Finding Housing

Housing is a primary concern for everyone coming to a new place. There are many types of accommodation options in Corvallis, and this Web page is designed to help you find housing and understand some of the common types of housing and housing-related terminology.

Short Term Housing
Long-term Housing
Types of Housing
Common Housing Terminology

Short-Term Housing

Corvallis has several motels within 5 miles (8 kilometers) of the Oregon State campus. Contact the hotel or motel directly to make a reservation using a credit card.

• Hilton Garden Inn
  (Closest 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
• Econo Lodge
  101 NW Van Buren
  Phone: (541) 752-9601
  Fax: (541) 752-0042
• Salbasgeon Suites
  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

You can find more hotels in the Corvallis' visitor's guide or in the Corvallis telephone directory.

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.
• Renter's Guide available at the Memorial Union on campus.
• 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.

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.