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Off-Campus Living & Neighborhood Relations

Before You Move

Ready to make the leap to off-campus living? Be fully informed about your responsibilities, any rental requirements, your rights and leasing obligations.

 

Basics and Planning

All freshmen must live on campus the first full academic year. You can file an appeal to live off campus if you have special circumstances or if you live locally. Contact University Housing at 803-777-4283 for more information.

Visit the message board if you'd like to connect to potential roommates. There you'll find posts from students who have a room and need a roommate or students who need both a roommate and a place to live.

Many student apartment communities offer roommate matching as a service. Contact an individual community to see if they can connect you.

Most apartments require a 12-month lease; however, some apartment communities offer shorter-term leases.

These student-oriented apartment communities will consider short-term leases (when available):

These apartment communities also will consider shorter-term leases:

Some apartment communities allow residents to find someone to take over the remaining time in their lease. Please check with apartment community lease transfer and sublease policies if you are considering this option, as many apartments charge a lease transfer fee. Many students advertise and find subleases on the USC student message board.

Usually, you'll be required to have an income of at least three times your monthly rent or to have a co-signer who meets that requirement on your behalf. Your co-signer (or guarantor) can be a parent, guardian or trusted adult. Your co-signer must be willing to cover payments and fees if you are unable to. 

Rent in Columbia and surrounding areas varies greatly. Often, the closer you live to campus, the higher the rent will be. Some rental fees include household expenses such as utilities, high-speed internet and lawn care while others include nothing beyond housing. When looking for a place, clarify what the rent payment covers and estimate your monthly expenses for anything that's not covered.

View an estimate of cost to attend as an off-campus student.

Paying with Financial Aid or 529B Funds

You may use financial aid to pay for housing. After tuition and fees are paid, any remaining balance will be reimbursed to you. It is then your responsibility to manage that sum and pay your bills each month.

Students should be prepared to cover first month’s rent, any up-front fees, and security deposits out of their own pocket, just in case these are due before the financial aid refund is received. For more information, please visit Student Financial Aid.

If you'd like to pay with 529B funds, you'll need to first contact the carrier you set up the plan with to determine if housing is an eligible expense. Every 529 plan is different.

Learn more about budgeting »

Though we don’t recommend a specific storage provider, these are frequently used by students and close to campus:

Public Storage at Rosewood
0.9 miles from campus
1305 Rosewood Drive, Columbia, SC 29201
800-688-8057 or 803-200-2868

Public Storage at Knox Abbott
1.32 miles from campus
540 Knox Abbott Drive, Cayce, SC 29033
800-688-8057 or 803-470-0577

Rosewood Self Storage
1.4 miles from campus
410 Superior Street, Columbia, SC 29205
803-252-7526

U-Haul Moving and Storage at Elmwood
1.6 miles from campus
1037 Elmwood Avenue, Columbia, SC 29201
803-256-2599

These are a few furniture rental companies that are popular with USC students:

Furniture Rentals Inc.
7.2 miles from campus
110 Metal Park Drive, Columbia, SC 29209
803-776-1873

Furniture Services, Inc.
17 miles from campus
620 Spears Creek Road, Elgin, SC
803-754-8241

CORT Furniture Rental
89.7 miles from campus
2033 Sirona Drive, Charlotte, NC 28273
704-588-2629


Moving In and Out

Follow these tips to make moving in as seamless as possible.

Preparing for Your Move:

  • Create a folder of important documents
  • Purchase renter’s insurance
  • Make arrangements with a moving service/truck if necessary
  • Schedule utility connections
  • Fill out a change of address form online or at a local post office (usps.com)
  • Update your local address with USC on Self-Service Carolina
  • Confirm the exact time and date of your move with your landlord
  • Purchase cleaning supplies to thoroughly clean your unit before unpacking
  • Take time-stamped photos of anything damaged, hazardous or in need of repair when you move in and report it immediately to your landlord (see checklist below)
  • Introduce yourself to your neighbors
  • Review community rules and expectations (trash, parking, pets, noise, etc.)

Use this checklist to verify your unit is safe and livable before moving in:

  • At least one window that opens per room
  • All electrical fixtures and smoke detectors are working
  • Free of rodents and bugs
  • All appliances and heat systems work
  • All plumbing fixtures are free of leaks and in sanitary and safe working condition
  • All doors can be opened and closed
  • All locks work
  • Ceilings and walls are free of holes
  • The unit is clean
  • No signs of mold or water damage

If any of the above listed conditions are unmet, take pictures and immediately provide your landlord with a detailed description and pictures of the problems. 

If your landlord is unwilling to fix the problems, report the problem to the City of Columbia Code Enforcement at 803-545-3430 to request an inspection and set up an appointment with Student Legal Services to discuss your rights as a renter.

Follow these tips for a smooth move out experience:

Security Deposits

Security deposits must be returned within 30 days of moving out or you asking for your deposit back, whichever is later. If you do not receive any or some of your deposit back, the landlord must provide you with a list explaining the damages.

If you believe your deposit has been unjustly withheld, set up an appointment with Student Legal Services to discuss the situation and your rights.

 

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