husker money tool: moving off campus worksheethusker money tool: moving off campus worksheet to get...

Husker Money Tool: Moving Off Campus Worksheet

Typical Monthly Costs

3 Steps to Off-Campus Living• KnowtheTypicalMonthlyOff-CampusCosts

IncludesTipsforSavingMoney• CompareApartments• KeepYourOff-CampusFinancialLifeOrganized

How You are Approved

Rent

• InLincoln,ifyouwantafford-able,qualityhousing,planforhaving1or2roommatesandpayingaround$350perpersoneachmonth

• Somestudentswillpayupto$900fora2bedroom,butthisisusuallypurelyforaesthetics

• Housingrentalpricesareusuallycomparabletoorlowerthanapartmentrentalprices

• WanttorentintheRailyard?Expecttopayupto$2,800perbed,utilitiesincluded-Parkingisanextra$70+permonth

Beforeyourapplicationwillbeapproved,theapartmentcompanywillcheckyourcreditreport,ahistoryofhowyou’vepaidyourbills.Youcanlookatyourcreditreportforfreeat:www.annualcreditreport.com.Ifyoudonothavealongcredithistory,youwillprobablyneedacosigner.Ifyoudon’tmakeyourpayments,thecosignerisresponsibletomakeyourpayments.Cosign-ersaretypicallyparentsorotherrelativeswhohavegoodcredithistories.

TIP: Visit at least 5 properties before choosing

TIP: Start your search at: rentping.com

TIP: Pick your roommates carefully!

Where Students Rent

Top 10 Affordable, Quality Apartment Communities Voted on by UNL Students

Complex Miles from campus

1 Bedrooms start at

2 Bedrooms start at 3 Bedrooms start at

FolsomRidge 3miles $615 $690($345perperson) $875($292perperson)

LakeviewPark 3miles $625 $735(388perperson) $1,005($335perperson)

HighlandView 4miles $600 $725($363perperson) $740($247perperson)

OldCheneyPlace 5miles $605 $715($358perperson) $975($325perperson)

FountainGlen 5miles $550 $650($325perperson) $940($313perperson)

TrenridgeGarden 3.5miles $575 $675($338perperson) n/a

LionsGate 2.5milles $550 $765($383perperson) n/a

Tanglewood 2.5miles $545 $760($380perperson) n/a

Northridge 5.5miles $640 $680($340perperson) $735($245perperson)

CentralPark 3miles n/a $695($348perperson) n/a

Warning: Initial Costs Security Deposit=Typicallyonemonth’srent.Intendedtocoverdamagetothepremisesbeyondnormalwear&tear-Ifthereisnodamagewhenyoumoveout,yougetthedepositbackApplication Fees = Usually$30perpersonFirst Month’s Rent= NOTE: Youmayalsoneedtopaythelastmonth’srentupfront!

Downtown Studentsliveinfurnishedorunfurnishedapartments,ClosetoCityCampus,Higherrentpricesthanotherareas

North Bottoms Studentsliveinhousesorapartments,ClosetoCityCam-pus,Canwalktocampus,Knownforactivity&noise

Hawley Neighborhood

Studentsliveinhousesorapartments,ClosetoCityCam-pus,CaneasilytakebusdirectlytoCityorEastCampus

Near Capital Moststudentsliveinhouses,Cheaperpricesbutit’simpor-tanttomakesurethehousingissafe&secure

West O St. Moststudentsliveinapartments,Reasonablerentprices,Formostareasthereisashortcommutetocampus

East CampusNeighborhoods

Moststudentsliveinhouses,Reasonablerentprices,CaneasilytakeUNLbustoCityCampus

North Lincoln Moststudentsliveinapartments,Reasonablerentprices,Formostareasthereisashortcommutetocampus

South Lincoln Moststudentsliveinapartments,Usuallyamoderatecom-mutetimetocampus,Somereasonablerentpricesandmoreexpensiveoptions,Morelikesuburbanliving

City Campus

East Campus

North Bottoms

East Campus

Neighborhoods

Downtown

North Lincoln

South LincolnNear Capital

West O St.

