The Department of Housing and Residence Life wants you to make UVU your "Home Sweet Home." Use the resources found here to make the most of your time here and #LoveWhereYouLive!
Identifying Off-Campus Housing in the Orem/Provo area can be challenging, and we want to ensure that you have a few resources to help you through the process. Please give yourself ample time—about two to three months to search for Off-Campus Housing. This website will assist you in your transition to living in off-campus student housing and help you understand your rights and responsibilities as a renter. Browse our website or stop by our office on campus to start your search and learn about off-campus housing information!
Steps to find housing while attending UVU:
Most student housing properties in the area lease by the bed so that you do not need to find roommates. If you don’t know anyone, some student housing properties provide roommate-matching services, so make sure you ask the management directly if you are interested in roommate matching. You can also use online tools and social media sites to help connect you with other students who will be attending Utah Valley University or you can use the Roommate System on Rent College Pads to post your roommate profile and search other UVU student profiles. The database is only accessible to UVU students. You will be required to login using your UVU student information.
Use our preferred classifieds system, Rent College Pads to buy and sell housing contracts. Rent College Pads can help you find the perfect place to live! Rent College Pads works to help college students at UVU find the best off-campus housing options near campus. Their listings feature apartments and houses for rent. Some key features include:
Posting with Rent College Pads classified system may increase the chances of your housing advertisement being viewed.
Why doesn't UVU have on-campus dorms?
Utah Valley University believes in maximizing the use of off-campus resources and supports efficient processes already established within the local housing community. Through our support of local businesses, Utah Valley University helps to establish revenue within the local economy by not competing against the local housing market. Through off-campus housing, we believe UVU engages the community in mutually beneficial collaboration while students are here attending school. UVU has no interest in owning and operating its own student apartments or dormitories at this time. We do partner with complexes near UVU to provide a quality “college experience” for our students through our Residential & Wolverine Community Leadership program. If UVU were to own and operate its own student housing complexes, it would dramatically increase our tuition rate; thus, we believe the market at play is the best way to keep costs affordable and complexes appealing to our students.
How Do I Search For A Place To Live?
On our homepage you will find links to our Housing Map and Housing Booklet. These two PDFs will provide you with information on each of the complexes surrounding UVU, as well as provide you with their contact information. We also recommend using College Pads to find available contracts or subleases. If you are looking for Married/Family or Graduate/Professional housing , check out the Housing Search page for links to useful websites and our Married/Family and Graduate/Professional housing brochures.
How Do I Find Housing Options That Are Located Near UVU's Main Campus?
Please use the Housing Map which can be found on the homepage of our website, to help you find properties that are located near Utah Valley University. Statistics show that students who live closer to campus can better manage their time and show greater success in their schooling.
Do I Have To Live In "University-approved" Housing?
The university does not claim any housing boundaries and does not sponsor, contract, endorse, approve, or certify any housing on or off-campus. Please note, any student housing that states or markets that it is approved by the university is not authorized to do so, by Utah law. Students may live wherever they choose while attending Utah Valley University.
Is It Possible To Find Housing Without Coming To The Area In Person?
While possible, it is not advised to commit to a housing contract before looking at the unit in person or without meeting the landlord. Students can search for available spaces for rent by using College Pads, but we recommend making contact with the landlord or management and physically looking at the potential rental property before agreeing to sign a lease or paying a security deposit. Viewing the rental unit in person enables you to see if the property meets your living standards and gives you an opportunity to develop a direct relationship with the landlord or management.
Do Students Have To Live Within A Certain Area Or Boundary?
No, students may live wherever they choose while attending UVU. Because the university does not have any rules regarding housing boundaries, students may live in apartments, townhomes, condos, homes, basement apartments, studios, etc.
Does Financial Aid Cover Off-campus Housing?
There are some types of financial aid that cover living expenses while attending Utah
Valley University, however, it is not guaranteed with all forms of financial aid.
Financial aid is based on the full cost of college, including room and board, not
just tuition and fees. But the amount of financial aid is reduced by a measure of
your ability to pay. Financial aid packages usually include loans, which have to be
repaid (with interest). The amount of financial aid depends on financial need, which
is defined as the difference between the cost of attendance and the expected family
contribution (EFC). The EFC is a measure of ability to pay based on the family income
and assets. It is determined after the student submits the Free Application for Federal
Student Aid (FAFSA) and other financial aid application forms. In order to find out
which types of financial aid may apply to off-campus housing, please contact the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office at:
Location: Browning Administration Building (BA-105)
Phone: 801-863-8442
Email: [email protected]
Fax: 801-863-8448
How Do I Find A Roommate?
