Where Will They Live – Managing the Gap

Managing the Gap

Although it seems like you just moved your student into their dorms, now comes the weird in-between gap time from May to August, where your student is in limbo. If you don’t live close by, chances are, it is silly to move truckloads of stuff home for it to sit in your basement and then hit the road back to college again in three months. Most students choose to sublease apartments in the summer gap if they want to take summer classes, work in Athens, or live with friends until they move into their residence for the school year.

Subleasing is a super-easy way to stay in Athens without making longer than a three-month commitment or if your lease on your school year residence does not start until August. Just ask around and join one of the UGA Facebook groups, UGA/Athens Lease/Sublease, UGA/Athens Lease, Subleases, Roommates Off-Campus Housing & Apartments, and University of Georgia (UGA) Housing, Sublets, & Roommates to keep up with all places that are available. Of course, when working through FB groups, use safe practices.

Another resource is ApartmentsforAthens.com, which is a guide to Athens apartments that meet your lifestyle and budget.

When you sublease, you need to ensure that your move-out date for the sublease and the move-in date for your place in August line up or overlap; that way, you are not stranded in a gap for a few days to a few weeks with nowhere to go. If your student is moving home for the summer, my first piece of advice is to recommend that they start early, bringing or sending any of those things home that need to be at home for however short or long a gap time they have; it will make for lighter work later. While this makes the most sense for those people who are residents of areas close to Athens, it is still smart to bring stuff home with you when visiting your student. After about mid-February, winter clothes and shoes are no longer needed.

It is wise to consider storage for students living far away or out of state. It rarely makes sense for you to lug stuff home and lug it bath three months later, so we recommend using a storage unit. There are plenty of storage places in Athens, and they are big enough for 2-3 people to pitch in and use, lowering the cost. These are also smart for the gap between a sublease and your school year lease. Since most subleases are usually furnished, bringing all your items with you is unnecessary. Putting them in a storage unit is a way to keep them safe and close by to ease the stress of moving in.

Make sure you check out our Storage blog for places nearby.

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