Since 2004, UGA freshman have been required to live in the dorms, but even before that, most freshmen chose to live on campus anyway. Nevertheless, there are many off-campus housing offerings for students of all types. The first thing you should know is that Athens has an extremely low cost of living. Whether you choose to live in an apartment, a condo, or a rented home, very few places cost more than $400 a month with a few roommates. Plus, the Athens Transit bus comes to many popular apartment complexes, so you don’t necessarily have to have a car to live off campus.
Most apartment complexes are designed with students in mind and offer individual leases so that there is minimal arguing among roommates as to how much each owes in rent. There are one- to four-bedroom apartments all around town.
Some complexes offer fully-furnished apartments, which include a sofa, kitchen table, chairs, beds, desks, bedside tables, and chest of drawers in each bedroom, but you will still probably want to bring some furniture of your own. The best thing about apartment living is the amenities—many complexes have a pool, small gym, tennis courts, a clubhouse, computer labs, and sometimes even memberships to local gyms and tanning beds.
Your best bet, though, is to find a home or a condo for rent. These are generally much better deals than apartments and include more living space and backyards. Many local real estate developers own multiple properties to rent out, so it's all very professional, and there are many homes to choose from. The best places to look for a rented home is in Athens’ alt-weekly Flagpole Magazine and on Craigslist.