Are you thinking about moving out of your dorm or getting out from under your parents’ roof?

Renting is a great option for students looking to make the next step in their lives at school. Students should decide between renting a house or an apartment. Perhaps you did not know you even had the option. Around the Kent campus there are many alternative housing options to living in a dorm, but which option is the best renting option? 

When talking to two students here at Kent State, one who rents an apartment and one who rents out a house, we find out the differences between the two and perhaps you can find the best option for you.

We talked to Kent State student Imari Hill, a sophomore music technology major who rents an apartment in The Province, which is less than a mile and walking distance to campus. She currently rents a four bedroom, four bathroom apartment for around $599 a month in an 11 month lease for each person and she lives with two other roommates. 

At the time of signing the lease, they got a discounted rent price, although utilities are not included in rent price, but the apartments are furnished. Late fees for paying rent go for $30, then an additional five dollars per day that rent is late. 

“I like having the convenience of having your own space, kitchen and bathroom,” Hill said. “It is easy to leave in and out whenever you want.” 

If there was anything she did not like she said, “When going into the apartment it was not ready to go and needed to be organized and cleaned; wish it was more put together and prepared for us.”

Janessa White, a freshman fashion design major, currently rents a three bedroom, two full bathroom house about a mile outside of campus. She had two other roommates besides herself and they each pay $580 a month on a 10 month lease. There are no late fees when paying rent. 

“I like the freedom that comes with having my own space and having a place with air conditioning; I just wish I didn’t have to pay rent,” White said.  

When looking at these two options you can compare prices and see a small difference, but you can also think about the different responsibilities of the two; a house is generally bigger and has more to manage than an apartment, like mowing and keeping up with a lawn, managing trash and small upkeep of the house. 

Overall, it is all in what you are looking for as far as a living space for your time at college: Do you want more roommates and less space, or more space and less roommates? Maybe you just care about what is most affordable and safe. Renting is all in what you want and doing the correct research and asking the right questions can help you in that decision making process. 

Annika Cronin is a reporter. Contact her at [email protected]. 

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Hi, I’m Lauren Sasala, a senior journalism student from Toledo. I’m also the editor in chief of The Kent Stater and KentWired this semester. My staff and I are committed to bringing you the most important news about Kent State and the Kent community. We are full-time students and hard-working journalists. While we get support from the student media fee and earned revenue such as advertising, both of those continue to decline. Your generous gift of any amount will help enhance our student experience as we grow into working professionals. Please go here to donate.