There’s nothing harder for a college student to obtain than his or her own apartment, well besides a degree in four years.Many full-time students are old enough to seek independence, yet young enough to stumble along the way. They face the age-old dilemma of finding an affordable place with only a part-time job’s salary.

“(Rental) communities want you to have a monthly gross that’s three times the amount of rent,” says real estate agent Troy L. DePont. “Being right out of high school, going into college, (students) can’t go to school full time and work full time, and have that three times income.”

The average rental price for a two-bedroom apartment in Sacramento is around $700 – $800 a month. Fat chance of finding a bunch of co-eds who make three times that amount every month. Even with a roommate to help foot the bill, that kind of price tag can burn a serious hole in anyone’s wallet.

Gonzalo Torres, a sophomore family consumer science major, had a tough time finding an affordable place on a limited budget.

“I would expect Sacramento to be inexpensive, but it turns out that it wasn’t,” explains Torres. “Location-wise, there were a lot of vacant places available, but it was mostly the price I was concerned about.”

Originally from Williams, California, Torres moved from his parents’ house in Williams, California to live closer to Sac State, and the transition was anything but smooth. His newfound freedom came with new worries and more stress, even with a few roommates.

“I had a lot of responsibilities I didn’t have at home.” Torres said. “I had to pay my own bills. I had to clean my own place. There wasn’t anyone there to do it for me. If I didn’t pay rent, it was going to affect me.”

When young people leave home for the first time, they usually like to live it up, but the consequences can cost them dearly.

“Set your priorities straight,” warns sophomore Sung Yi. “Pay bills first. Don’t spend all your money partying, and make sure you have enough money for bills and rent. It’s pretty easy to lose focus when you don’t live with your parents.”

Even if their kids don’t live with them anymore, parents often remain a part of their financial lives. Generally, parents who are homeowners with a really good credit history can sign an agreement to pay a portion of the rent.

Having them co-sign helps lighten a starving student’s load. Before getting a place, a renter has to qualify, which involves having a good credit history and no prior evictions. Being too liberal with a charge card can put a serious crimp in a renter’s plans.

I have (worked with) a few 23 year old who’ve already filed bankruptcy. That’s not good.” Said DePont.

In some cases apartment owners will compensate for a potential renter’s deficiencies by charging a higher deposit, which, in many cases, the parents end up paying.

A word of caution: after finding a place to call home, beware of rent increases. A $620 apartment can become a $690 apartment a few months later.

“Once I found an apartment in a desirable area I felt safe in,” recounts junior Shaelomena Jones. “I stayed there for about three and half months, but then rent started go up, even though there weren’t any improvements made on the property. Now it was really expensive”

When a student rents an apartment, he or she signs a lease, which is an agreement to pay a certain amount of rent money or a specified period of time. Once the lease expires, the owners are free to raise the rent. Jones eventually moved out and, luckily for her, she had someone watching out for her and a friend got her in to another place.

“If you’re smart, you’ll take the longest lease that you can,” said DePont. “I’ve seen properties increase $150. How do you fit that into your budget?”

The off-campus housing office in the student union offers a lengthy listing of apartments in the Sacramento area, some of which are for low-income renters, or specifically Sac State students.

The College Town Apartment complex, for example, is set aside just for hornets looking for a place to nest. However, the demand is high, and vacancies fill up quickly. Anyone looking for a single bedroom apartment there will be put on a five to ten year waiting list.

The situation is about the same for other communities set aside only for hornets.

Finding a one-bedroom vacancy is like finding a needle in ten haystacks, so it’s best to hook up with roommates and shoot for a double or triple bedroom set up. There are usually more vacancies during the spring semester, because enrollment is lower then. To get a place ready for fall, students should start looking right now or in the early summer.