Housing

House-hunting in Boulder

How to find a place to stay in Boulder? (Written by a visiting researcher in September 2013, feel free to update/correct)

General Information

• Centrally located rooms/apartments are hard to get and fairly expensive, if you're leaving the city, rents get lower (also, having a car gets more attractive, but public transport is good)
• Many landlords only offer one-year leases (often starting with the academic year around end of August)
• Finding a room in a shared house/apartment might be easier/more flexible for a short-term-stay

Resources

• www.airbnb.com
  • In 2013, Boulder did not have a hostel and airbnb is a good alternative for a short-term stay during house-hunting
  • Some places on airbnb may be available for longer stays (several weeks to months)
  • Most places work like a shared house/apartment: you get the guest room and share kitchen and bathroom with the regular tenants
  • Fill in your profile and request message with care, as people prefer guests that they find interesting/likable
• http://boulder.craigslist.org/roo/
  • Turnover is very fast, so answer ads soon. If a phone number is given, using the phone may be of advantage.
  • Also, it may be more difficult to find a place from afar, because you cannot see the place and the landlord cannot meet you. Craigslist warns that there have been scams, so you maybe shouldn't send money to reserve a spot.
  • If you have, use a US-american official (university) email address and give a phone number so people know you're not spamming. It seemed to me that the response rate is much higher when doing this.
  • I looked for a room in a shared apartment/house. This might be easier to find for a short-term period than a whole apartment.
• university (graduate or family) housing: http://housing.colorado.edu/residences/graduate-family
  • This may require a certain type of affiliation with the university.
  • Apply early (affordable studio apartments will be gone soon)
  • You should know that 2-room apartments can be shared with other students (talk to family housing about this, or use ralphie's list (see below) to find potential roommates, or maybe ask the university's international office whether there are potential roommates visiting during the same time)
  • In 2013, Newton's Court and Smiley Court seemed to be nice places to stay (locals, please correct/update)
• www.housinghelpers.com
  • This option was recommended by the university to find short-term accommodation
  • Rent seems a little higher than average in exchange for the service and furnished short/mid-term accommodation
  • I didn't end up using their service, so cannot say much more.
• ralphies list: http://ralphieslist.colorado.edu/
  • Is a messaging board for university students to search for roommates, rooms, or buy/sell furniture. Affiliation with the university is required (you need a CU ID/email address to sign up)
  • If you're not enrolled as a regular student, signing up may be more hassle than it is worth..