On-Campus Housing

Apartment Hunting Tips

Be sure to determine the factors that best meet your needs. Knowing what amenities or locations you're interested are important. Also, keep in mind the cost for utilities, some properties include some utilities in the rent price.

Places to Look

There are rental listing guides available at several locations near campus. There are also many online apartment search companies to help you with your search. You can also check the classifieds in the San Diego Union Tribune and the San Diego Weekly Reader, a free weekly paper (distributed on Thursdays) available at shops around town. The San Diego Reader has a free Roommate Hotline at (619) 235-2415.

Note: The university has not inspected, approved or disapproved any information provided above and does not recommend any listings. Inclusion on this list does not indicate endorsement by the University or by the Office of Housing Administration.

Locations

Some communities where many students live and their distances to SDSU (the area within approximately one mile of SDSU, south of Interstate 8 is called the "College Area"):

Del Cerro - 1 mile north
Normal Heights - 4 miles west
East San Diego - 2 miles south
Ocean Beach - 15 miles southwest
Kensington/Talmadge - 3 miles north
Pacific Beach - 15 miles northwest
Hillcrest - 7 miles southwest
San Carlos/Lake Murray - 4 miles northeast
La Mesa - 3 miles east
Serra Mesa - 7 miles northwest
Mission Beach/Bay - 13 miles west
Tierrasanta - 8 miles northwest
Mission Valley - 5 miles west
University Heights - 7 miles west
North Park - 5 miles southwest

Neighborhood Guide
Neighborhood Map

Things to Consider

Take your time. You will find a wide variation in price, amenities, and condition. Be sure to look at enough places to ascertain that you are getting the best value for your dollar.

Think about the alternatives of month-to-month or fixed-term leases and choose which works best in your plans. Your rent cannot be raised during a lease, but if you have to break a lease you may end up having to pay rent until the owner can find a new tenant.

It's important to make an appointment with the manager. Be clean and neat in your appearance.

Make a careful inspection of the actual unit you will be renting (and if it's furnished the actual furniture you will be getting). Check out parking and laundry facilities. As soon as you move in, you'll want to complete a move-in inspection form to avoid being charged for any existing damages to the unit.

Look carefully at the surrounding neighborhood. Try to talk to some of the current tenants to get their impressions of living in the complex and the general neighborhood. Look to see how close the place is to supermarkets, other services and public transportation.

Ask to see the rental contract and all of the rules in effect before you sign anything. Make sure you read and fully understand what you are signing.

Any agreement for a holding deposit to reserve the unit should be put in writing. Make sure you get at least 72 hours to change your mind without penalty.

Be prepared with the information you'll need for the application to rent, including sources of income, employment history, rental history (if applicable), bank accounts and credit cards, and references. In some cases, owners or managers will require a parent or guardian to co-sign as a guarantor of payment, especially if they are your primary source of income. You might be required to pay for a credit check fee of up to $35.

Expect to pay the first month's rent and security deposit at the time you sign the rental agreement.