The 2010 Off-Campus Housing Fair helped Ohio State students with their housing searches Thursday and Friday. Off-Campus Student Services organized the event so students could meet local landlords and get rental advice last week. They also gave out T-shirts, coupons, gift cards and other freebies at the fair.

Marla McGraw, property manager of Riverwatch Tower apartments, said many students came to the fair asking about pricing and availability of the apartments.

“Students usually want to know if we have anything available for the fall,” McGraw said. “I always tell them to look sooner rather than later to get the apartment they are really interested in.”

At the fair, students could have leases reviewed by the Student Housing Legal Clinic for free. Molly Hegarty, department manager of the Student Housing Legal Clinic, said students should get their leases explained to ensure they understand the agreement before signing a contract.

The legal clinic “goes through the lease line by line and explains each subsection of the lease,” Hegarty said. “We also point out any lease provisions that may be missing from the lease or questions that the client should ask the landlord before signing the lease.”
Jin Yang, a fourth-year in civil engineering, said all students should take advantage of the free service.

“It’s great that those type of services are offered to students,” Yang said. “Students should go get their leases explained so they can understand all of the fine print of a contract.”

The fair also offered information on utilities, rental insurance and other information about off-campus living. Amanda Blake, coordinator of the alcohol and drug program at the Student Wellness Center, gave students information on partying responsibly at the fair.

“We’re passing out ‘party-smart’ kits that include information on alcohol use, alcohol poisoning and other important information students should know when getting their own homes,” Blake said. Dilnavaz Cama, coordinator of Off-Campus Student Services, said the event was about more than just finding a nice home.

“We’re here to make sure that students have a positive experience overall when living off-campus,” Cama said.