Most student housing properties in the area lease by the bed so that you do not need to find roommates. If you don’t know anyone, some student housing properties provide roommate-matching services, so make sure you ask the management directly if you are interested in roommate matching. If you would like to choose who you room with you can use online tools such as College Pads' find a roommate tool and social media sites to help connect you with other students who will be attending Utah Valley University.
Where Is The Best Place To Live?
We would like to say, but unfortunately Utah Valley University and the Department of Housing and Residence Life are regulated and funded by Utah State Law, which means that UVU cannot show bias by recommending one business over another. Our department is here to provide the best information possible so that students can choose which housing options are the most suitable. We recommend that students choose what criteria are important to them when determining the best place to live and to visit many housing options before signing a contract.
Where Is The Cheapest Place To Live?
The local housing market fluctuates in pricing quite frequently. Often we find that housing rates regularly change with student enrollment, new complexes entering the market, and market competition that often tries to give rental discounts to students in order to compete. This makes it difficult for our department to determine which locations are cheapest, so the university does not provide information directly related to what is “the cheapest place.” Students will need to take time to shop around and determine price based on their budget. Please remember, when shopping for student housing, always ask if there is a current promotion or deal. Students may also find pages 14 & 15 of our housing booklet (see link in the housing search info above), useful to quickly browse apartments that fit their budget.
Where Do I Go For Legal Help If I'm Having Landlord Or Roommate Problems?
Students at Utah Valley University may use the free mediation service through the
Ombuds located in the Office of Judicial Affairs and Dispute Resolution. This is a
tool that can be utilized to help resolve disputes that may arise between a tenant
and a landlord. For further information on this service, please contact the Ombuds by phone or email.
Location: UVU Student Life and Wellness Center
Phone: 801-863-7237
Email: [email protected]
Are Students Able To Break Their Leases Or Contracts?
Unless your lease contains a clause describing such a period, you will be legally bound to the conditions of your lease upon signing it. This is why it is important to make sure that the prospective rental property is up to your standards before signing the lease.
How Long Are Average Leases?
Most leases near the university run for either a 9-month period (academic year) or 12-month period (full calendar year). Although the following lease start times are the most common, contracts may start anytime during the year.
Are There Leases Available Just For The Summer?
Summer leases are a popular option for many students because this allows students to obtain housing usually for a 3-month period from May through July. These summer contracts usually come with significant rental discounts, which allow students from out-of-state or those living at home to experience the “true college experience” at a significantly lower cost. Out-of-state students get an extra benefit in the summertime because UVU tuition is waived for in-state status, which makes school very affordable for these students during the summer.
Who Pays The Utilities?
Sometimes certain utility charges are included in the cost of rent. However, any utilities included in the rent should be indicated directly in the lease. Some complexes will have a fixed utility rate on top of rent while others will have a fluctuating rate depending on usage. If utilities are not included, tenants may be required to set up utility services directly with each utility company. When searching for possible rentals, remember to factor utility costs into your budget.
What If I Have Not Received My "Renters Deposit" Refund?
Please see the following link to the Utah State Code. Under the law, this code includes a form for tenants to use, called the "TENANT'S NOTICE TO PROVIDE DEPOSIT DISPOSITION."
Where Can I Post My Contract For Sale?
We recommend you post your lease on College Pads under the subleases tab.
You can also place an ad online with several third-party search engines such as Facebook
Marketplace, KSL Classifieds, etc.
Rent College Pads is not an affiliate or unit of Utah Valley University. The only relationship between UVU, the Off-Campus Housing and Residence Life Department is a contractual relationship. Through this relationship, Rent College Pads works with off-campus housing properties to collect information on apartment listings to assist students with their search for off-campus housing. Neither Utah Valley University nor Rent College Pads are authorized to act as agent for the other.
UVU does not condone or authorize false statements, regarding the university. UVU does not allow certain verbiage to be used in housing classified advertisements: UVU Housing, UVU Off-Campus Housing, UVU Student Housing, UVU Apartments, UVU Rental, UVU House, UVU Approved, UVU Sponsored, UVU Certified or UVU Contracted.