Finding off-campus housing in Bellingham can be a tricky balancing act for Western Washington University students. Start searching too early, and there may be few listings available. Wait too long, and most options are already taken.
While there’s no exact formula for perfect timing, most rentals are posted between late February and early April, making mid-February a smart time to start browsing. Factors like budget, accessibility and number of roommates play a crucial role in the search.
In an email interview, McLean Bowers, an Off-Campus Living peer navigator, emphasized the importance of preparation when transitioning to off-campus living.
“To successfully navigate moving off campus,” Bowers said. “Students should know what to look for during a rental tour, have a solid list of questions for landlords and understand how to read a lease. The Office of Off-Campus Living is here to help with all of these!”
Western fourth-year Maddie Huri moved off campus with a group of friends in search of more space. They also wanted amenities that on-campus housing lacked, such as parking, necessary utilities and a reasonable price.
“I had friends who gave me and my roommates advice and had heard what places were good or not,” Huri said. “It was easy to find off-campus housing through Western, so I was confident we’d get a place. However, I worried we wouldn’t be able to check all our boxes.”
Huri’s group went through Western’s off-campus housing resources for their first apartment, which made the process easier than expected. However, transitioning to off-campus life came with new challenges.
“Preparing to change from no rent to rent, keeping on top of utility payments, taking care of a bigger space and being farther from campus were all adjustments,” Huri said.
One of the most frequent concerns students bring to the Off-Campus Living office is the price and availability of rentals.
Olive Salas, who works at the front desk of the Off-Campus Living office and serves as a Western Success Scholars peer navigator, sees students in urgent need of housing but unable to find anything affordable.
“I’ve mostly interacted with students who need to move out of their current places urgently, but they can’t find anything available, or what they can find is too expensive,” Salas said. “They end up in a scramble to either access emergency housing or emergency funding. Most places in Bellingham start their leases in the summer, and the housing shortage means landlords can charge exorbitant prices; these things together put off-campus students in a mindset of desperation.”
Moving also comes with unexpected costs.
“Utilities and groceries are more expensive than many expect,” Salas said. “There are upfront fees like the first month’s rent, security deposits, cleaning supplies, furniture and even moving vans. Before you have time to recover financially, the next month’s rent and utilities are due.”
Bowers stresses the importance of fully understanding a lease before signing it.
“The best advice I could give to students to understand their lease is to come visit the office of Off-Campus Living and read through your lease with one of our peer mentors,” Bowers said. “If that's not possible, I would recommend researching any terms that you don't understand in your lease.”
For those unfamiliar with the rental process, Bowers encourages students to seek guidance.
“Most students I talk with have never navigated the rental process, so a big part of my job is walking them through the procedures of looking for a place, applying for a lease, touring a rental, etc.” Bowers said, “I would say that everyone could be more prepared to rent for the first time, and the office of Off-Campus Living is a great place to start preparing!”
Mishele Ross (she/her) is a campus news reporter for The Front this quarter. She is a second-year journalism news/ed major. When she is not hunting down a source or hiding out in the library writing a story, you can find her listening to music, bowling, or playing a round of golf. You can reach her at misheleross.thefront@gmail.com.
