Living Off-Campus at UArizona
Is your student moving off-campus or looking for a new place to live next year? The University of Arizona Off-Campus Housing (OCH) Office can help! OCH is a free resource for students, providing tools and resources designed to make searching for a place to live an easier experience.
While OCH will not recommend a specific property, students can visit the website offcampus.arizona.edu to search for a place to live by distance to campus, amenities, price range, and more. The website also offers a roommate search function, utility contacts, printable forms, and much more.
Whether your student is living in a dorm or off-campus rental, the Off-Campus Housing Resource Guidebook offers information to help make the transition from living on campus to off-campus smoother.
If your student is planning to live off-campus in the fall, make sure they understand that living in the Tucson community comes with a lot of responsibilities and new experiences: balancing budgets, keeping up with studies, meeting new friends, etc. It also means learning how to be a good neighbor. Here are some tips your student needs to know to be a good neighbor:
Start off on the right foot. Introduce yourself and get to know your neighbors. (Your neighbors might not be students!)
Be respectful of those around you, even if it seems different from you. Be respectful of their space, their customs and culture, their belongings, etc.
Be mindful of noise levels. If you have a dog, their noise level is also important.
Respect the property and keep it clean. What’s outside your front door matters, too.
No landlord is perfect and not every property is going to work out perfectly.
Be cooperative and be the kind of neighbor you want to live next to.
Familiarize yourself with the community guidelines, e.g., trash, parking, noise ordinance laws, etc.
If your neighborhood has a homeowners’ association (HOA), follow the rules and guidelines.
Discuss expectations with your neighbors. Set boundaries and be communicative.
Discuss problems in person. Be pleasant, courteous, and use good judgment.
Be aware of your surroundings. If something doesn’t seem right, it probably isn’t.
When people try to be a good neighbor, the neighborhood will be more appealing, safe, and your student will feel more content in their home. An extra benefit is the security of knowing that your student and their neighbors are looking out for one another. Here at the University of Arizona, we take pride in being good neighbors and hope our students will, too.