January has begun, which means it is time for new classes, a new quarter and a fresh start. In Davis, this month also marks the beginning of the hunt for next year’s housing.
If the task of finding a new home is daunting for you, there are a variety of different resources available. Davis Housing is a catalogue of apartment options in the Davis area. It can be found in printed copies next to newspaper dispensers or online.
Recommendations from friends and checking classified ads are other options but students will find more luck by attending ASUCD’s Housing Day.
Housing Day typically takes place on campus in late January or early February. Students can receive brochures and floor plans from many different apartment complexes at a single time in one central location.
“[Housing Day] is a great event, especially for people new to the area to get housing info, since it’s all in one place,” said Trish Whitcomb, manager of the Colleges at La Rue.
If Housing Day proves successful or you find a location you are interested in, there is still a long way to go before signing the lease. Denise Garcia, assistant manager at Tanglewood Apartments, a South Davis apartment complex, suggests visiting the complex first.
“The best thing to do is to take a tour and walk around the community. You’ll want to see what it’s like and what type of people live there,” she said.
At most apartment complexes, such as Tanglewood, visitors can tour the community and also receive floor plans of different units available.
When it comes to the deciding factor involving housing after the dorms, location tends to be crucial.
“Location is the most important factor,” said Eliseo Esparza, a junior managerial economics major.
When listing the amenities available at Tanglewood, Garcia emphasized the complex’s location as one of the biggest draws.
“We are close to campus, the bus stop is across the street and the UCD bike path is right behind the complex,” she said.
Compared to affordability and amenities, Whitcomb agreed that the location of a complex is the biggest influence.
When you finally decide on a new home, the next step is to reserve a space and sign a lease.
“The first thing to do if you’re interested in reserving is to submit an application,” Garcia said. “Then you would submit a proof of income – something like a paystub or bank statement – and then we in the rental office will call your references, run your credit, look over your paystubs and approve you.”
At the Colleges at La Rue, the reservation process is not as straightforward.
“At the Colleges, we do leasing by lottery. Due to the popularity it’s the fairest way to do it,” Whitcomb said. “We have a 30- to 45-day period of time where students can submit their interest and we’ll do a drawing for units that are available.”
To find more information on a specific complex, contact that location’s rental office either in person or via telephone. To gather general information on a wide assortment of locations, look out for ASUCD’s Housing Day this quarter.
JENNIFER SCOFIELD can be reached at features@theaggie.org.
