JOSHUA SILLS/Arizona Summer Wildcat Keeley Jo Hughes scours Tucson for the perfect apartment. Security, cleanliness, and affordailty are her top criteria when looking for a place.

There's still time to find the perfect pad

If panic grips the pit of your stomach every time you drive past an apartment complex and realize you haven't secured your housing for next year, don't worry ÷ you are not alone and it's not too late. With only 5,500 spaces for on-campus residents, the University of Arizona is home to almost 30,000 commuter students, or students who live off-campus. Many have had to face the task of finding off-campus housing that's right for them.

So where does one start?

The first decision must be to either select a house or an apartment. Although living in an apartment complex can offer a more communal environment and more amenities, others say living in a house offers more freedom and privacy.

Mathematics junior Chris Elofson and creative writing junior Frank Harris said they prefer a house to any other living arrangement because of its entertaining capabilities.

"If you want to have friends over you can have like 10 people over and not have to worry about anything," Harris said.

"There's definitely a lot more room to have people over to cook or whatever," Elofson added.

Along with having more space, Elofson and Harris said that having their own washer, dryer and bathrooms is a major advantage, as well as the exercise they get from riding their bikes a mile and a half to campus every day.

However, other students find the maintenance that comes along with renting a house to be too much work.

"I prefer an apartment because the upkeep of a house would be too difficult for me," said Kate Cohen, a theater arts senior who added that she finds the amenities of an apartment to be more convenient as well.

Cohen took the first apartment she looked at when she found it met all of her criteria.

"I needed someplace close to campus and convenient, so I grabbed it as soon as I found it."

Unlike Cohen, however, many students do not find what they want right off the bat.

Trying to find home sweet home

Kelley Jo Hughes is one of those students who know firsthand what it's like to have to search place after place.

The nursing senior lived in the Kaibab-Huachuca dorm during her first two years at the UA, then in an apartment complex. Now she is now searching for a new complex with a new roommate.

"Ideally I would love to live in a house, but financially that's not even an option for me," Hughes said.

Hughes knows that there are many things to take into consideration when beginning a housing hunt. Location, price, roommates, amenities and security are all factors that can quickly become obstacles. But for Hughes, after hearing of the recent shooting that took place at University House apartment complex along with other apartment crimes, she said her top concern is finding an apartment complex that is safe and in a good neighborhood.

On April 6, someone opened fire into the University House student housing complex at 2525 W. Anklam Road, killing two people and wounding three others. The six were among several people attending a gathering in front of a building.

"All the things that I hear about make me nervous. In the daytime I think ÎOh it could never happen to me,' and then it's only at night when I'm in bed that I get scared," Hughes said.

With security her ultimate deciding factor, Hughes said she is also considering cleanliness and affordability.

Summer is a common time for complexes to offer reduced rates, move-in incentives and specials: Things Hughes said could cause confusion.

"My roommate and I are running into trouble really assessing what's out there, because right now everybody is having summer specials, but their rates are only applicable if you lease over the summer," she said, adding that she doesn't plan to relocate from her current residence until August.

Over the course of two, four-hour days, Hughes visited several apartment complexes across Tucson. As she traveled from central Tucson to Oro Valley and back again, touring the properties and collecting brochures, business cards and contacts, she dumped them in what she dubbed the "bag o' apartments." Hughes will use the bag when she's ready to make a decision.

There are always people who like to take advantage of less experienced and na•ve renters · you have to be aware of loop holes that can make it hard to get out of a lease or unwanted charges that might incur at the end of a lease -Heather Gasser, commuter student affairs coordinator

As Hughes arrived at each of the nine complexes she visited, she began a process of carefully weighing the pros against the cons, starting with how she was greeted at each location.

"We visited one apartment where they just didn't seem interested in getting us to live there," Hughes said. "The woman didn't have anything available to show us, and yet she didn't seem apologetic. It just didn't feel welcoming."

At the same complex, however, Hughes was attracted to the swimming pool, close proximity to the UA, security guard and included utilities.

"(Utilities included) is a good thing because it gets so hot here and you want to be able to use your air conditioner as much as you want and know that you've already paid for it," Hughes said.