Hawley

Neighborhood

Typical Initial Costs for a 2 Bedroom (per person) =

$730

Example Monthly Budget w/1 Roommate

Income/Scholarship $955

Rent $350

Utilities 35

Food-Groceries&EatingOut 215

Netflix/Hulu 15

Internet 20

Entertainment 65

Transportation(Gas,Insurance)

110

Renter’sInsurance 15

Cellphone 40

Laundry 10

PersonalNeeds/Miscellaneous 80

$0


FoodIf you cook a majority of your meals:

AccordingtotheUSDA,foranutritiousdietatmoderatecost:

Male-$54.70perweek-$237.20permonthFemale-$47.60perweek-$206.20permonth

Best FREE Meal Planning Website:

foodonthetable.com

If you eat out a majority of the time:

Youcanexpectyourfoodcoststobearound$200morepermonth.

Averagefastfoodmeal-$7.58Twiceperday=$15.16or$454.80permonth

Insteadofpayingforcable,manystudentsgetNetflixandHulusubscriptions.

• Netflix/Hulu-$8each

• PlantoshareInternet-Servicestartsaround$40

Gas

Manystudentswholiveoffcampus,around3-5milesaway,gothrougharound2tanksofgaspermonth.

The average spent is around $60 per month.

Youcanestimatewhatyourfuelpriceswillbe,basedonyourspecificcar,at:fueleconomy.gov/trip/

Insurance

Somestudentspayfortheirowncarinsurance.

The average spent is around $50 per month.

Youcanestimateyourcarinsuranceratesat:allstate.com

Maintenance

Thetransportationbudgetalsoincludesmain-tenancecosts,suchasoilchanges,whichoccuraboutevery3months.

Thelandlordofyourapartmentorhousehasinsurance,butitprobablyonlycoversthebuild-ingwhereyoulive—notyourbelongingsoryourliabilityforaccidents.Ifyourpossessionsarestolenduringabreak-inordamagedbyafireorsevereweather,arentersinsurancepolicycanallowyoutorecovertheirvalue.

Average Renter’s Insurance in Nebraska = $12 per month

Where do you get it?

• First,askyourparentswhotheirhomeown-ersinsuranceisthrough-Youmightbeabletogetadiscount

• AnotherOption:WellsFargowellsfargo.com/jump/insurance/renters

• AnotherOption:StateFarmstatefarm.com/insurance/renters/renters.asp

Entertainment

Transportation

Renter’s Insurance

UtilitiesNOTE:Someutilitiesmightbeincludedinyourrent.Formostapartments,youtypicallyonlypayforelectricityandgas.Forhouses,youwilltypicallypayallofthefollowingutilities.

Guidelines for a 2 Bedroom

Electricity (Between $30-$100)Moststudentspayaround$65permonth

Other Utilities You May Need to Pay for:

If you have Gas for heat & hot waterPlanfor$30 permonth

Water (Between $10-$30)Planfor$15permonth

Garbage (Between $10-$30) Planfor$15permonth

Typical Monthly Costs

Example Monthly Budget w/1 Roommate

Income/Scholarship $955

Rent $350

Utilities 35

Food-Groceries&EatingOut 215

Netflix/Hulu 15

Internet 20

Entertainment 65

Transportation(Gas,Insurance)

110

Renter’sInsurance 15

Cellphone 40

Laundry 10

PersonalNeeds/Miscellaneous 80

$0

Warning: Don’t be surprised by utility costs!Whenyou’reshoppingforhousing,askforwhatutilitiesyou’reresponsibleforandtheaveragemonthlycost.Youcanalsocalltheutilitycompaniesandaskforthetypicalmonthlycostsforyournewaddress:

Lincoln Electric System les.com

CanalsoopennewaccountonlineYouwillneedtostartserviceinYOURname

Black Hills Energy (Gas) blackhillsenergy.com

CanalsoopennewaccountonlineYouwillneedtostartserviceinYOURname

Lincoln Water lincoln.ne.gov/city/pworks/water/


Togettheirfirstapartmentsset-up,manystudentsneedtobuyitemsfortheirlivingroom,kitchen,diningarea,andbedroom.Followingisalistofitemstoconsiderpurchas-ingandtheestimatedcostperroommate.

