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Renting Near Rutgers New Brunswick-Area Campuses

The demand for private, off-campus housing in areas surrounding Rutgers' New Brunswick and Piscataway campuses is very high and seems to grow more acute every year.

Towns closest to the campuses (New Brunswick, Highland Park, Piscataway) are the most desirable locations. Consequently, market demand for rental housing is highest in those areas. A large percentage of yearly leases are tied to the academic year. The majority of rentals become available during the latter part of May and June with leases starting on June 1and July 1. This is the best time to search for a rental, especially in Highland Park and New Brunswick. A smaller number of rentals become available in mid-August for availability on September 1, but the selection is not as great and competition is intense.

Areas farther from the campus (North Brunswick, Edison, Metuchen) are less influenced by the academic calendar and have more rentals available at all times of the year. If you don't mind being a little farther from campus, you will generally find good values and more reasonable rents. A tip here is to search for rentals close to NJ Transit stations on the North East Corridor line (Jersey Avenue, Edison, Metuchen, Metropark). All of these stations feature frequent service to New Brunswick (all under 10 minutes travel time) where you can walk one block to the College Avenue campus in 2-3 minutes or transfer to the campus bus system.

Sources of rentals

There are a number of ways in which rentals are marketed to the public. You should know with whom you are dealing before you even visit a property.

Rental Listing Services - Fee Based

These companies compile lists of rental properties and will sell these lists for a fee. Generally, they compile these lists from newspaper ads and other public sources. There is no guarantee that their listed properties are available and they provide no service other than selling information.

Real Estate Agencies - Commission Based

Real estate brokerages, like RE/MAX Country, are staffed by state-licensed professionals. Their rental listings are made available by the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) of their local area and are shared by all agents in all brokerages - that is, all licensed Realtors® who are members of the MLS of Middlesex County have access to the same information. In addition, some brokerages have "exclusive" listings that are not shared on the MLS. These listings may not appear on any other source (newspapers, or the Off Campus Housing Service website mentioned below) so your rental search should also include a visit or a call to a licensed real estate brokerage.

Yes, there is a fee! Real estate agents work on commission, so when you inquire about a rental and you're not sure if you're speaking to a Realtor®, ask if there is a rental fee. There is no fee due unless the agent helps you to secure a rental from an MLS listed property or one of their own exclusive listings. Agent commissions are usually equal to one month's rent. Sometimes the renter pays the entire commission and sometimes the landlord pays half or all of the commission. The split varies with each listing. You need to ask your agent what the commission is up front on each listing. Contact us for help in finding rentals.

Rental Listing Services - Non Fee Based

Probably the most comprehensive information resource for all campuses is the Rutgers Off Campus Housing Service website. Landlords and agents list their rentals here. It's updated many times a day, so you need to check frequently to stay abreast of the latest openings. Click here to visit the the OCHS website.

Landlords who list their rentals directly on this service pay a fee to Rutgers for advertising their rentals, so there is no commission or fee charged to the renter. Some real estate agents list their rentals here as well. When dealing with an agent, the commission fee structure described above usually prevails. A Realtor® who advertises a rental on the Off Campus Housing Service website is required by law to disclose that he or she is a Realtor® (and thus a rental fee or commission may be incurred) in the listing advertisement.

About Landlords

Landlords (and agents acting on behalf of landlords) will usually want prospective tenants to undergo a credit check (everyone who will be living in the property and whose name will be on the lease) and provide employment verification. The fee for a credit check is around $25 per person. If you are a student, be prepared to provide proof of current enrollment in lieu of employment verification and letter(s) of reference (summer employers, clergy, etc. are good sources). If you have no credit history or a negative credit history, you may be asked to have a parent co-sign the lease. The co-signer will have legal responsibility to the landlord to make rental payments according to the terms of the lease. To learn more about landlord / tenant relations and responsibilities of each party, read up on Tenants' Rights.

When to start looking

Understand that landlords are businesspeople - they are in business to generate rent from their apartments. Therefore, when you see a rental advertised, you should assume that it is immediately available and the landlord wants it rented immediately. Asking a landlord in January to "reserve" an apartment until you are ready for it in May or June just isn't going to happen. When you know your move-in date, count back 5 to 7 seven weeks and begin your search then. In that way, you will be among the first to see all the rentals that will be available when you are ready to move in.

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