CU Off-Campus Student Services

Room 336 University Memorial Center

When Can We Start Looking For A Place For Fall?

You can start looking in the spring. First, decide where in Boulder you'd like to live, how much you can afford to pay for rent, and whom you'd like to live with. Our office begins to receive apartment complex listings in late April and other fall rental listings in late June or early July. Until then, we will have very few fall listings for houses, or apartments in small complexes. We do have quite a few listings beginning late spring for the larger apartment complexes.

How Can We Secure A Place For Fall This Spring?

Some apartment complex managers will take a deposit in the spring to reserve an apartment for the fall. Be sure to check out the apartment carefully before you make a commitment. If you are leasing as a group, you will want to sign an "Intent to Rent Agreement" (included in this booklet) to ensure that all roommates agree to live in the apartment in the fall. If you are leasing alone, you should come back to Boulder at least a week before school starts in order to find roommates.

Are There Any Other Options For Finding A Place In Spring For Fall?

Yes. You can start renting in June. Beginning in April, we will have listings of places available in June. Some of these have 12-month leases that will run until the next June; others are summer subleases possibly with an option to renew the lease in the fall. Check with your landlord if you are offered a summer lease or sublease with a fall option: often rents will increase 8 to 10 percent in the fall.

If We Sign A Lease Beginning In June, Are We Responsible Even If We Won't Be Here During The Summer Months?

Yes! If your lease begins in June, you must pay all of the summer rent and fulfill all the obligations of the lease. Even if you can afford to leave your place empty for three months, beware! Your lease may hold you responsible for lawn care or other maintenance duties. Also, if more than one person signs the lease, you are all jointly responsible for all rent and obligations.

What Should We Do If We Can't Move In For The Summer But Would Still Like To Sign A Lease That Begins June 1?

You may sublet for the summer, but consider the following points:

Because there is a surplus of rental property in the summer, rents often decrease in Boulder during that time. In order to compete in this market, you may need to lower the rent to your subtenants and absorb the difference.

Since you are the primary tenants, you are ultimately responsible for your subtenants. If they do not pay the rent or if they cause damages, everyone who has signed your lease can be held liable.

How Can We Avoid Being Damaged By Subleasing?

1. First, check your lease to make sure it allows subleasing. Some landlords charge a fee; others require written permission. Notify your landlord about your plans to sublet; he/she may want to approve the subtenants.

2. Subleasing is safest when a member of your group can be available to act as manager for the property. This person can either live on the premises or live close enough to keep in frequent contact. He/she agrees to be responsible for finding subtenants, collecting rents, seeing that the property is maintained, and making sure no damages occur. It is a good idea to give this person written authority to act as manager.

3. Sign a sublease form with the new tenants. The form available in our office specifies the length of the sublease, the amount of rent, etc., and provides for a damage deposit to be paid by the subtenants.

What Happens If Someone In My Group Decides Not To Move In For The Fall?

Anyone who has signed the lease is responsible for his/her share of the rent. But the landlord can hold any or all of you liable for the rent. You may therefore have to pay your absent roommate's share of the rent to avoid getting evicted yourself. We recommend that you and your prospective roommates sign the "Intent to Rent Agreement" (available in this booklet) under which all roommates agree to either move in by a specified date or pay rent until they find replacements. This agreement protects each of the remaining roommates in the event that one of you decides not to move in.

How Can We Find Something This Summer If Most Of Our Group Won't Be In Town Until Fall?

Listings for fall will begin coming into our office in late June and early July and continue to come in through early August. If some of your group will be gone during this time, the person(s) remaining will have to assume the responsibility for finding a place; talk this over before any of you leave for the summer! Set broad criteria and talk especially about what you don't want: maximum distance from campus, maximum rent, minimum number of rooms, etc. Establishing wide guidelines will make it much easier for your representative to find something acceptable to the rest of the group.

Each roommate should leave money with the representative to be used as a deposit. Since the best houses and apartments are snapped up quickly, he/she won't have time to wire you for money (or for your opinion).

All roommates should sign the "Intent to Rent Agreement" (available in this booklet) which gives one person the authority to find a place that meets the established criteria, specifies how much money each roommate will leave with this representative as a deposit, and binds all the roommates to sign the lease that the representative signs. If anyone cannot move in, he/she is the obligated to continue paying rent until a new roommate has been found. This agreement is legally binding among the roommates. However, it does not constitute a legal agreement between the group of roommates and the landlord (the lease will constitute the legal agreement between the tenants and the landlord).

If you have additional questions, please call the City of Boulder Housing Authority at 441-3150.

University of Colorado students may call 492-7053. Model leases, sublease forms, and intent to rent agreements are available to students in our office. Also, we have a wealth of information on successful room sharing, how to deal with tenant/landlord problems, and other matters related to off-campus housing.