Estimated Initial Expenses Splitwith1Roommate• Livingin2bedroom,nofurniturecosts

$629• Livingin2bedroom,furniturecosts

$1,594

Estimated Initial Expenses

• Welcomemat(foroutsidethedoor)• Smallarearug(forjustinsidethedoor)• Wallhooksforjackets,keys,etc.

• Couch,chairs,orotherthingstositon• Coffeetable• Television• StandforTV• Throwpillowsforcouch/chairs• Artwork• Lamp(s)• Tableandchairs• Tableclothorplacemats• Napkins

• Silverware• Silverwareorganizer(drawerinsert)• Dishes(e.g.plates,glasses,mugs,bowls,etc.)• Trashandrecyclingcans• Potsandpans• Ovenmitts• Spatulas,ladles,whisks,etc.• Containerforcountertopstorageofspatulas,etc.• Dishtowels• Dishdryingrack• Measuringcupsandspoons• Mixingbowls• Bottleopenerandcorkscrew• Plasticcontainersforfoodstorage• Rollsofaluminumfoil,waxpaper,andplasticwrap• Paper(ornewspaper)tolinecupboardsandshelves• Zip-topplasticbagsofvarioussizes• Cuttingboards• Toasterortoasteroven• Microwave• Coffeemaker• Icecubetrays• Blender• Handmixer• Canopener• Good,sharpknives(atleastonelargechef’sknifeand

asmallparingknife)• Servingspoon• Colander• Additionalfree-standingshelvesorstorage,asneeded

(e.g.metalshelfunitsfromTargetorIKEA)• Dishsoapandsponges/scrubbers• Trashcan• Smallarearug

• Showercurtain(andringstoholditup)• Toiletpaper• Toiletbrush• Toiletplunger• Bathmat(s)• Airfreshener• Tissues• Trashcan• Over-the-doortowelhook

• Cleaningsupplies(e.g.rags,papertowels,sprays)• Trashbags• Vacuumcleaner• Smallbroomanddustpan• ExtensioncordsandSurgestrips• Basictools,includingscrewdrivers(flatandPhillips-

heads),hammer(andsomesmallnails),ducttape,box-cutterorX-actoknife,ducttape,pliers,wrench,andmaskingtape

• Largeplasticbinsorotherstorage• Flashlight(s)• Batteriesofvarioustypes• Candle• Matches• Tweezers• Fans• Internetrouterandassociatedcords• Lightbulbs• Firstaidkit• Carbonmonoxidealarm• Firealarm(Yourlandlordisresponsibleforproviding

asmokedetector,butyoushouldchecktomakesureitworks)

• Laundrysoap,fabricsoftener,stainremover(e.g.Shout)

• Towels• Bed!• Pillows• Sheetsandcomforter• Nightstand• Lamp• Dresser• Hangers(morethanyouthinkyouneed)• Hamper• Trashcan• Curtains• Desk• Chairfordesk

• Hand-me-downsfromFamily&Friends• Goodwill• Craigslist• Target/Walmart/Shopko/

Entrance Area

Living Room & Dining Area

Bathroom

Miscellaneous

Bedroom

Kitchen

Where to Get Furniture

• Youshouldn’tsignanythingthatadjustsyourleaseafteryou’vealreadymovedin.

• Exception:Yougetsomethinginreturn,forex-ample,yourlandlordagreesinwritingthatapetisallowedifyoupayapetdeposit.

• Alandlordcannotraisetherentormakeotherfundamentalchangesduringtheleaseterm.

