Housing
Finding Housing
Housing is a primary concern for anyone coming to a new place. Here you will find links to resources and descriptions of common types of housing and housing-related terminology.
On-Campus Housing
Short Term Housing
Long Term Housing
Types of Housing
Common Housing Terminology
On Campus Housing
OSU offers a limited amount off on-campus housing for visiting scholars. Visit the University Housing & Dining (UHDS) website for more information http://oregonstate.edu/uhds/scholar-housing
Short-Term Housing
Corvallis has several options for short-term stay within 5 miles (8 kilometers) of the Oregon State campus. Contact the proprietor or business directly to make a reservation using a credit card.
- Hilton Garden Inn
(adjacent to OSU)
2500 SW Western Blvd
Phone: (541) 752-5000
Fax: (541) 752-5001 - Holiday Inn Express
781 Northeast 2nd Street
Phone: (541) 752-0800
Fax: (541) 752-0060 - Best Western
925 NW Garfield
Phone: (541) 758-8571
Fax: (541) 758-8571 - Comfort Suites Corvallis
1730 NW 9th
Phone: (541) 753-4320
Fax: (541) 754-0535 - Super 8
407 NW 2nd St.
Phone: (541) 758-8088
Fax: (541) 758-8237 - Days Inn
1113 NW 9th St.
Phone: (541) 754-7474
Fax: (541) 754-2437 - The Depot Suites *by the week or by the month
700 SW Washington
Phone: (541) 754-6506
or toll free at 877-754-6506 - Towne House Motor Inn
350 SW 4th St.
(541) 753-4496
Fax: (541)753-4497
You can find more hotels in the Corvallis' visitor's guide or in the Corvallis telephone directory. The Visit Corvallis website has links to many other options as well.
Long-Term Housing
If you plan to live in off-campus housing, you should expect to spend several days locating and settling in to an apartment or room in a house. Off-campus rental housing is advertised in the following places:
- The Corvallis Gazette Times: local newspaper. Find advertisements for rentals in the classified section.
- Dex Yellow Pages: Online directory. Search for "property management companies" and "Corvallis" for listings of many useful companies.
- OSU faculty occasionally rent their homes out while on sabbatical.
- Craigslist: Online local classifieds and forums for 450 cities worldwide.
- The Depot Suites: fully furnished beautifully decorated apartments provide the perfect temporary housing, walking distance from OSU. For rent by the week or by the month.
- At Home in Oregon: offering fully-furnished 2-4 bedroom apartments and condominiums for rent by the week or by the month.
- The GEM: fully furnished studios, lofts, one bedroom and multi-bedroom apartments for OSU graduate students, upper classmen and OSU faculty / staff.
- Visit Corvallis: A listing of long and short term housing options.
- Renter's Guide available at the Memorial Union on campus.
- City of Corvallis Rental Housing Program - A resource for people who have rental issues or concerns
Types of Housing
Apartment: A set of rooms with separate bedroom(s), bath, kitchen, living room. Some apartments are advertised as "furnished". This means that a minimum amount of furniture is included with the rental. Most apartments are rented unfurnished (without furniture).
Studio Apartment: An apartment with a separate bathroom and kitchen. The living room and bedroom are combined into one room.
Quad: A set of four apartments grouped together with shared bathroom and kitchen.
Duplex: Two separate houses that join together at one of the outer walls.
Condominium: Similar to an apartment, but each unit is privately owned.
House: Multi-room living area (bedrooms, kitchen, dining room, living room, family room) plus a private yard and garage.
Common Housing Terminology
Apartment manager: The person in charge of your apartment building. Managers are paid to take care of problems and financial issues (collecting rent, deposits, etc.).
Cleaning deposit: Money that you must pay before you move into the housing for cleaning the rental property before and after you move in. This deposit is normally non-refundable.
Landlord: The property owner who rents houses or apartments to tenants.
Lease or rental agreement: A contract between you and your landlord in which you agree to pay a specific amount of rent for a certain number of months. If you move out before the ending date of the agreement, your landlord may require you to continue paying rent for the months remaining in the lease or until another tenant moves in.
Property management company: A company that is paid to manage a rental property for the property's owner. The company finds renters and makes sure the renters follow the lease. The company may also provide basic maintenance service.
Security deposit: Money that you must pay before you move into the housing. If you damage anything in the rental property this money will be used to repair the damage to the property. This deposit is sometimes refundable if you have not damaged the property. The refundability of security deposits will be listed in the lease agreement.
Tenant: The person who rents a house or an apartment.
Utilities: Services such as water, gas, electricity and garbage pick-up. Sometimes these services are included in the rent--usually they are separate. Your lease will define if utilities are included.