The 2021-22 school year’s leasing season is about to begin. According to Rent.com, the busiest renting and moving period occurs between May and September. Moving can bring feelings of excitement, change and stress, especially when concerning college students.
Off-campus student living is a popular option for college students around the country. According to a survey from Multifamily Executive, 80% of 7,000 participating students live in off-campus housing.
With such a high demand for apartments, affordable rent is hard for students to find, especially in Atlanta. Several parts of the city are undergoing gentrification and modernization, which results in skyrocketing rents that most young students cannot afford.
Along with being a junior at Georgia State, Francesca Vranesevich is a leasing consultant for The Mix Atlanta, a highrise student apartment complex. Vransevich describes the difficulties of finding an affordable apartment in the city amid Atlanta’s constant expansion.
“Working as a leasing consultant, I see first hand what goes into students making ends meet,” she said. “So many people struggle to pay the high city prices for rent in the city.”
The average monthly rent in Atlanta is around $2,000 a month, and many young people need financial assistance to pay these fees.
Sadie King is a leasing consultant at the apartment complex, The Local on 14th. From her experience working as a consultant, King believes that finding a nice yet affordable apartment is nearly impossible for many college students.
“I believe that apartment complexes need to make it easier for students to get approved, without needing three times the amount of rent for income,” she said.
Many leases ending in late July make many students feel a frenzied panic to find viable options in a short period.
Ian Mcleod is a senior who is graduating in August. From his years of experience apartment hunting and paying rent, he speaks on the expensive buildings near campus.
“There are so many options when it comes to apartments and places to live, but none of them are very affordable,” he said. “A lot of students can’t pay the high rates without having to work almost full-time jobs.”
Junior Jahmani Taylor is currently apartment hunting and spoke of living in Atlanta as a full-time student.
“While I think living in Atlanta as a student comes with a lot of perks, the option[s] can be super limited,” Taylor said. “Not only are student apartment options almost twice the price of rent as a normal apartment complex, but they come with a variety of issues, like lack of security and uncleanliness.”
After moving out on their own and getting a taste of freedom, not many students wish to move back home. However, considering the constant work and maintenance to afford rent, that is the possible reality for many.
“I think regular apartments are skeptical about student tenants for a variety of reasons, so for a lot of students, the options are extremely limited,” Taylor said. “Hopefully, as the city of Atlanta grows, the living options available to students will too.”