AskaStudentLegalServicesattorneytoreviewtheleasewithyoubeforeyousignitItshouldcontain:• theamountofrentandsecuritydeposit• thetermofthelease(thelengthoftime)• yourobligationregardingutilities• Whetherornotaguarantororcosignerisre-

quired• Otherrulesandobligations

• Doesyourleasesayanythingaboutpets?

• Ifnot,itisbesttocheckwithyourlandlordtofindoutwhattypesofpetsareallowed.Putanyagreementallowingapetinwritinginthelease.

• Ifpetsarenotallowedandyouhaveone,youcanbeevictedafterwrittennoticeand14daystoremovethepet.

• Ifpetsareallowed,itislegalforthelandlordtorequireanadditionalsecuritydepositequalto¼ofonemonth’srent.• Duringthewalk-through,youneedtodocument

anypre-existingproblemsyoufindwiththeapart-ment,sothatyou’renotheldliable.

• Thismeanstestingeverythingfromtheburnersonthestovetothequalityofthecarpettothefunctioningoftherefrigerator.

• Ifanything’soff,documentit.Ifthelandlordneedstofixsomething,getitinwriting.

• Thisisthebestwaytoprotectyourself,yourfu-turehomeandyoursecuritydeposit.Turnontheappliances,includingA/C,andseeiftheywork.

• Use the: Sample Apartment InventoryDownload at: http://asun.unl.edu/stu-dent-legal-services-0

The Lease: Before You Sign

Pets

Lease Addendums

Walk Through: Before You Sign

• Aleaseisacontractbetweenthetenants(includ-ingyou)andthelandlord;aroommateagree-mentisacontractjustbetweenroommates.(seewww.unl/asun/slstodownloadaroommateagreement)

• Anagreementavoidsproblemsbydiscussingliv-ingconditionsbeforeyoumovein:

• Howwillutilitiesandrentbeshared?

• Willfoodcostsbeshared?

• Anyrulesonguests?Parties?Noise?Pets?

• Whatifsomeonedecidestomoveout?

Roommate Agreements

• Requestsforrepairsshouldbeinwriting.Dateandkeepacopyofyourrequest.

• Iftheneededrepairaffectsyourhealthandsafety,youcancontacttheLincolnHousingCodeofficeforassistance,orcometoSLS.

• Youmightbeabletobreakyourleaseiftheland-lordrefusestomakerepairsaffectinghealthorsafetyafterwrittennoticeand14daystomakethem.

• Thelandlordisrequiredtogiveyou3daysnoticetopayrent.Ifyoupayfullrentwithinthe3days,youcannotbeevicted.

• Ifyoufailtopayrentwithin3days,thelandlordcanfileevictionproceedingsandtakeyoutocourtwithin10-14days.Afterhearingevidence,thejudgecanorderthatyoubeevicted.

• Thecourtprocessmovesquickly,soifyougetanoticeofnon-payment,getlegalhelprightaway.

• CallorvisitUNLStudentLegalServices.

If You Don’t Pay Your Rent

Requesting Repairs

Download These Documents at:http://asun.unl.edu/student-legal-services-0

• SampleApartmentInventory

• SampleRoommateAgreement

• SampleRequestsforRepairsLetter

• SampleLeaseTerminationLetter

• SampleUtilityTerminationLetter

• SampleRequesttoReturnSecurityDepositLetter

Understanding Your Lease &

Legal Rights

Tips from UNL Student Legal Services


Husker Money Tool: Moving Off Campus WorksheetTips for Keeping Your Off-Campus

Financial Life Organized

Easily Track All Expenses

• Ifyoupayyourrentontime,notonlywillyouavoidlatefees,butyouwillalsobeabletouseyourgoodpaymenthistorytobuildacreditscore.

• Acreditscoreisameasureofyourresponsiblerepaymentofyourfinancialobligations.Ifyouhaveahighcreditscore-over700-whenyougotobuyanewcarorhouse,orgetabusi-nessloan,youwillbeofferedalowinterestrateonthemoneyyouborrowfromabankorcreditunion,whichmeansyouwillpayless!

• MostutilitycompaniesofferAutoPay.Youcanhaveyourbillautomaticallytakenoutofyourcheckingaccounteachmonth.

