Author Archives: Callie Kollenbroich

About Callie Kollenbroich

Callie Kollenbroich has been the Operations Coordinator and Content Writer/Editor at Rent College Pads since 2015. When she's not working, you can find her at home, eating peanut butter out of the jar and bingeing an unhealthy amount of Forensic Files. She's not as lame as she sounds.

Muncie Apartments and Houses: Ten Top Rated Ball State Landlords
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muncie apartments

Be bold. Investigate your Ball State living situation. (Flickr)

If you’re just starting to search for a place to live near campus, it can be difficult to figure out which are the best landlords and Muncie apartments near BSU . Searching for an apartment or house to rent can be overwhelming, especially in a college town like Muncie where there are so many options … including some less than stellar ones.

We understand what it means to find the right landlord. Fearing the collapse of your balcony when it rains or patching up holes in the wall during December are hardly anyone’s definition of an ideal living situation. Don’t end up in a bad spot with a neglectful landlord.

Landlords can come in many different forms, whether it’s personal or managed by a company. However, obtaining the title of “a good landlord” isn’t something just anyone can do. Here’s what being a good landlord means to us:

  1. Fixes maintenance issues promptly
  2. Easy to get in contact with
  3. Respects the tenant privacy by giving advanced notice before coming over
  4. Listens to tenant concerns with the property
  5. Knows who is obligated to do what in maintaining the household
  6. Treats residents with respect

Unfortunately, not all landlords abide by these standards and it’s important to differentiate where they fall on the awful to excellent spectrum before signing your lease. This task can be difficult when you’re expected to make a decision whether or not you’re putting down your security deposit after one or two showings.

Before you decide to put down that security deposit, finish your homework and know which landlords have the best reputation. Continue reading →

UMN Off-Campus Housing: 10 Top Rated University of Minnesota Landlords
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umn off-campus housing

The bridge back to campus in Dinkytown, which houses many of the best places near UMN. (Flickr)

The sun starts to disappear faster, nights get colder, and thousands of students need to begin their search for UMN off-campus housing. The return of fall brings about many new beginnings, and none of them are quite like moving into a new house or apartment to begin a new chapter of your life. But almost as soon as you move into a new place, it’s time to start looking for the next one.

Such is the life of a college student.

For students at the University of Minnesota, there are a lot of choices and decisions you have to make when it comes to housing. Marcy Holmes? Dinkytown? Stadium Village? Each neighborhood offers its advantages and type of community. With such a vibrant and growing off campus housing community around Minnesota, figuring out where you’re going to move next can be overwhelming.

To make things a little easier on you, we’ve decided to run through University of Minnesota apartments and houses for rent and compile a list of the UMN off-campus housing choices with the most favorable reviews on Google. Continue reading →

When should you look for off-campus housing near Winona State University?
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winona stateThe same thing happens every September in Winona. Students get back to class, and as soon as they start getting adjusted to their new professors and syllabi, they have to start preparing for an even bigger adjustment: a new place to live. It may seem crazy to be thinking about where you will live for the following school year a whole year ahead of time, but if you are a Winona State University student it is something you have to think about.

Thanks to Google and personal experience, we know the best time for undergraduates to start looking is September-early October. You’ll still be able to find housing after this period, but during said time you will find the best deals closer to campus. Continue reading →

High Street Is The Best Street for Partying at Ohio State University
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high street ohio state

This is where it goes down at Ohio State. (Flickr)

We challenge anyone to walk down any street on the Ohio State campus near OSU off-campus housing during game day and not be enticed to party like you’ve never partied before. Whether you’re into house parties, or you like to do your partying at the bar, you’re going to find somewhere to, uh, have a good time in Columbus. Continue reading →

5 Top Rated Blacksburg Landlords: Virginia Tech Off-Campus Housing
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virginia tech off-campus housing

The scenic Virginia Tech campus. (Flickr)

The start of the fall semester at Virginia Tech means college football is finally back in session, college basketball is right around the corner, and housing season is getting started. Students at Virginia Tech begin to look for housing for next year as soon as late September every year. As current and recent students ourselves, we understand the difficulty of finding a house that fits all of your needs, but it’s also important to think beyond just finding the right Virginia Tech off-campus housing options for rent. Finding the right landlord is just as important.

