Choosing between a house and an apartment is a big decision when you decide to move off-campus with friends. While both options can work well with roommates, your decision would depend on timing, group size, lifestyle, and budget constraints.
Here, we’ll talk about when it makes more sense to live in a house versus an apartment by laying out what it’s like to live in each housing type. This will help you avoid mismatched expectations when you start searching for a student rental in Athens to move into.
When Living with Roommates in a House Is the Right Decision
Renting a house is often ideal for more established roommate groups who want space and flexibility. Living in a house for rent in Athens involves more responsibilities, which is why it requires more organized people.
Here is how to know if you should rent a house that’s near the OU campus:
- You have a larger, stable roommate group: If you want to live with more than 3 roommates and are willing to all commit to the same year-long lease, then you can consider living in a house. It’s a plus if you’ve all lived together before or have strong communication.
- You want more space and privacy: Compared to student apartments, houses offer larger common areas, separate living and dining spaces, more storage, and even a yard or outdoor area. For students who host friends, study at home, or simply want room to spread out, homes for rent in Athens, Ohio, can feel more comfortable long-term.
- You’re an upperclassman or experienced renter: House living is a better fit for juniors and seniors or people who are comfortable handling utilities and maintenance requests. House living comes with more responsibility, which experienced renters tend to take care of better.
- You’re willing to share responsibility: If your group is organized and accountable, a house can be a great experience. If not, it can quickly become frustrating. That’s because living in a house may require lawn care or snow removal, cleaning duties, and other responsibilities.
Renting a house with a group of people you get along with can be a fantastic experience and also offers better value for money per person once all the bills are split.
When Living with Roommates in an Athens Apartment Is the Better Choice
Apartments are often a smarter option for students who want structure, convenience, and predictability.
These are some signs you should go for an apartment near Ohio University:
- You have a smaller or less certain group: If you have 1-3 roommates with less certain plans for the entire living situation, then you should choose a student apartment. This arrangement offers you more flexibility and is best suited for first-time, off-campus renters.
- You want lower maintenance and fewer responsibilities: Most Ohio University apartments offer centralized maintenance, trash services, and clear rules. This makes apartments ideal for students who want a more hands-off living experience.
- You Prioritize Location Over Space: Apartments are also likely to be closer to campus and near the bustling uptown area. If daily convenience matters more than square footage, an apartment may be the better fit.
Lifestyle Compatibility Matters When Living with Roommates
Regardless of whether you choose to live in an apartment or a home near campus, you need to consider how everyone’s lifestyles fit. Strong communication and understanding are required to make everything work well throughout your lease. If you’re choosing another person to live with your group, it’s important to vet them and check to see how they’ll be as a roommate.
These are just some things to consider when you live with roommates:
- Sleep schedules: It can be challenging to deal with a roommate who wakes up at the crack of dawn if you’re someone who isn’t a morning person. Imagine waking up way too early just because of their blaring alarm. Or, maybe you’re a night owl who’s most productive at 3 AM. With these different sleep schedules, you can make it work by ensuring that each person doesn’t disturb the other’s rest.
- Guests and overnight visitors: Your housemates might be the type who always have people over. At some point, you may feel like you’ll want to charge that extra person for rent for all the days they’ve spent at your shared apartment or house. Before you decide to move into a multi-bedroom apartment with roommates, first set expectations on how often guests can come over.
- Noise tolerance: Well-built apartments and houses have thick walls, but it won’t be enough to shield you from the loud, heavy metal music your roommate loves to play. Whether your roommate is a musician or just someone who makes a lot of noise, you’ll also need to talk about appropriate noise levels for everyone’s sanity.
- Cleanliness expectations: Finally, cleanliness standards are one thing that causes a lot of arguments. If you and your roommates have vastly different definitions of what counts as clean, it won’t be easy to compromise. The neat-freak roommate would feel dissatisfied with how clean common areas are and would have to put in a lot more work to bring those places up to standard. On the other hand, you also wouldn’t want to live with someone who’s a total slob and leaves dirty dishes in the sink for days.
All of these aspects are a huge part of living with roommates. Some may be hard to compromise on, however. Before you rush to sign a lease, it’s best to set expectations so everything can go smoothly.
Match the Housing Type to Your Preferences and Who You’re Going to Live With
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer for off-campus living. For Ohio University students, the best choice depends on where you are in your college journey and how your roommate group functions. Whether you’re comparing houses for rent in Athens versus Ohio University apartments, taking time to evaluate group dynamics and responsibilities will lead to a better living experience.
If you’re weighing your options, Kleinpenny Rentals offers both apartments and houses designed for student living, making it easier to find the right fit for your roommate group and lifestyle. These student rentals are all located near the OU campus, which makes it convenient for everyone to get to classes. Plus, the apartments are also a short walk away from uptown Athens, so you don’t miss out on all the fun of college life.