Sophomores, if you’re looking for off-campus housing and don’t know where to start—or feeling like it’s already too late—fear not.
Having gone through UVM’s housing selection at least twice now, you might think it can’t get worse, but that’s just the devil you know.
UVM only guarantees two years of on-campus accommodations, leaving juniors and seniors to fend for themselves in the harsh reality of Burlington’s housing crisis. You know, the one caused by UVM.
As a veteran of the sophomore scramble, I’ve taken it upon myself to compile a simple guideline of everything—most things, at least—I wish someone told me when I was looking for housing last year.
Finding roommates
This is the part of the housing process most often taken for granted. I know I felt like everyone had already grouped up with their established first-year friend group before they even got back to campus.
As someone who did not particularly “find my people” prior to sophomore year, this was one of the most stressful stages of the housing selection process for me.
This is not only because you’re choosing someone to live with for the next year, but also because it’s hard to look for housing when you don’t know how many beds you’ll need.
By mid-September, my triple decided we liked each other enough to stay together for another year. This was a massive gamble in hindsight, but a necessary one.
If grassroots roommate searching is too intimidating, join a Facebook group. I’m serious.
And if all else fails, consider UVM affiliated housing like the Redstone Lofts, the Commons, Spinner Place or Catamount East, which offer leases by bedroom rather than by unit.
Now that you’ve found your roommates, it’s time to begin the search.
Burlington’s Old North End
When to apply: September through October. Illegally early, I know.
Full disclosure: I live here. I love it. I know it’s a little early to say the “L” word, but when you know, you just know.
I’ve always been enamored with beautiful old New England houses and, as Burlington’s oldest neighborhood, the Old North End is chock-full of them. I know that this is a con for many people, but I love the quirks that come from living in an old house.
While there are plenty of apartment complexes in the area, if you’re not about that life and would prefer more of a “house” feel, the neighborhood is full of duplexes and triplexes.
Of course, not every student renting in Burlington lives in the Old North End, but it certainly feels that way sometimes. It’s also just where most of the rentals are.
The main drawbacks about living here are the landlord roulette—landlords know that most of their renters are college students and therefore easy to exploit—and “safety.” I know most UVM students hail from the suburbs, so the idea of locking your doors might be a little foreign, but you’ll get used to it.
Unless you know someone who knows someone, I’d say Zillow is the easiest way to find units to rent. It allows you to filter your search by number of beds and/or baths, type of housing and price. Zillow also makes it easy to contact landlords ASAP.
However, sometimes properties aren’t listed on Zillow. Facebook groups and other online forums are also viable options, as well as just straight up walking around Burlington.
Make sure to tour a place before signing the lease. And if the landlords don’t offer in-person tours, that’s a bit of a red flag.
My roommates and I toured our place on the last Saturday of September, and when we got to the place, we realized we were at the end of a massive line. At this point we felt pretty defeated and were ready to accept we had no shot at signing this lease.
But we kept our spirits up and made sure to chat and engage with the landlords throughout the tour as much as possible.
Unlike some of the previous applicants in line, we did not try to bribe them. I would not recommend trying to bribe the landlord. They’re already leeches on society.
Against all odds, we ended up getting the place. I can’t tell you why or how, but I do think taking the time to ask questions and make a connection with the landlords helped. That, or our parents just have really awesome credit scores.
At the end of the day, finding good “affordable” housing in Burlington is a bit of a crapshoot. My roommates and I got lucky.
Even so, don’t feel pressured to settle for a shitty lease just because you feel like time is running out.
