New graduate students or staff members at the University of Pennsylvania and other colleges in Philadelphia often face a housing predicament. It may be inconvenient or impossible for them to come to town to look for and settle on an apartment in the Spring and early Summer, when rental activity is strong in University City. And, if they show up at the end of August to start school, they're going to be stuck with a meager selection of apartments that nobody else wanted, for instance because of condition, location, housing provider's reputation, or price.

KRF does not recommend renting apartments sight unseen. But, doing so is usually a better alternative than arriving at the last minute. (For September occupancy, any time after the July 4th weekend is late, any time after August 1 is the last minute. Likewise, December is late for January rentals.)

When this is the course of action you take, here are some recommendations:

• If you have friends who are already here, ask them for help. If they're happy with their housing providers, they will probably be able to select an apartment for you and make all the necessary arrangements, including getting a "hold" for a few days while a lease gets mailed out then returned with a deposit.
• If you don't know anyone who is already here, the people with whom you are in contact at your new department will probably be happy to make recommendations. You may not want them to "do the deal" for you, as you might in the event they knew you personally and had an idea of your needs and wants. However, they can probably steer you to a housing provider with a good reputation, who has units available of the type and in the price range you prefer. They should also be able to tell you what to expect in terms of location, conveniences, and general character of the accommodations.
• Understand that off-campus housing in University City can be envisioned as
  1. primarily undergraduate students vs primarily graduate students and non-students;
  2. buildings originally constructed as apartment houses vs those originally intended as single-family homes and converted to apartments. There are all kinds of trade-offs, and the following will give you points not only to consider a priori but also questions you might ask if you're gathering information to make your decision without actually seeing the apartment.
• Properties closest to the Penn, Drexel, and USP campuses tend to be occupied by undergraduates — making them noisier, more expensive, and often less well-maintained than average. Properties an additional block or two from the campuses are more apt to have graduate students and non-students — they'll be less expensive, and they're often quieter; these properties are also more likely to accommodate families with children. This may be good if you have one or more of the little darlings yourself; it may be a source of problems if you don't because other people's little monsters can be noisy when you'd prefer quiet and needful of quiet when you're likely to be noisy. KRF has an "occupancy load" policy (check it out on-line by clicking here) that tries to achieve a balance in such matters. Either way, this is a point you can and should discuss with any potential housing provider.
• Also on the topic of children, if you have school-age kids, you should be aware that there's a "Penn-Alexander School Catchment Area." This is a zone in which renters as well as owner-occupants can send their children to the highly-acclaimed Penn-Alexander School. The school is a joint project of the University of Pennsylvania and the City of Philadelphia which generally provides students with more attention, a more supportive learning environment, fewer disciplinary problems, and other benefits not generally available in the other neighborhood schools. You will probably pay a bit more for housing in the catchment area but people with school-age children generally believe it's a worthwhile expense.
• Potential tenants with young children as well as expectant parents are sometimes concerned about the presence of lead paint in apartments. With few exceptions, all units you're likely to consider in University City or Center City will have been built long enough ago that they were originally and subsequently decorated with lead-based paint. The law allows you to have tests conducted and to void a lease if lead paint is detected (check this out on-line by clicking here to read the KRF "lead paint advisory"). However, as a general rule, you can simply assume that lead paint is present. In most cases, in responsibly-maintained buildings, paint will not be peeling and the lead will be sealed under enough layers of latex paint as not to present a hazard. Ultimately, people who are worried about lead paint should look for accommodations in one of the newer high-rise buildings either in University City or in Center City, or in a relatively-new suburban development. This will be especially true if you're renting sight-unseen without a friend who you can ask to check on the condition of the apartment before you sign a lease.
• Buildings originally constructed as apartment houses typically have conventional apartment layouts and features such as entrance-to-apartment intercoms and entrance door releases, Dumpsters for trash, and high levels of sound- and cooking-odor-proofing up-and-down as well as side to side. The negatives are that you'll have more neighbors and the prices are typically higher than average.
• Buildings originally constructed as single-family homes, which have been converted to apartments, sometimes have odd floor plans, narrow stairways and halls, and less soundproofing between units. Provisions for trash vary, with barrels of some kind usually provided and located in side alleyways, when these exist, or sometimes near the entranceway (all KRF buildings have barrels in side alleys – click here for additional information about our trash management). These units often retain many of the original features of the building, including old woodwork and tile, and exude a charm the more conventional properties don't offer. Kitchens and bathrooms vary considerably, everything from tubs and appliances you thought your grandmother threw away before you were born to the most modern equipment on the market. Apartments in these buildings are typically priced below average, although conversions which retain much of the appeal of a bygone day yet offer all the latest amenities may be expensive.
• All apartment buildings in Philadelphia with more than two units are required by law to have fail-safe smoke detection systems in "common areas" and line-operated (rather than battery-powered) smoke detectors inside every unit at the entrance to all bedrooms. Verify that such equipment is installed in any building you are considering by asking whether the property is in compliance with the 1997 Philadelphia Fire Code.
• In any urban area, safety against intruders is also an issue. The type of building is less of a factor than the provisions made for this purpose. Ground floor apartments usually have window bars, as do units on upper stories if they are accessible via porch roofs, balconies, and so forth. You should ask whether, in fact, these are provided in any apartment you are considering. In bedrooms with barred windows, the Fire Code requires that at least one be a "swing-out" type for emergency evacuation. The entrance door to the building, and the door to your apartment should also have deadbolts ... again, something you can verify before making a decision.

Here's the bottom line. If you have to rent accommodations sight unseen, are unfamiliar with the "look" of an older urban neighborhood, and have misgivings about buildings not originally intended for multifamily occupancy, you might be well advised to opt for a more standard apartment. You'll almost certainly be paying more than you might otherwise, and you probably won't love your apartment, but you aren't likely to hate it either. It's the safe choice when you have no real basis for a decision, akin to buying a brand name rather than something that costs less and may be better ... but you're wary of taking a chance.

Note that apartments in University City are in a "seller's market." The demand exceeds the supply – all the more so when the price is reasonable, the accommodations in good condition, and the housing provider attentive to the needs of tenants. You'll therefore generally be required to sign a lease either for a year or to terminate on the next May 31 and won't be able to negotiate anything with a shorter term (click here to see a sample of a KRF lease). You will probably also be required to pay a security deposit equal to one month's rent, and to prepay the rent for your final month of occupancy.

Most housing providers will agree to a non-penalty contract termination under extraordinary circumstances, or if you find a suitable party to rent in your place (subletting is not a good option for you, the new tenant, or the housing provider). However, if you rent an apartment sight unseen and simply don't like it, either because it just doesn't feel comfortable or it's really at the low end of the spectrum, you may be faced with the prospect of living there as an unhappy camper or of losing your deposit money.