Living off campus may seem like a great idea to some, but students moving into their own place may need to think about the consequences before doing so.

Noisy roommates, loud parties, high rent and unresponsive landlords are just some of the things that may be awaiting those who move off campus.

Ben Hariff, junior conservation major, lives in University Townhomes, and he said he dislikes where he lives. There are constant fights between people who live in the town homes and nonresidents.

“There are fights over absolutely nothing,” Hariff said. “It’s fun to watch, but it gets old.”

Hariff admitted to moving into the Townhomes as a last minute effort: He didn’t look at any other places before he moved. However, the rent and proximity to the campus were pluses for him.

He also said if students move into buildings that are connected on the sides such as townhouses, utilities will be cheaper for townhomes in the middle, rather than at the ends.

“Our neighbors’ bills are completely different because they don’t heat a third wall,” Hariff said.

Casey Minor, junior English major, said people should check out the neighborhoods, specifically to see if the neighbors are dangerous, before buying or leasing anything.

“Drive up and down the street at night just to see the activity,” Minor said. “If you are moving into a town home and you see the lights are on at three in the morning, there is a chance they might be noisy.”

Jillian Firestone, senior advertising major, said one of the wisest things a person can do before moving is to ask people who already live off campus about where they live.

Ultimately she is satisfied where she lives, but there have been occasional disturbances.

“One problem we’ve had is that our neighbors have a lot of parties, and our walls aren’t the thickest,” Firestone said. “We’ve also had random maintenance problems, but (White Hall Terrace) is good at taking care of them right away.”

Ashley Hopkins, senior psychology major, lives in a North Canton apartment with a friend. Her landlord is also responsive with maintenance problems, but there is one issue she has been silent on.

“Our parking is an issue. There is no visitor parking,” Hopkins said.

Visitors park in a parking lot of another building next to the apartment and walk over. Hopkins wrote a letter to the landlord about this problem and hasn’t received an answer yet.

Security isn’t much of an issue, Hopkins said. She said she feels safe in her house because she lives with a longtime friend. The doors are locked every time the women leave the house or go to bed, and Hopkins locks her things in a safe so that no one can steal her valuables.

Dan Corleto, property manager for White Hall Townhomes, gave suggestions for people to protect themselves and their property once they move into their apartment.

“Lock your cars; don’t leave things out that are expensive that people can see,” Corleto said.

Contact student affairs reporter Adria Barbour at [email protected].