Categories: LIFESTYLE

How to Find Married Student Housing in Provo, UT

And you thought looking for a job was hard? At the start of every fall semester, the rush to secure affordable yet decent married housing for BYU students disintegrates into frenzied free-for-all. The family apartments within walking distance of the university are the most sought after, and those with amenities such as dishwashers, covered parking, or washers and dryers are hard to find at prices friendly for student incomes. These tips will help married and engaged BYU students find something better than a leaky basement in a cold, Utah winter.

One of the first steps in landing great married housing is for both spouses to sit down and discuss your needs and budget. What is your income, and how much can you afford to spend on rent costs? How much space do you need? Do you need to have on-site laundry? Furnished or unfurnished? What is your transportation situation- do you need to be able to walk to campus, drive, or ride a bus? Some of the answers to these questions will be required on rental applications, so having them figured out in advance will save you time later.

Once you have a price range and an idea of what you are willing to accept or not accept in your living situation, the online classifieds, such as craigslist and KSL, are the best source for locating open apartments. However, they are also the most accessible to the public. This means that when an attractive place opens up, it will be gobbled up quickly- within hours or less- by the hundreds of other apartment hunters like you that are prowling the online apartment listings. A key to success with online classifieds is to act quickly. Do not hesitate to call or email as soon as you see a place you would like to learn more about.

To learn about openings before they are posted online, check out property management companies’ sites first. Companies like Total Property Management, Aspen Ridge Management, and REMS, INC all list their openings on their own sites and provide their company contact information. Call and speak with a representative about current and future openings before they become available online.

BYU also offers little-known online housing listings on its own website. BYU students have to have a Route Y log in user ID and password to access the listings, so apartment searchers have less competition than on the other online classified sites. These listings are divided into single, graduate and married housing categories and provide contact numbers with basic information about the rentals available. BYU also offers its own family housing in the complex Wymount Terrace northeast of campus. There are one-three bedrooms units available.

Lastly, if you are able to drive the streets around the area you are willing to live you will likely find that many complexes and houses put yard signs up to advertise availability. Knowing that the demand for family housing is high, owners and managers understand that they don’t have to go through the trouble of advertising online to ensure new tenants move in to vacant apartments. The neighborhood south of campus, from 200 W to 9th East south through Center St. has the highest concentration of apartments for families.