As leasing season starts to slowly approach, it is important for students to weigh the differences between a house and an apartment.

One positive aspect of living in a house is the noise level. Having a physical piece of property separate from neighbors eliminates the worry of waking neighbors below or above.

Ally Arline, a junior finance major, lives in a house in the Kent area. She said she enjoys renting her home this year along with the benefits that come with it. 

“We moved into the house for more freedom and space,” Arline said. “We don’t really have to worry about our neighbors and bothering anyone with noise level.”

Arline said she also loves her basement which provides more space for hosting guests and for storage purposes.  

Although she loves her home, Arline said she misses some aspects of living in an apartment from last year. 

“One thing I do miss is seeing my neighbors because you walk by them so often,” Arline said. “In our house now we don’t usually see our neighbors out and about.”

Garrett Gallion, a junior nursing major, is also a Kent resident renting a home. While he’s happy with living in a house, Gallion misses the amenities of apartment living from his sophomore year. 

“I miss having a maintenance crew,” he said. “I feel like repairs and things don’t happen as quickly underneath a landlord.”

He also said that his home does not come with utilities covered. Utilities for his home include gas, water, electricity and trash. 

“We have to watch how much we leave the lights on and run our different utilities,” he said. “That was something I had to adjust to early on.”

Zach Zdanowicz, a senior public relations major, recently moved into his Kent apartment in August 2021. Zdanowicz is thrilled to have his own space. 

“It’s a big upgrade from before,” Zdanowicz said. “Before moving into my apartment I was an RA in the dorms for three years. Having my own place is great.”

Although he loves apartment living, Zdanowicz said that the positives do come with a set of drawbacks. One of these includes the noise of walking feet on the floor above him. 

“I can hear them walking, opening doors and other mild activities,” Zdanowicz said. “I pretty much hear everything they do, so that would definitely be my biggest complaint.”

Sofia Rizk, a junior psychology major, is currently living in an apartment this year. Rizk has lived in her apartment for over a year. 

Her apartment came fully furnished upon moving in, which was a big perk for her. Rizk also enjoys the luxury of having her own bathroom in her bedroom. 

Along with these benefits, Rizk said that maintenance is something that her complex succeeds at.  

“You have around-the-clock maintenance guys coming around fixing whatever needs to be done,” Rizk said.  

However, she does get frustrated with the lack of space in her home. After living in spaces with multiple floors, she said that she misses having ample room.  

Ultimately, the decision between house or apartment is up to the student’s preference with the deciding factors at hand. 

Kayla Polansky is a reporter. Contact her at [email protected].