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Student Housing in PittsburghSoon after you have decided to move to Pittsburgh to attend school, you will be faced with housing decisions. Students may choose from several types of accommodations at their schools. Residence halls have low availability, and students normally live in them for only the first couple of years. Full details about dormitory facilities are sent to students when they are accepted into a particular school. Information about room rentals in the dorms at various universities can be found by calling the following: University of Pittsburgh (412-648-1100); Duquesne (412-396-6655); Chatham (412-365-1518); and Carnegie Mellon (412-268-2139). Some schools have housing for students from other institutions. Have you decided dorm life is not for you? Consider renting an apartment. Before you rent any apartment, check to see if your campus housing office has any complaints on file about them. If you do decide to live off-campus, you must first determine how much rent you can afford to pay. Check carefully on the hidden costs. Some landlords advertise cheaper apartments with the utilities as the tenant's responsibility. Note: If an apartment is advertised at let's say "$400 +", the "+" means that the tenant pays the utilities. An efficiency apartment is a large room which includes a sink, stove, refrigerator, etc. If it is advertised as furnished, a bed, dresser, desk and a few chairs are probably included. You will most likely need to contact utility companies when you rent your apartment. Here are a few numbers you might need: Duquesne Light (888-393-7100), Equitable Gas (412-395-3050). Don't forget the cable - call Comcast Digital Cable Services [ 800-824-2290 or click here for details ] and ask about the cable special for your school. Comcast offers basic cable, digital cable and high-speed Internet services. Another option is to share an apartment or a house with other people. There are some drawbacks to sharing. Will the people you share an apartment with be compatible? Are they reliable financially? You don't need to assemble a group of friends. Search the classifieds for people to share an apartment, but get to know them before you decide. If you are planning to rent, look into property insurance - call National Student Services [ 800-256-NSSI click here for details ]. Before paying a security deposit (one month's rent held for the term of your lease as a lien against damages & upkeep of the place), check out the location of the nearest grocery store, post office and laundromat (see Specialty Services ). It's good to have these nearby, especially if you don't own a car. If you do own a car, find out the parking arrangements before signing your lease. Real estate leases usually become valid three days after they are signed. It may be worth your while to get leases examined by someone who knows the details. Most colleges maintain an off-campus housing office which acts as a referral agency. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Tribune Review, and your campus newspaper are the most obvious sources. You might consider contacting Apartments and Real Estate Agencies. Can't afford anything big enough for your stuff? Need a place to store your excess baggage? Do you have to rent a moving van to get your stuff here? Check out the Shipping & Storage Services listings.
Still can't find it? It may be under a different listing — check out Apartments and Real Estate Agencies or the Student Living directory. |
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2007/2008 edition • a spindle publishing company, inc. production • www.spindlepub.com
