Supporting the journey to off-campus living: Cornell's comprehensive housing resources
At Cornell University, the transition from on-campus to off-campus living represents a significant milestone in students' college experience. While students are required to live on campus or in university affiliated housing for their first two years, they subsequently have the option to either participate in the on-campus housing lottery or endeavor finding off-campus housing in the vibrant Ithaca and Tompkins County communities.
Each year, thousands of Cornell students make their home in off-campus residences, and the university's Housing and Residential Life (HRL) team ensures that support doesn't stop at campus boundaries. Understanding that this transition can be both exciting and challenging, Cornell provides comprehensive resources and guidance to help students navigate this important step toward independence.
Making the move: A supported transition
The shift to off-campus living often marks students' first experience with rental agreements, utility management, and independent living arrangements. Cornell's HRL team has developed an extensive support system to make this transition smoother and more manageable. Through their dedicated resources, students can connect with verified landlords and access valuable information about the rental process.
Key support services include guidance on housing search strategies, information about different Ithaca neighborhoods, tips for understanding and signing leases, resources for establishing safe living environments and advice on managing tenant responsibilities.
Comprehensive resources for the Cornell community
Cornell's off-campus living support extends beyond just students to include faculty and staff, offering a wide array of resources designed to ensure successful off-campus living experiences. The university maintains an extensive database of rental listings and provides detailed information about various housing options in the greater Ithaca area.
The HRL team has developed comprehensive guides covering essential topics such as the housing search process, lease education and support, living successfully off-campus, safety and security, and monthly budgeting.
Special considerations and additional support
The university also provides guidance on specific situations that students might encounter, including subletting procedures and requirements, conflict resolution with landlords or roommates, maintenance request protocols, and legal resources and tenant rights.
This fall, Yoolae Rho, a senior in the School of Industrial and Labor Relations, found herself moving into an off-campus apartment that began triggering her asthma and causing health problems immediately. Without knowing where to turn for help, she discovered the off campus living resources through a parent’s Facebook group and reached out for assistance on what to do to help remediate the situation.
“Balancing school work with landlord issues has definitely been difficult, but [Housing and Residential Life] made the transition very doable. Just knowing that they are there to inform me of my rights and the next steps I should take has been a breath of fresh air, and it takes a whole level of stress off of me.” says Yoolae.
Through these comprehensive resources, Cornell demonstrates its commitment to supporting students throughout their entire academic journey, whether they live on or off campus. The university's approach recognizes that successful off-campus living requires more than just finding a place to live – it involves understanding and managing various aspects of independent living while maintaining academic success.
The HRL team continues to expand and update its resources based on student feedback and changing needs, ensuring that the Cornell community has access to the most relevant and helpful information for their off-campus living experience. By providing these extensive resources and support services, Housing and Residential support team members such as Denise Thompson, Assistant Director of Off Campus Living, help students develop important life skills while creating positive living experiences in the greater Ithaca community.
For Yoolae, working with the off campus living team in Housing and Residential Life was very smooth. “I didn't expect all that support from the team. I thought it would just one meeting or one email to help me draft an response to the landlord. But, Denise (Thompson) has genuinely been like a parent throughout my process here, she's helped me countless times.”
For students considering the move to off-campus housing, the university encourages early planning and utilization of available resources to ensure a smooth transition and successful living experience in the vibrant Ithaca community. This transition can be an exciting and important milestone, and the team at Housing and Residential Life is there to support our Cornell community every step of the way. Explore the available resources online at the off-campus living website, or reach out to housing@cornell.edu to learn more about support services available.