OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY
Open search box
Before signing a lease for off-campus accommodations, double check that you are eligible to live off campus. Many students are required to live on-campus for their first three terms of study. Read more in the INTO OSU Terms & Conditions.
It is your right to be treated equally.
Landlords cannot treat you differently from other domestic student renters. Just because you are from another country, does not mean that you have to pay higher rent or deposits, or anything else that any other domestic student would normally not have to pay.
If you feel you are being treated differently, please contact:
*You will not get in trouble just for reporting a concern*
If you want to know if a property has had previous city code violations, or check the crime rate in a particular area, you have the right to search Corvallis public records.
This a list of common terms you will see when looking for housing off-campus.
Oregon Fair Housing Laws are designed to protect residents from being discriminated by landlords.
"Housing discrimination is treating a person, or a group of persons, differently than others are treated under the same or similar circumstances, or denying the benefits or privileges provided to others. This is illegal if it is done based on one’s protected class status, or because of the protected class of those s/he associates with. Denying an individual or group the right to purchase a home, secure a home loan or homeowners insurance, and buy or rent housing based on their protected status is illegal under federal, state and local fair housing laws and ordinances."
The Corvallis Living Guide is a great resource created by the Corvallis Community Relations department.
Finding off-campus housing is not always easy, so be sure to start looking early! Even if your lease is not finishing for another few months, start considering if you want to move to a new place or renew your lease.
There are many things to consider before you begin your search.
Corvallis has on average, a higher cost of living than the nation’s average. It is very important to carefully think about your monthly budget and see how much you can afford. There are several additional costs outside of just rent to consider as well.
Note: These costs are averages. Prices for rent and utilities can vary greatly depending on the apartment complex or house and where it is located.
There many places you can look to find housing, both online and in person.
Sites like Apartments and Zillow are very similar in how they are used. They can be great for finding available apartments / houses, especially if you have certain needs.
The following example is taken from Apartments.com, to look for a 2-bedroom apartment that allows pets.
1. Click on this to filter with additional amenities
2. Click on this to save this listing (only if you’ve created and signed into an account)
3. This indicates how long the listing has been posted on the site. The less time = the fewer number of people who have seen it, so apply soon if you like it!
Note: Keep in mind that finding all the features you want may not always be possible. Think about other ways you could get those features.
Once you have made your selections, it will show you all listings that match your requests:
Most listings will provide an office address or a phone number you can call.
They may also have a contact form on the website so you can email them directly.
Note: If they have a local office, it is always best to visit them in person so that they can meet you!
Craigslist is an advertising website that is available in most cities of the U.S. You can use it to find anything from jobs, to community events, to phones and even housing.
Searching on Craigslist is similar to using the websites in the previous pages.
Note: the amount of detail for each listing can vary greatly. Keep in mind that some of these listings are not made by official property managements.
Fellow students can also post listings, looking for roommates or someone to take over their contract.
Contact information
If you do not see contact information in the details of the listing, you can always contact the person who posted it using Craigslist’s contact option
Searching for a room to rent in a home
This is a list of all the major property management companies in Corvallis. Note that this may not include private ownerships or other tenants renting out rooms.
If you are only going to be in Corvallis for a short period, or you are in need of temporary housing, it might be best to find a short-term lease.
These options can be a variety of different locations and styles, and are best used while you are looking for a permanent place.
Finding a month-to-month apartment can unfortunately be difficult in Corvallis and contracts are usually more expensive than a regular contract. However, it might be the best option if you're only here for a month or two, or till you find a more permanent apartment.
Use the resources on the previous pages or call the property managers to see if they would consider a month-to-month contract.
Most locations do not provide internet services and you will need to pay for this separately.
There are two main providers in Corvallis:
https://www.xfinity.com www.centurylink.com/
The minimum speeds for each activity below are estimated based on:
Total: ~10.5 mbps for one device
A storage unit is a safe, secure place to store your belongings if you need a place to keep everything while moving to a new location.
There are three popular storage companies in Corvallis:
Corvallis Self Storage: http://www.corvallisstorage.com/
The Storage Depot: https://www.stordepot.com
U-Haul: https://www.uhaul.com/
Things to Consider
The below images show typical sizes for width x length (in feet).
If you only plan to live in Corvallis for a short time, it might be better and more convenient to rent furniture instead of buying it.
There are two main furniture rental companies in Corvallis:
https://www.cort.com/furniture-rental
http://corvallisfurniture.com/
