By the time Bryanna Boone renewed her Skyloft lease Monday to stay in her apartment for the next year, a waitlist had already amassed for her unit. Although she managed to keep the room, the early renewal period created stress for Boone, who wanted to weigh her housing options, before committing to re-signing. 

“We were freaked out initially because we wanted to do looking — because it’s hard to comb through all the various housing situations here,” said psychology sophomore Boone. “I was just not prepared at all when they (said), ‘You’re going to have to sign within 48 hours.” 

West Campus apartment complexes typically ask students to renew their leases in late September or early October, housing scout Ryan Gomillion said. Because campus rentals align their leases with the academic school year, landlords need sufficient time to lease their buildings by August since people rarely move into apartments later in the school year, McCombs lecturer Lance Sallis said. 

These renewal periods are not the last chance students have to live at the same apartment, but after this period, their rooms open for other prospective renters. 

“It’s almost like (selling) a gallon of milk,” Sallis said. “Once the milk date expires. It’s worthless, student housing apartments are more like that once school starts; your apartment (is) pretty worthless.” 

Biology junior Jada McGibbon decided not to renew her lease at the Standard when the apartment sent out renewal offers within the first weeks of school. She said although early renewals provide opportunities to those wanting to renew, they are stressful for those apartment hunting, like herself.

“If you see that other people are renewing leases … you’re going to stress (thinking), ‘Oh, I’m not going to find anywhere because everyone else is renewing,” McGibbon said. 

Apartments want to fill vacancies before winter break when students go out of town and can no longer tour, Gomillion said. 

“It does obviously put pressure on students who are leasing to make up their mind to stay there or not pretty quickly,” Gomillion said. “(But) I don’t really see there being an alternative.” 

Psychology sophomore Jesseca Romo said the Axis apartment complex put up fliers and sent an email about renewing, but she chose not to sign a lease yet.

“I just moved into my first apartment, so it’s weird having to go ahead and find what you’re going to do for the next year already,” Romo said. 

Sallis said early leases are easier for landlords and students. Students could re-sign later, but they would lose guaranteed housing, Sallis said. He said when the landlords know the amount of vacancies in their complexes, it increases transparency for students looking to move in. 

Boone said renewal dates should be later and apartments should be more clear about re-signing deadlines. 

“It was like fear mongering because they had a bunch of language that sounded threatening, but it wasn’t super specific,” Boone said.  “I just had no idea the renewal date was coming up until they put all these fliers up.”