Moving to Columbus
Housing Tips from Capital University Law School Students
Housing Newsletter
Setting Out to Find Your New Home
As you prepare to move to a new city, there are many things to consider. To help in your search, our current students have offered the following suggestions:
✓ Plan to visit Columbus in June (Transition Day weekend is a great opportunity to visit the Law School and Columbus) or early July. Set aside two to three days for your apartment search.
✓ Begin by driving around the Columbus area to find your preferred location. Consider your personal needs, such as traffic, distance from the school, and price, in making your decision.
✓ While searching for an apartment, consider the differences between independently owned rentals and apartment complexes. Such differences might include price and responsiveness of management.
✓ If you do not find an apartment in your chosen location, consider waiting a week and try again. Apartments become available on a regular basis in most locations. However, leave yourself enough time to get settled in before school begins.
✓ Talk to those who know the Columbus area and consider the enclosed list of apartments suggested by current students.
Once you have found a location and apartment you like, some additional suggestions are:
✓ Check out the apartment and the surrounding neighborhood both during the day and at night.
✓ Talk to residents of an apartment complex, if possible, to ask about the management.
✓ Ask to see the actual apartment before signing a lease; do not sign a lease after looking at only a model apartment.
✓ Make sure the apartment management provides you with an opportunity to fill out a "Move-In Condition" form, to ensure the apartment is in good condition when you move in, and that you are not held liable for pre-existing problems when you move out.
✓ Before moving into an area, it's always a good idea to contact the Columbus police department to inquire about the safety of a given neighborhood.
✓ Know your rights and responsibilities as a tenant! Learn more about Ohio landlord tenant laws.