There are many factors to consider when looking for your new home: type of housing (apartment vs house), living on your own or with others, unit amenities (laundry, parking), neighborhood (residential vs urban), neighborhood amenities (grocery stores, restaurants, cafes) access to transportation (bike paths, buses), and costs (rent, utilities). Below are some initial resources to help guide you in finding the best housing option for you!  

Types of Housing

University of Oregon Housing

University of Oregon Housing includes apartments and houses owned and managed by the University. 

Pros: easy to rent for international students, close to campus, affordable
Cons: very competitive

Rental Agencies

There are many different rental agencies which are private companies that own and manage multiple properties and units.  

Pros: many units available, can look at multiple units with one agent, more amenities (gym, laundry, utilities, storage) 
Cons: can be more expensive, important to read fine print of lease agreements, may require larger security deposit or co-signer for lease 

Private Landlords

Some homeowners in Oregon rent out entire houses or have an accessory dwelling units (ADU) on their property that they will rent out.  

Pros: personal connection with landlord, many be more flexible, may have access to a yard, may be in a quieter neighborhood 
Cons: may be responsible for setting up utilities, may be responsible for yard care, may not have as many amenities 

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Types of Spaces

Apartment: A set of rooms with separate bedroom(s), bath, kitchen, living room. Most apartments share at least one wall with another unit in the complex. Apartments are often rented unfurnished (without furniture). 

Condominium: Similar to an apartment, but each unit is privately owned. 

Duplex: Two separate houses that join together at one of the outer walls.  Sometimes, a duplex is not much bigger than a one or two-bedroom apartment. 

Full Bath: A bathroom which includes a toilet, sink, and a bathtub or shower. “Half Bathroom,” on the other hand, has a toilet and sink, but no shower. 

Furnished Apartment: An apartment that comes with basic furniture such as a bed, sofa, kitchen table, and chairs, etc. 

House: A multi-room living area (bedrooms, kitchen, dining room, living room, family room) plus a private yard and garage. 

Room in a Shared House: renting a room and living with an individual homeowner, family, or group of other students. You can expect to share general living space like the kitchen, living room, and bathroom.  It is important to understand all the privileges and limitations a private home-owner may want before making any type of agreement. 

Studio Apartment: An apartment where the living room and bedroom are combined into one room, but there is a separate bathroom.  Some studios have a separate kitchen, and some do not. 

Sublease/ Sublet: An agreement whereby a tenant grants possession and use of all or part of the leased property to another party, who is known as the (sub)‘lessee’, ‘subtenant‘ or ‘undertenant’. Subletting may be prohibited by the original lease or require written permission from the landlord. In a sublease, the original tenant, who is now regarded as the ‘sublessor’ or ‘over-tenant’, remains directly responsible for making the rent payments to the landlord. 

Townhouse: Similar to a condo, these units often share at least one wall and are generally three or more floors. 

People 

Apartment Manager: The person in charge of your apartment building. Managers are paid to take care of problems and financial issues (collecting rent, deposits, etc.).  They sometimes also rent out apartments in an apartment complex. 

Co-signer (or Guarantor): Someone who assumes responsibility for a lease with a tenant who otherwise would not meet the landlord’s financial qualifications, such as a parent or relative. 

Landlord: The property owner who rents houses or apartments to tenants. 

Property Management Company: A company that is paid to manage a rental property for the property's owner. The company finds renters and makes sure the renters follow the lease. The company may also provide basic maintenance service. 

Roommate: Someone you share a room, apartment, or house with. The term is used to describe people sharing the same room or living quarters. In the US, the term is also known as housemate. In a dorm setting, it usually means sharing a room, in most other contexts roommates have their own bedrooms but share other spaces within a house or apartment. Ask for clarification if you are unsure.  

Tenant: The person who rents a house or an apartment. 

Other 

Apartment Amenities: This refers to items of convenience or enjoyment that are provided by the apartment, usually at no cost. Examples are: swimming pool, common room, fitness center, etc. 

Lease Agreement: A legal contract between the landlord and tenant that outlines the terms for renting the housing. 

Non-refundable Deposit: Security deposit money that will not be returned. 

Prorated Rent: Rent adjusted for the time spent in the housing. 

Security Deposit: Money that you must pay before you move into the housing. If you damage anything in the rental property, this money will be used to repair the damage to the property. This deposit is sometimes refundable if you have not damaged the property. 

Utilities: Services such as heat, water, electricity, and gas. Sometimes these services are included in rent and sometimes they are not. Make sure your landlord indicates in the lease what utilities are included in rent. If they are not included, you will have to arrange and pay for the utility service directly with the utility companies. 

Common abbreviations related to housing

Apt (apartment) 

BR (bedroom; you will usually see this preceded by the number of bedrooms (i.e., 3BR is an apartment with 3 bedrooms). 

BA (bathroom; you will usually see this preceded by the number of bathrooms, where a “half” bathroom (0.5) is just a sink and toilet with no shower or bathtub. For example, 2.5BA is an apartment with 2 full bathrooms (toilet, sink, and shower or bathtub) and 1 half-bathroom (sink and toilet). 

W/D (washer/dryer) 

pkg (parking)  

AC (air conditioning) 

Util. (gas/electricity/water) 

Util. Incl. (utilities included) 

W/S/G (water/sewage/garbage) 

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