• Mostcompanieswillsendyouabilleachmonthforyourrecordsandautomaticallywithdrawthebillamountontheduedate.

• AutoPayisavailablethroughmostfinancialinstitutions,includingbanks,creditunionsandsavingsandloans.

Pay Utilities Automatically

Always Pay Your Rent on Time!

Use Your Rent Payments to Build Your Credit Score

• Manyrentalpropertieswillrequireyoutopayrentintheformofacheck.Ifyouneedtomailyourcheck,makesuretodoitatleastoneweekinadvance.

• Ifyoudohavethemoneytopayyourrentformonthsinadvance,considerdoingittoavoidforgettingandrackinguplatefees.

• Manystudentssetare-minderontheirphonestopaytheirrent.Also,putyourrentduedateinyourplanner.Ifyoudon’tpayontime,you’llwastemoneyonlatefees,andcouldevengetsenttocollections,whichwouldruinyourcreditscore.

• Employersalsolookatcreditscores.Whenyou’reapplyingforyourfirstjob,havingagoodcreditscoremighthelpyoustandoutbecauseitwillshowyou’reresponsibleandagoodmoneymanager.

• Togetyourrentalhistoryaddedtoyourcreditreport,youwillneedtoaskyourlandlordtoreportittotheExperiancreditbureau-www.experian.com/rent-bureau/rental-history.html.

• Manystudentschoosetohavedifferentnamesondifferentutilities.Thenonepersonisnotrespon-sibleforeverybill.

• Toeasilycommunicatetoeachotheraboutbillpay-ment,haveawhiteboardwhereeveryonecanwritedownthebillsthey’vepaidandyoucanworktogethertoeasilycalculatehowmuchyouoweeachother.

Split Utilities

Wheretosign-upforautomaticpayments:

Lincoln Electric System

les.com/quick_links/autopay.aspx?look=h

Black Hills Energy (Gas)

blackhillsenergy.com/auto payments

Lincoln Water

lincoln.ne.gov/city/pworks/business/wtswbill

• ManystudentsusetheMint.comapptokeeptrackoftheiraccountbalancesandtheirex-penses.

• Mint.comautomaticallyrecognizesyourtrans-actionsasgroceryspending,utilities,etc.andwillcreatechartsshowingwhereyourmoneyisgoing.

• Stayontopofyourmonthlyrentalbudget!Notonlywillyouavoidoverdraftfees,usinganoff-campusbudgetwillhelpyoustartbuildinggoodmoneybehaviorsthatwillhelpyoubeamastermoneymanagerinthefuture!

Comparing Apartments WorksheetApartment #1 Apartment #2 Apartment #3 Apartment #4

Address

Date&TimeofTour

PhoneNumber

Email

SquareFootage

DistancetoCampus

RentAmount&DueDate

SecurityDeposit

ApplicationFee

PetRules/Deposit

LatePaymentFee

LeaseLength

Sublease

PenaltyforBreakingLease

UtilitiesIncluded

AdditionalCosts

Electric

Gas

Water

Cable/Internet

Garbage/Recycling

Parking/Garage

Total

Comparing Apartments WorksheetApartment #1 Apartment #2 Apartment #3 Apartment #4

FloorLevel

#Bedrooms

#Bathrooms

AirConditioning

FloorLevel

CarpetorHardwoodFloors

PatioorBalcony

LightFixtures

NaturalLight

#Outlets

Ageofappliances

Dishwasher

Gas/ElectricStove

GarbageDisposal

Microwave

CounterSpace/Drawers

WaterPressure

LaundryMachine/Facilities

OutdoorCommunityLighting

SmokeDetectors

Window/DoorLocks

FireExtinguishers

DistancetoShopping,Bank


Contacts:UNL Student Money Management CenterTo receive help with creating your off-campus budget:Make your appointment at: www.unl.edu/smmc

UNL Legal ServicesTo receive help reviewing your lease:Make your appointment at: asun.unl.edu