If a student prefers to live on their own, there are several apartment buildings close to campus.
Getting an apartment can take time and money. PIA advises students to have a plan for the first two months of living in Portland while they look at and apply for apartments.
Compared to other US cities, Portland has quite affordable rent prices. However, keep in mind that the average rent for 1-bedroom apartments in Portland is currently $1300 per month.
Before students leave their home country, they should collect the information that US landlords might ask for in apartment applications.
How to Get an Apartment
After students find an apartment building that they like, they need to make an appointment to see the currently available apartments.
Students need to be on time for the tour appointment and ready with identification, such as a passport, as well as any questions about housing needs.
If a student decides that they like an apartment, he or she will need to quickly turn in an application. To apply for an apartment, students will need to give proof that they have enough income to pay the rent for a few months. The apartment manager might ask for a student’s bank statements or ask that someone with work income co-sign the lease with a student. Apartment managers or landlords might also ask for a credit report, a background check, or a student’s rental history. Students might also need to give a reference (in other words, contact information for someone who can say that the student is a reliable person).
There is normally a rental application fee as well. Paying this application fee does not guarantee that a student will get an apartment.
If a student meets the requirements and is accepted by an apartment manager, the student will need to sign a lease. Most leases are one-year contracts that say the renter will pay an agreed rent each month for a year. There is a fee if the renter “breaks the lease” and leaves the apartment early. Some landlords will rent from month to month without a year-long contract, but this is not very common. A lease also has rules that are important for students to understand. If students break these rules, they may have to pay fines, or they may be asked to leave.
When a student pays the first month’s rent, they will also pay a deposit. The deposit is money to pay for any damage to the apartment. If a student does not damage the apartment and pays each month’s rent, they should get their deposit back when they move out. Students also might be asked to pay the last month’s rent when they move in. Students should keep this in mind as they look for apartments. When a deposit, last-month’s rent, and an application fee are added up, a student’s first payment can equal three times a single month’s rent.
Applying for an apartment can take one month or longer, so students should plan to have a place to live for two months from the time that they begin looking for an apartment in the US.
Apartments near Campus
Here are the apartments nearest to PIA. The minimum monthly rent for a one-bedroom apartment at any of these locations will likely be be over $1,000/month.
PIA does not promote any of the following listings, and is only sharing them here because they are near the PIA campus.
Dearborn Terrace Apartments
http://apmportland.com
The Fifty at Division
https://www.livethefifty.com/
The Marc
https://www.anchornw-themarc.com/
Richmond Flats
https://www.anchornwpropertygroup.com/
Below is a link for an apartment search service. Again, PIA is not promoting this service, but it may be useful.
ApartmentList.com
https://www.apartmentlist.com/or/portland