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Starting your Search

While you search for housing, and look at apartments there are some KEY CONSIDERATIONS that you should keep in mind

Location
 How far from campus are you willing to go?
Is there public transit nearby?
If you plan on driving, is there parking - what about parking on campus?
Where are the nearest grocery stores, movie theaters, restaurants?

Personal Safety
What does the neighborhood "feel" like?
Don't walk alone at night!
Look at neighborhood statistics
Visit Drexel Public Safety website

Budgeting
Budget appropriately, prepare for:

  • Rent
  • Security Deposit
  • Utilities
  • Transportation
  • Insurance
  • Pets

Don't budget every last dollar though!

Roommates
Roommates can help you defray costs, but even the best of friends can have misunderstandings
Setup a roommate agreement setting up what happens as far as:

  • Guests
  • Having Parties
  • Cleaning the apartment
  • Paying bills

Please see our checklist and roommate agreement forms

Any information given on this website is not a substitute for legal advice. If you have a legal question, please seek out legal counsel as soon as possible. Additionally, any information given is presented as a service. Drexel University Off Campus Housing does not endorse any website, realtor, apartment, or home. Drexel OCH encourages renters to be cautious and aware, and to make informed decisions when searching for housing.

How long will it take you to get to class/coop every day?
Where do your friends live?

How long will it take you to get to the bus/train/trolley?
How often does the public transit run?  Does it run late enough at night to take you home?
Do you feel safe waiting for the public transit?

Visit the potential neighborhood at least twice. Once during the day, and once during the evening.
When you visit during the evening, make sure that you bring a friend. Your "feeling" for a neighborhood may change at night.

Drexel Public Safety tracks criminal statistics that occur on campus daily. You can visit here for more information.
Additionally, the cartographic modeling laboratory has data for the entire city of Philadelphia over the last 10 years. Click on the link to learn how you can view graphs of criminal activity in any given Philadelphia neighborhood.

If you were to budget every last dollar for expenses, you would end up short for any emergencies
You also wouldn't have any money allotted for seeing a movie, or going out to dinner with friends. Always leave yourself some wiggle room.

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