Northern Illinois University - Off-Campus Housing

Quick Stats

College Prowler Take

It is not a coincidence that most students feel better about choosing NIU after sophomore year, which is the first year they are eligible to live off campus. Simply put, apartment living is a revelation. The affordability, the ability to cook for yourself, the additional space, and the potential for party-throwing all make renting an apartment a wise move. Good spots include College Park, a townhouse complex, and Lincolnshire West, which boasts reasonably priced apartments and a good reputation among students. It’s generally a good idea to get a place near at least one bar so that you have a place to party without trashing your own home. Finding an apartment is not hard with all the management companies in town, but it is important to do your research and to fully vet your leasing agreement by taking it to Students’ Legal Assistance. There isn’t much of a downside to getting an apartment, but there are a few things that can diminish the experience. Often, you have to rely on roommates to keep up with bills or face paying excessive late fees, and management companies can be unresponsive to repair requests and will withhold security deposits with little justification. You may also find that you have to leave earlier to avoid being late to class because of the longer walk to campus. Still, an overwhelming majority of students recommend getting an apartment.

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Students Speak Out

Anonymous says:

It’s a lot tougher to make... It’s a lot tougher to make friends when you are living in an apartment, but hopefully, you should have made quite a few by the time you are living in one. If you haven’t, you might feel isolated and that can be tough. Make the effort to know your neighbors. 12345 Off-Campus Housing Report

Anonymous says:

I had the luck of finding an... I had the luck of finding an apartment with an extremely lenient landlord who took over the property from West Ridge apartments, but most other people seemed to have a lot of trouble with their respective landlords. Going by my experience alone, it was definitely more convenient than on-campus housing. 12345 Off-Campus Housing Report

Anonymous says:

Personally, I picked a great spot... Personally, I picked a great spot to live off campus. It’s convenient to the bus route, I can still walk to all of my classes, and I am close to the bars. Some of the realty groups that rent out apartments are kinda shady at times, and there are a couple of companies that have quite a few legal cases against them. 12345 Off-Campus Housing Report

Anonymous says:

Star Properties and Horizon... Star Properties and Horizon Management are a pain to deal with. Avoid them at all costs. Don’t just sign a contract out of desperation or convenience. Read it. 12345 Off-Campus Housing Report

Anonymous says:

A lot of the areas have buses that... A lot of the areas have buses that frequent them, but if you live in downtown DeKalb, it is a bit trickier to get a bus to campus. They only appear every hour or so, and not even at the times they claim. 12345 Off-Campus Housing Report

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