The demand for off-campus housing in Raleigh dramatically increased after NC State Chancellor Randy Woodson announced the closure of on-campus residences Aug. 26. Many apartment complexes benefitted from the large number of students rushing to find housing after moving out of their dorms.
Nikki Grosso, Uncommon Raleigh’s leasing and marketing manager, said campus housing closures affected off-campus living more than the transition to online-only education, which took place Aug. 20.
“Classes moving online had a minimal impact on occupancy,” Grosso said. “However, the closing of on-campus housing impacted the entire off-campus market.”
Halle Speight, a first-year studying communication, moved into Uncommon Raleigh apartment complexes Sept. 1, shortly after campus housing began to close.
“I considered the option of apartment living when classes were moved online but did not look into specifics until after the dorms were closed,” Speight said.
Even though Uncommon just opened up to residents this past fall, the complex is currently housing 340 residents, with availability for only five more residents.
“We offered a variety of special deals this leasing season, but we reduced them at the end of our leasing season due to high leasing velocity,” Grosso said.
Many students were less particular about the style and price of their housing in the wake of on-campus closures.
“After the dorms closed, most students were more concerned about having a place to stay than their floor plan,” Grosso said. “Everyone has their preference, and we always try to accommodate them.”
Olivia Leeson, a first-year studying English with a concentration in film, started looking for an apartment as soon as Woodson announced campus housing would close.
“At first, I was very particular because of how expensive it is to get an apartment,” Leeson said. “I wanted everything to be just right. Once I realized I had limited options and time, I quickly settled for the first apartment that I was able to find.”
At Uncommon, the leasing process normally takes about 24 to 48 hours.
“Once a lease is signed, the screening process begins, but we did encounter a large number of students wanting to move in the same day and did our best to accommodate them all,” Grosso said.
Leeson moved into Valentine Commons Sept. 6, which was the last possible day to move out of the dorms.
“It took me two weeks to find an available apartment,” Leeson said. “Once I found the apartment, it took about three days to finalize everything and sign the lease. This process was extremely rushed. I stressed so much over the possibility of not finding an apartment in time. I would’ve spent a lot more time looking for an apartment if I didn’t have limited time.”
Speight also said the leasing process felt rushed because of the high demand for off-campus housing.
“The leasing process was very frantic,” Speight said. “I didn’t tour any of the apartments because, when I virtually signed my lease, I was in quarantine with COVID-19. A friend of mine said she had an open room and asked if I wanted to join her on the lease, so I said yes. I was definitely scrambling to find somewhere to live before they all filled up so I wouldn’t have to stay home.”
Although living in an apartment comes with many more responsibilities, such as cooking and cleaning, than on-campus residences, many students chose to rent and stay in Raleigh in hopes of staying connected to the campus community during the pandemic.
“I am an out-of-state student, so I wanted the opportunity to stay in Raleigh and be close to campus and feel a bit more normalcy about this school year,” Speight said. “It is such a great opportunity to meet people and stay near NC State’s campus and feel as if you’re still having a more normal school year.”
Leeson echoed Speight’s statement, stating she wanted to live close to campus in order to interact with her friends she met while at NC State
“I think so many students decided to do this because they want to have a college experience and part of the experience is being away from home,” Leeson said.
Grosso said many students stayed in Raleigh for the college experience and to experience independence and living on their own.
“I am a firm believer [that] complexes like Uncommon serve an important role in the college experience that everyone is looking for, including meeting friends and having growing responsibilities,” Grosso said.
