In collaboration with Off-Campus Student Services and the office of Student Legal Services at the University of North Texas, we have assembled a list of frequently asked questions to assist the student community. Whether you are a student-resident curently living off-campus or a student seeking off-campus housing for the first time, we get it! There are those grey areas where you just need some assistance and help. If your question is not addressed below and you still need some direction we have provided contact information to assist you and navigate your way to a successful outcome.
Ready to move off campus?
The UNT Off-Campus Housing Source is here to help you with your search. Browse our list of resources to learn more about living in Denton and search our Denton specific database for the most complete list of off-campus housing near the University of North Texas.
Students looking for off-campus housing and apartments near the University of North Texas will have a large variety of rental options to choose from. Speed up your off-campus housing search in Denton by knowing in advance if you plan on living alone or with roommates, what kind of amenities you want your new place to have, which area of town you want to live in, your monthly budget for rent, and if you want a house or an off-campus apartment near UNT.
Below are a tips to help get you started with your search:
UNT policy requires first-year undergraduate students to live on campus. A student that graduated from high school the semester prior to enrolling at UNT and is enrolled for 9 or more semester hours is subject to this policy. UNT Housing & Residence Life will consider requests for commuter exemptions for students that fall into several categories. For more information >
No. The Off-Campus Housing Source is an outsourced 3rd party long-term contracted vendor and university representative that provides over 25 years of expertise in the Denton student marketplace. OCHS Developed, maintains, services and markets the coveted url, offcampushousing.unt.edu. We report to Auxiliary Services and Off Campus Student Services.
You should start searching for off-campus housing in October and November for the following year.
Students live mainly in apartments off-campus. With the more than 30% of students living off-campus in off-campus student living communities.
Individual Liability or Per Bed: Also referred to as an individual Liability Lease. This type of agreement is very common in college towns like Denton where there are apartment communities that cater specifically to students looking to live off campus. These communities are referred to as Off-Campus Student Living Communities. Several individuals will occupy an apartment unit or floor plan and each individual will have a separate bedroom and bathroom or shared bathroom for an agreed upon price. The individual is only responsible for their agreed lease rate and not responsible for others within their apartment unit. The individual has no contractual ties to the other roommates occupying the apartment unit. Most Individual or Per Bed leases will vary between 9-12 months.
Conventional/Joint or Per Unit: This type of lease agreement is traditionally the most common in the multifamily or apartment industry. Essentially the lease agreement is signed by all parties that will be living in the apartment unit / floor plan. This legally binding agreement defines the individuals occupying the space and contractually ties each individual to the total amount due each month. The landlord will be expecting the total amount paid at the monthly due date. As a student, it is best to have a collection of co-signers or guarantors when entering this type of conventional lease agreement to form a financial commitment for all involved. Most conventional or Per Unit leases will vary from 3-18 months with an “up-charge” for a shorter lease option.
These situations and question are not uncommon for students living off campus and are actually are the norm. The issue is how do you go about solving the problem… First and most importantly, as a resident of an off-campus community “ALL” concerns need to be address to the management of the community you live. Both the University of North Texas and this website’s administrative offices receive calls frequently asking us to solve a problem. Simply stated, we are out of the loop and neither the university nor the website can help you. Once you sign your lease agreement/contract, you are a legal resident of the community and all issues need to be addressed and resolved with the management of your community. If you are not satisfied, you can address the issue with the parent company or owner of the apartment community. Ask a community representative for the owner or management fee companies customer service number or email. Again, the solution lies with management of the apartment community, not with the UNT Housing and Residents Life.
As anyone will attest, this happens more often than anyone would like to admit and this situation needs to be addressed head on. We don’t always get along with everyone we live with but let’s face it, it is part of life. A disagreement with a roommate is usually temporary and can be tolerated or resolved but, if it is creating emotional stress, then there needs to be an intervention. Write down your issues and circumstances and address them with property management. As they say, “They’ve been there, And done that” . They will research the complaint, interview the other party/roommate and will come up with a solution.
If you are an incoming international student, it will be important that you have all documentation needed to attend the university. These documents will also be vital as you begin your off-campus housing search. Newly Admitted International Students >
You can contact the office of Off-Campus Student Services and the office of Student Legal Services at the University of North Texas.