Once you start looking for an apartment in Athens, you might realize that there are two main types of leases available to you. The first is a by the bedroom lease and the other is by the apartment. You will find that the newer apartments that are marketed to students tend to go with by the bedroom leases. You can find a lot of these types of apartments on Milledge Ave, Downtown, and in areas closer to campus. There are pros and cons to each type of lease, so hopefully, this can be a good guide to help you know what you are looking for!
UGA By the Bedroom Apartments
Pro: Less assumption of risk
Con: More expensive
As mentioned above, by the bedroom leases are very common in newer apartment complexes that cater to UGA students. They are also known as apartments with individual leases. The biggest factor in this type of lease is having to take on less risk. In a by-the-bedroom lease, you are technically paying for your bedroom only. For example, if you’re looking a three bedroom apartment near UGA for $700, the price is likely per bedroom. However, if you are looking for a one bedroom apartment, there won't be a distinction between the leases. Lots of times in college, you are sharing a space with people you haven’t known for a long time and don’t know how much you can count on them. In this type of lease, if you get your rent payments in on time, you are not liable for what your roommate does or doesn’t pay. If your roommate decides to move out, you can stay in the apartment without worrying about your rent going up. This also makes it much easier to sublet or sublease if needed. The best way to think about this kind of lease is that you don’t have control over the whole of the apartment, only your bedroom. The common areas like the kitchen are the spaces you share with your roommate. Because of the little risk associated with this type of lease, you might see that rent is higher to compensate for the risk the apartment complex is taking on.
By the Apartments near UGA
Pro: Less expensive
Con: More risk and trust with roommates
By the apartment is what you would think of as a traditional lease. Not a lot of new student apartment complexes go by the apartment, however, some helpful things come with this type of lease. Your rent is not split up per person, and therefore you can vary on who pays how much if needed. This would mean getting a four bedroom apartment and dividing up the rent could be your best option. However, that sort of arrangement can be difficult, and if there is a problem with your roommate not paying, you are still on the hook for that, even if you paid “your share.” You might notice that apartments with this type of lease are usually cheaper than by the bedroom, sometimes hundreds of dollars cheaper. This doesn’t mean that these apartments not as nice, just that you are assuming more risk if something does happen, which includes more than just being late on rent. These types of apartments can even be bigger than what you would be getting in a student apartment, as they are more likely marketed to families.
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