tryna meet non-BMC people?
- Use your resources: alumnae networks! Events, facebook, word of mouth

Finding the apartment
- Budget – ⅓ of income (factor in tax! fed withholding?)
- How to find a place?
  - Apartment search sites: Craigslist, Trulia, Zillow, Padmapper, StreetEasy (NYC only), Naked Apartment (NYC only)
- Think about the details :
  - Location (proximity to groceries, drugstores, public transportation)
  - Safety (neighborhood and building)
  - Amenities (dishwasher? laundry in building? WiFi? Cable? Parking?)
  - Commute
  - Use Walk Score to compare locations/safety
  - Management? (individual, realty company, etc. Google your company if you have one!)
Nawar Naseer ’14 created a great spreadsheet that we’ve adapted for you to use – check it out here!
Have an apartment hunting buddy! (If you can, someone who’s done this before in case it’s shady/so you know what to ask)
Factors to consider – location re public transit, groceries, etc, safety.

You found a place!
- Read your lease. But actually.
- Landlord politics/Know your rights in case of:
  - Breaking lease
  - Building maintenance problems (minor–small repairs)
  - Building maintenance and safety problems (major issues like gas leaks)
  - Noise policies
  - Insect extermination policies (know who pays and what the terms are if you get bed bugs).
  - Once you find it – furniture, utilities.

Extra Resources