Set Up Housing

Determine Your Budget

In the city of Logan, the following formula can help you estimate the monthly cost of living off-campus:

Price of Rent

+ $200 for utilities per property (electricity, water, Internet, etc.)

+ $200-250 for groceries (depending on how much you eat)

+ Your cost of transportation (free if you walk or ride the bus)

= $Your monthly cost for off-campus housing

 

These costs are estimates of typical student budgets and reflect a realistic expectation of these costs alone. Additional costs to consider:

• Medical payments
• Personal shopping
• Vacation & travel funds
• Other

Please visit Funding Requirements to learn more about your overall expected costs for attending school in the United States.

Decide What Area of Town to Live In

• If you'd like to walk to campus, try to locate rental properties in the green areas of the map.
• If you're okay with riding the bus to campus, try to locate rental properties in the purple areas of the map.
• Be sure to select an area of town that is a nice distance to shopping, grocery stores, and to the USU campus and classroom buildings.
• You can use Google Maps to compare locations on this map to the addresses of properties you are considering renting.

Find Several Properties You Like

RentCollegePads - Logan Apartment-Finding Tool

This is an online tool to help new incoming students search for housing in Logan that matches their needs. If you would like to use this tool, visit RentCollegePads.

Verified Property Management Agencies

Selecting a property in Logan using the Internet can be difficult since some individuals create false property listings in order to trick and steal from unsuspecting victims.

The following list of online housing websites can be confidently used to locate appropriate off-campus housing:

• Catalyst Property Management
• Cold-Well Banker Property Management
• Logan Preferred Property Management
• Apartment Guide Property Management

Trusted Classified Websites

• Utah College Housing Classifieds

Unverified Housing Websites

We discourage students from using Craigslist.com, ApartmentList.com, Rentals.com and other open-posting classified sites in order to avoid becoming the victim of false advertising.

Ask a lot of Questions

Off-Campus Housing Questionnaire

The Off-Campus Housing Questionnaire is a useful tool that can be used to ask extremely important questions to landlords before paying any application fees.

If you choose to sign a lease before receiving answers to all of these questions, you may discover frustrating obligations that you are legally bound to fulfill.

Within the state of Utah, it is legal for landlords to not allow smoking or consuming alcoholic beverages within the homes they rent out to tenants. If you smoke or use alcohol, please be sure to check with your landlord that this is okay before signing a lease.

Viewing the Property

It is strongly recommended that students view the property in person before signing a lease. However, if you will be unable to view the property in person, be sure to have the landlord answer all of the questions on the Off-Campus Housing Questionnaire. This is a crucial aspect to having a great tenant experience.

Off-Street Parking

During the winter months (November through February) in the city of Logan, it is illegal to park overnight on any public city street. This allows snow plows to effectively clear the streets of snow during the night. Be sure to ask your landlord what off-street parking will be provided to you during the winter months.

Sign A Lease/Pay Deposit & Rent

Signing a Lease

When signing a lease, understand that it is a binding contract that you are legally obligated to fulfill. As such, before signing any lease documents, please be sure to read the entire document and understand all of the provisions that you are agreeing to. If you have questions about the wording or content of the lease, please ask your landlord to explain it to you.

If the landlord makes verbal promises not reflected in the lease, ask the landlord to put such promises in writing. Non-written agreements are not legally binding and cannot be prosecuted in court.

Once you have signed a lease, be sure to retain a copy for your own records.

Security Deposit & Deposit Refund

A "security deposit" is common in the United States and asks the tenant to pay a set amount of money prior to moving in, usually equal to the price of renting the property for one month. The purpose of this security deposit is to ensure payment for any damage to the property during a tenant's stay. When signing a lease, property managers (landlords) usually require payment of the first month's rent and payment of a security deposit.

The security deposit is often fully refundable only if the property is returned to the manager in as good of condition as when the tenant first moved in. Here are some tips for ensuring that you get as much of your security deposit back as possible:

1. As soon as you move-in, start making a list of any damage, wear, or filth that you find on the property. Common issues are nail holes in the walls, broken door knobs and window locks, torn window screens, chipped or peeling paint, stains on the carpets, dirty appliances, and broken window blinds. Often times, a form detailing this information is provided upon move-in.
2. If you like to hang pictures, be sure to check with your property manager about their policy regarding holes in the walls. Many will only allow tenants to use very small nails to hang pictures, and this is a good way to keep the walls looking good. Another alternative is Command Strips or wall putty.
3. Always keep the range-top (stove) drip pans wrapped in clean tin foil.
4. Keep food and drinks off carpeted areas to avoid difficult-to-clean spills.
5. Before moving out, ask your property manager for a cleaning list of everything that they expect to be cleaned before vacating the property. Be sure to exceed their expectations, as dirty properties are one of the major ways that property managers are able to retain the security deposit.

Rent Payment

Many property managers charge a late fee if you do not submit your rent payment by the deadline. Be sure to pay your rent on time in order to avoid a costly fee and to remain on good terms with your landlord.

Set Up Utilities

City of Logan Utilities

To obtain utility services (electricity, water, garbage pickup) within the City of Logan, tenants must visit the utility billing office after signing a property lease to fill out a service request form. Here is the address for the Utility Office:

Logan City Utilities Office

290 N 100 W

Logan, UT 84321

If you are unable to visit the utility office to set up services, simply call +1(435)716-9208.

You will need to bring the following to the utility office in order to set up services:

1. A picture identification card (e.g. a passport)
2. A list of three personal references (faculty members, advisors, employers, family members, or friends) with their name, address, and phone number.
3. $100.00 for a Utilities Security Deposit (required).

For more information about setting up utilities, visit the City of Logan webpage or check out In My Area for information about different utility providers in the area. You should also check out this  Choose Energy blog post to learn great information about how to read a utility bill.

Move In

Congratulations! You're all done!

As you settle in to your new home, please remember to be considerate of roommates and neighbors in regards to cleanliness and noise. Generally, within the United States, it is expected that no loud music or parties will take place after 10pm. Also, please be sure to come to a clear understanding with roommates about who will be responsible for keeping shared areas of the residence clean.

Additionally, if you are experiencing troubles with loud, disruptive, or messy neighbors or roommates, please speak with your landlord. If you experience an extremely disruptive or dangerous situation, please contact local law enforcement officers. Within the United States, law enforcement officials are generally very helpful, friendly, and considerate.