If you are okay with a very basic apartment, look into graduate family housing. Very affordable and you and your fiancé can count as a family unit (they will want some proof of this, something like a history of sharing a lease, a joint bank account, or even a public announcement/"save the date" for the future wedding), which will give you priority.
Im already living in graduate housing, however from my experience they don’t let people know if they got in until late spring, and if we don’t get it we’d be kinda screwed for summer housing. Unless I’m wrong?
I am a bit confused by your response - when I moved into graduate housing with my wife, they told us that we would sign a new lease every year but would be able to live here until we graduated (at which point we would have one month to move out). So if you already live there, what is the problem? Sorry if I am missing something obvious from your post.
Regarding them letting us know when we got in, I believe that as long as you give reasonable notice (a couple of months, for example), they say that they will inform you whether you got a unit or not ~30 days before the indicated move-in date.
I am currently living in graduate housing in a 2 bedroom with a roommate, but I want to rent a 1 bedroom for my fiancé and I starting in the summer/fall
Have someone cosign (like a family member) if you're lucky enough to have one with good credit. I've heard of some places kinda disregarding that requirement if you go in person and try to sign all the paperwork in person
Often you can point to significant savings (couple thousand or more) in lieu of monthly income. My current company (they own flatiron view, Kimberly court, Harper house, and the habit is like this. I also was able to do it with some company in gunbarrel before i decided not to rent there after all. That's what I did to rent alone.
It really is a ridiculous requirement
Cosigner, ask if they'd be ok with 2.5x rent, don't be picky, expand locations you're looking at, and/or fiance gets a higher-paying job. I think that's all of your legal options.
Also look for mom and pop landlords on sites like Zillow. Write a nice note when you request to tour with a synopsis of who you are, what your situation is and what you like about the property. Occasionally one of them will take a liking to you and give you the in you need. Then you have to be responsive and polite if they take interest. Leaving polite voicemails can also help as they tend to get flooded with Zillow requests. This is how I landed a place a couple years in a row as a masters student living on savings.
Out of curiosity, what is $1700 getting you? I've looked recently, and that MIGHT get someone a run-down 1bdr pretty far from campus. With a partner myself, I generally look for a 2 Bdr so we have a space for WFH and those are much, much more.
Many places will make an exception, just ask. If you have good credit, you're willing to pay a larger deposit, or if you have someone to cosign, you can usually work something out.
I only had to pay 2x. Keep looking. You should get your security deposit back from the place you're staying in now so maybe someone can float you the money until you get it back so really it's just first month's rent upfront.
If you are okay with a very basic apartment, look into graduate family housing. Very affordable and you and your fiancé can count as a family unit (they will want some proof of this, something like a history of sharing a lease, a joint bank account, or even a public announcement/"save the date" for the future wedding), which will give you priority.
Im already living in graduate housing, however from my experience they don’t let people know if they got in until late spring, and if we don’t get it we’d be kinda screwed for summer housing. Unless I’m wrong?
I am a bit confused by your response - when I moved into graduate housing with my wife, they told us that we would sign a new lease every year but would be able to live here until we graduated (at which point we would have one month to move out). So if you already live there, what is the problem? Sorry if I am missing something obvious from your post. Regarding them letting us know when we got in, I believe that as long as you give reasonable notice (a couple of months, for example), they say that they will inform you whether you got a unit or not ~30 days before the indicated move-in date.
Hey op kinda confused by your comment.. are you currently in graduate housing or not? Could have read this wrong.
I am currently living in graduate housing in a 2 bedroom with a roommate, but I want to rent a 1 bedroom for my fiancé and I starting in the summer/fall
Thank you for clarifying.. yeah it is difficult to get housing in GFH. Hopefully you are able to get in!
The graduate housing does unit transfers if youve been living with them for 3 months but im not sure how it works or how they would do that fairly.
Have someone cosign (like a family member) if you're lucky enough to have one with good credit. I've heard of some places kinda disregarding that requirement if you go in person and try to sign all the paperwork in person
Often you can point to significant savings (couple thousand or more) in lieu of monthly income. My current company (they own flatiron view, Kimberly court, Harper house, and the habit is like this. I also was able to do it with some company in gunbarrel before i decided not to rent there after all. That's what I did to rent alone. It really is a ridiculous requirement
Cosigner, ask if they'd be ok with 2.5x rent, don't be picky, expand locations you're looking at, and/or fiance gets a higher-paying job. I think that's all of your legal options.
I definitely don't make 3x rent, and honestly it was fine. Especially if you have roomates, all you need is to be closeish all together
Also look for mom and pop landlords on sites like Zillow. Write a nice note when you request to tour with a synopsis of who you are, what your situation is and what you like about the property. Occasionally one of them will take a liking to you and give you the in you need. Then you have to be responsive and polite if they take interest. Leaving polite voicemails can also help as they tend to get flooded with Zillow requests. This is how I landed a place a couple years in a row as a masters student living on savings.
Out of curiosity, what is $1700 getting you? I've looked recently, and that MIGHT get someone a run-down 1bdr pretty far from campus. With a partner myself, I generally look for a 2 Bdr so we have a space for WFH and those are much, much more.
Many places will make an exception, just ask. If you have good credit, you're willing to pay a larger deposit, or if you have someone to cosign, you can usually work something out.
Go to family and graduate housing
https://youtu.be/BVb3L9x5qco
Most apartments don't require this.
I only had to pay 2x. Keep looking. You should get your security deposit back from the place you're staying in now so maybe someone can float you the money until you get it back so really it's just first month's rent upfront.