You don’t have to lease from an unresponsive landlord, though. Here are a few key factors to look for in your landlord before signing your lease:

  • Response Time: How quickly do they respond to your calls and emails when you’re setting up a showing? Warning! If you’re having trouble getting in contact with them now, it’s probable that this is going to carry over when you’ve got water leaking from the ceiling after a harsh rainstorm.
  • Online Reviews: If you research your potential future landlord and find nothing but bad reviews, do NOT sign a lease with them. If they received a one-star rating by the majority of their previous tenants, they received it for a reason.
  • Tardiness: If your Virginia Tech off-campus housing landlord is late to show you the house, beware, this is a sign that they do not respect you or your time.
  • Repairs: If you’re viewing a property in Blacksburg that requires maintenance before moving in, make sure to clarify the repair dates before moving in. If they are unsure or do not give you a specific date the repairs will be finished, this could be because they are not in active in maintaining the property.
  • Leasing Contract: If your landlord has passed all of the above, the last step is to review your lease. If there are many errors in your contract, hesitate before signing a lease with them. Shoddy contracts show that they are not knowledgeable in the legal side of property management. Not only could that negatively impact them in the future, but you could also get tied up in unfavorable legal circumstances.

Each landlord interacts with tenants and responds to maintenance issues in their way. To help you have the best housing experience possible, here are a few landlords you might want to consider in the Blacksburg area. Continue reading →

Temple University: 10 Top Philadelphia Landlords
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temple off-campus housing

Temple in downtown Philadelphia. (Flickr)

Everyone is familiar with the horrors of finding a new living arrangement while you’re enrolled in college. There are numerous tales of roommates eating your food and destroying your sleeping habits, the upstairs neighbors who practice league bowling the early hours of the morning, and even something as simple as getting a room the size of your roommate’s closet. All of these are nightmare problems that you wish you would’ve known about. But it doesn’t have to be that way when you look for Temple off-campus housing. There are plenty of quality Temple University off-campus housing with great landlords out there ready to provide you with a place that’s comfortable.

Because we understand the struggles you’re going through; we’ve done our best to make finding your next Temple apartment or house for rent much easier. We researched apartment/house rental property companies around the Philadelphia area near Temple and used their Google Review/Yelp/Whatever Review Service People Actually Left Reviews On scores to give you ten that stand out. Continue reading →

Need Housing In East Lansing? Check Out These Top Rated East Lansing Landlords
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There are many landlords to celebrate around Michigan State. (Flickr)

Moving off-campus for the first time comes with its own bundle of emotions. You’re happy, scared, excited, nervous, maybe you’re hungry, we can’t guess everything you’re feeling. But we do know is that it’s always a struggle to find the right first landlord. No need to fear, (or stress eat) Rent College Pads is here. We searched far and wide looking for the top five rated landlords that provide MSU off-campus housing.

Properties around the Michigan State campus have accumulated tons of reviews on Google. Many other students who once were searching for MSU off-campus housing have taken the time to help you by raving about their landlords. How thoughtful of them. Continue reading →

5 Top Rated Indiana Landlords: IUP Off-Campus Housing
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We’re not going to sugar coat it—signing a lease is a legally binding decision that you’ll most likely be stuck with for the better part of a year. Stressful. Such a serious decision naturally will invoke thoughts of hidden fees, shoddy internet, and noisy neighbors can give students more anxiety than the first day of class.

But don’t bite your fingernails down to jagged stumps quite yet. We sifted through hundreds of reviews on Google left by the past and current tenants and crafted a list of places with only the cleanest of reputations for IUP off-campus housing.  Continue reading →

Best Apartments for Syracuse Students
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'Cuse. Flag. (Flickr)

‘Cuse. Flag. (Flickr)

With all the horror stories you hear about crumbling apartments and shady rental practices, finding the best off-campus housing can make you feel a bit like Nicholas Cage trying to locate the treasure (or a legitimate movie role … Ba-Dum-CH!). The odds seem to be wildly stacked against you, and the pressure of it all can cause you to look and feel a bit nuts.

Lucky for you, you don’t need to solve cryptographs to find what you want. We crawled through hundreds of reviews on Google, Facebook and ApartmentRatings and settled on a list of the top five apartments near Syracuse University. According to our research, we think these Syracuse University Apartments are a pretty safe bet. Continue reading →

Vermont Off-Campus Housing: 5 Top Rated Burlington Landlords
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It gets snowy in Vermont. Be prepared. (Flickr)

It gets snowy in Vermont. Be prepared. (Flickr)

It’s that time of year again to start looking for a new place to live. Trust us, we know this may be your least favorite thing to do before school begins. Even at a school as beautiful as the University of Vermont, trudging through campus to find a place can be a pain. However, worry not, because this guide will help you to find the best landlords to rent Vermont off-campus housing from in Burlington this next year.

As past and present students ourselves, we understand the importance of finding the right landlord. We’ve all been there and signed a lease in which we made the mistake of not doing any research. There’s nothing quite like celebrating a new move with the realization that the kitchen doesn’t have a stove installed. One thing you’ll learn quick is whether or not you’ve moved into a place run by a bad landlord. Continue reading →