Introduction for Incoming Students

To Incoming Students:

Congratulations on your decision to attend Minnesota State University, Mankato.  We hope that you enjoy your experience as a member of our university community.  Deciding where to live while enrolled at Minnesota State University, Mankato is an important decision and one that should be made well before your arrival.  This resource is intended to answer your questions about where to live and how to go about making arrangements.

Resources
For information about on-campus housing (residence halls), visit www.mnsu.edu/reslife.  

For information about off-campus housing, visit www.mnsu.edu/och.  There, you will find many housing options.  These options include apartments most popular with MSU students.  If you have questions about the apartments, please contact the specific property managers directly, as the university does not manage or own the off-campus properties.  On this site, you’ll also find a “Roommate Finder” tool that should be helpful if you don’t yet have a roommate.

Applying for a Room or Apartment 

To live on campus, please complete a housing reservation request on the Residential Life website, www.mnsu.edu/reslife, and submit a $250 USD prepayment.  To secure a space, it is highly recommended that you submit an application early in the semester prior to your anticipated arrival.

If you wish to live off-campus, you must submit an application and, in most cases, an application fee of $35-$100 USD to the property manager.  Off-campus apartment availability is greater than on-campus living, but it is still recommended that students submit their application materials as soon as they know where they wish to live.  In order to reserve an apartment, you will most likely be required to submit a security deposit.  The amount of the deposit could be as high as one month’s rent.  If you sign a lease and choose to cancel it before moving in, you will lose your deposit, and you may be responsible for other financial penalties.  In most cases, when you move out of your apartment, the cost of any damages to your apartment will be deducted from your deposit, and the balance will be refunded to you.

Length of the Agreement

If you choose to live on campus, you will sign an agreement for the entire academic year. If you choose to move out of your room before the end of the year, you will still be obligated to pay for it.  

If you choose to live off campus, you will most likely have to sign a 12-month lease.  Most leases begin on or around August 15 and end on the following July 31.  Depending on your arrival date, you may be able to find an apartment that is ready before this date, but there is no guarantee that one will be ready.  At the end of the next academic year, you will still be responsible for paying for the summer months (June and July), regardless of whether or not you are taking classes.  Be sure to ask apartment complex leasing agents about the length of the lease.

Individual or Full-Apartment Lease
If you live on campus, the agreement you sign pertains only to you.  You are not responsible for any of your roommate’s financial obligation. If you live off campus, you may be offered an individual lease.  In this case, your agreement will state how much you, on your own, are responsible for paying for the space.  The other option students may encounter is the group lease.  A group lease obligates all those named on it for collectively paying the full rent amount. In this case, the property manager will not care who makes the payment, as long as it is received in-full.  If you or your roommate are unable to pay their portion of the rent, the other person may still be held responsible for making sure that the property manager is paid the full amount.

Roommates
If you live on campus, you may select a specific roommate.  If you choose to live off-campus, you may want to sign a lease with a friend, or find a new roommate in the Roommate Finder section of the off-campus housing website.  International students may also be contacted by representatives from MSU’s International Student Association (ISA), and they may join ISA’s Facebook group.  On there, students may connect with other international students who may be looking for roommates, as well.  Our offices do not provide roommate matching services for students living off campus.

Utility Expenses
If you choose to live on campus, the amount you pay includes all utility services, including electricity, water, heat, cable, internet, and laundry.  If you choose to live off campus, your rent amount may not include these services.  Most utility providers will send you an additional bill that you will be responsible for paying every month.

Move-In and Move-Out Dates
If you choose to live on campus, move-in date is officially set as the Thursday before Fall semester classes begin.  Based upon readiness of the residence halls, earlier move-in may be arranged for international students.  This earlier date, once it is known, will be provided to the Kearney International Center staff.  Move-out day is the last day of final exam week.  Your room fee does not cover the break between fall and spring semesters.  During the winter break, you may stay in your residence hall room for an additional fee.  

If you choose to live off-campus, your property manager will let you know your move-in date when you sign your lease agreement.  It is usually sometime between August 1 and 15 or January 1 and 10, depending on when you are arriving.  You are not required to vacate an off-campus apartment during the winter break.

We hope that you find this resource helpful.  If you have further questions, please feel free to visit our websites.

Sincerely,