At the Sunrise Apartments, 3636 N. Campbell Ave., Hughes found the welcoming staff to be a plus, but the distance from campus to be a disadvantage.

"I loved how friendly and customer-service orientated the staff was," said Hughes, who added that the same complex also screened potential renters to keep their community safe.

"They just seemed very concerned with my priorities," she said.

Although the complex didn't include utilities in the price of rent, there were great move-in specials for June and July that Hughes said would benefit someone who is looking to move-in the same day.

For Hughes, however, the comfortable and clean environment of this second complex seemed to be the most advantageous factor.

The complex was also built with a three-level structure that has no floor exactly ground level, which Hughes said will make for a quieter environment.

Although Hughes has yet to make a decision, she said there are several things she will keep in mind as she revisits the complexes and starts narrowing down the field.

"I want a place that is big enough that my roommate and I won't crowd each other out, but also reasonably priced because I can't just live where I want," Hughes said.

After two days of apartment hunting, Hughes said complexes become harder and harder to distinguish.

"At some point you just have to start looking at the bottom line and say, ÎWell they have this, and they don't.'"

JOSHUA SILLS/Arizona Summer Wildcat Leasing specialist Allison Feldman, a business junior, highlights Briarwood Apartment's floor plans to Keeley Jo Hughes, a Nursing Senior.

Look under the surface before signing

Although Hughes said that in the long run she will most likely go with a complex that is offering a special, local complex mangers warn to not be blinded by the glitter of summer specials when choosing your future housing.

"You have to be careful of someone giving away the store," said Judy Calkins, assistant community manager at Casa Lindas Apartments on 699 W. Magee Road. She added that the most common mistake she has seen students make when choosing where to rent is picking the complex with the lowest price.

"There has to be a reason they're giving it all away," Calkins said.

When choosing a place to rent, the key is to look at areas beyond the lobby and the model apartment, Calkins said.

"Don't go just by the model apartment. It's been set aside for 15 years with the sole purpose of looking pretty," said Calkins. "Check out the pool and see if there is anything green growing in it. Look at how the grounds are up kept and try to see an actual unit to see how they're maintained."

If those often-overlooked areas still look good, one might consider signing a lease.

But in addition to choosing the right complex, renters must also be aware of their rights and obligations when they sign a lease.

"There are always people who like to take advantage of less experienced and na•ve renters · you have to be aware of loop holes that can make it hard to get out of a lease or unwanted charges that might incur at the end of a lease," said Heather Gasser, UA commuter student affairs coordinator.

A lease is a binding contract that cannot simply be broken, said Gasser, adding that most of the problems she has encountered have stemmed from students trying to get out of their leases.

Gasser said she recommends students take a copy of their lease to Student Legal Services in ASUA. There, an attorney to review it free of charge.

"It is a very good idea because the attorney is willing to look for loop holes or gray areas," said Gasser, who added that SLS can be helpful once a lease has been signed, but that students need to remember that no lease can be broken without consequences.

If a student quits a lease that contains a break clause, and provides the proper prior written notice, there will usually only be a monetary penalty, according to Gasser. This fee can range from $60 to $2,000, depending on the apartment complex.

If there's no break clause in the lease and if the student does not provide the proper notice a landlord can consider the breach of contract grounds for eviction, Gasser said. In such a case, the student's credit report, renter's history can be damaged.

It's not too late

For those students who have yet to sign a lease, or even think about the housing hunting process, don't panic.

"Tucson definitely is a Îrenter's market' in that there is a lot of options and prices are relatively low," said Gasser, who added that students who are not too picky can find an apartment even a few weeks before school starts.

"Typically most rental properties open the fall semester with vacancies · but if you have your heart set on a particular apartment, it might be a good idea to sign a lease earlier."

UA Off-Campus Housing Services makes a weekly housing list that lists available properties. In addition, they also publish the "Renter's Resource Book" which contains everything from landlord legal issues, comparison charts and maps, to tips for living with a roommate.

· The 2003 Renter's Resource Book can be picked up at the Off-Campus Housing Office in the Student Union Memorial Center or downloaded at www.union.arizona.edu/csil/csa/rentersguide.php.

· Want to get free legal advice before you sign the lease? Schedule an appointment with ASUA Legal Services: 621- 2782