Getting their own apartments is many students’ goal; to live on their own and support themselves can be either a dream or a nightmare. Even just choosing what apartment complex to live in can look like a monumental task, and I’m here to make it easier for you!
Hudson Dorms
I interviewed a senior who currently lives in Hudson Dorms, Victoria Beke. It is currently her third year living in Hudson Dorms, and she’s had a great experience with them so far. The process she used to get a dorm there was by first sending an application in through their website, and then they send out a housing guarantee, which you can sign with up to four people for one apartment, or you can get six to eight people if you’re interested in getting two apartments next to each other. Then, with the housing guarantee, you submit that before the apartment selection with a housing deposit, similar to Stevens dorms, in a first come, first serve order, they pick out a few apartments for you to look at, and then you look at the ones they choose and decide if you want one of them. If you don’t like any of those, you can request to see more, and once you find one you like, you sign the lease. Payment is on a per-semester basis, similar to dorms here as well, and they’re accommodating if you’re waiting for your student aid to be given to you.
Other apartments
A good website that talks about how to rent an apartment in Hoboken is hobokengirl.com. She gives a good short list of steps to easily find an apartment in Hoboken, and the steps she includes (summarized) are:
1. Decide on roommates
2. Check your credit
3. Decide on your budget
4. Determine the cost of moving in and handling rent
5. Pick a location
6. Start the search
7. Begin the application process
Deciding on roommates can be very hard, especially if you’re not quite sure who you really want to live with. Some people live alone too, as roommates aren’t for everyone, but if you want to live alone, you also have to consider costs and how you’ll pay for everything on your own. Always make sure your roommates are on board with the plan before confirming it, and also definitely get to know them well beforehand as you could
find out things later while already living together that just don’t work, like personalities or sleep schedules clashing.
Get to know what’s on your credit score well, as landlords want to run your credit to make sure you don’t have any past issues with credit as they don’t want to have someone on their property who doesn’t pay rent or commits crimes. Landlords look for all kinds of red flags, including evictions and fraud or money laundering, so make sure to stay on top of your credit!
Always make sure you know any move-in fees, as well as any broker fees you have to pay. Also make sure you have enough money to be able to pay at least 1.5 month’s security upfront. Apartments in Hoboken can be expensive, so make sure that you have enough money not just for your apartment but other amenities like parking (if you have a vehicle), and necessary things like food.
Make sure the location you want matches the one your roommates (if you have any) want. Hoboken is a generally walkable city so transportation shouldn’t be a huge issue, but you have to keep in mind if you want an apartment close to Washington, as it can get noisy at rush hour and can be a lot more expensive.
Now, once you’ve done all that, start the search for an apartment that matches all the criteria you want, and make sure to keep your eyes open as properties can get snatched up fast, especially in Hoboken, where apartments get bought quickly. Once you’ve found the apartment you want, feel free to sign the lease and claim your new apartment!
