Renting a house or apartment is a part of life for many, especially in a college community where home ownership isn't common among students. Knowing where to find information about rentals makes that process much easier. Here are some resources to help you find that ideal place to rent if you don't own a home. This guide should eventually look like Davis Wiki's Rental Housing Guide but tailored for Chico.
Pre-Search Planning
First of all, you should think about your particular style of living. Do you prefer to be near all the students or in a more family oriented neighborhood? Do you need to bike or walk everywhere? Are you financially able to live by yourself or must you have roommates? Once you've figured out these basic details, you can then begin to think about the various houses and apartments for rent in Chico.
- Determine if you are eligible for low-income housing and utilities. There may be some red-tape, so get a start on this soon as possible.
- If you have friends in Chico, talk to them to find out where they have had good experiences. Not all property management services are created equal.
- Make a list of all the apartments or homes that you wish to check out. Be sure to leave room for notes.
- Call those apartments and ask all the questions you can muster. Be specific and take note of costs and what they include within rent. This is a great time to schedule appointments for tours.
- And when you tour, take more notes! Bring a camera and grab as much reading material as you can. If you're not good at asking questions, bring someone that is.
- Always have an eye for detail.
Searching for Housing
There are a great number of Property Management companies in Chico — each with their own characteristics that may fit your lifestyle. The trick, of course, is trying to find the right place to rent with so many options. These Property Management services begin to request applications and the intentions of their current renters by February. Students are well advised to begin their hunt for housing around this time else they may end up in a less than preferred apartment or location. In fact, most homes with rooms for rent in the neighborhood directly south of Chico State are generally taken by the end of March. Apartments take a few months longer, perhaps through August, though pickings become rather slim.
Listings
Apartments
See Apartments for a listing of properties.
Houses and Duplexes
See Houses for a listing of houses and duplexes.
Mobile Home Parks
See Mobile Home Parks.
University & Community College Services
- Off-Campus Housing Guide a document provided as a service of the CSU Chico Housing Office.
- Roommate Wanted board in the BMU is a public posting area maintained by the Chico State Information Center.
- Off-Campus Housing Information kiosk a public information kiosk in front of the CSU Chico Housing Office.
- Butte Community College Housing Listings — includes roommate search, but isn't used much.
Additional Resources
- uCribs is an apartment search engine designed for renters looking to live near college campuses throughout the country.
- ABODO.com — Free map-based rental search.
- http://www.allchicorentals.com — Rental listings for the community of Chico, free for students and landlords
- My Apartment Map
- CSU Chico Housing Listings — includes roommate search
- chicorentals.com — like a local version of craigslist for renters.
- chicorentallisting.com — apartment oriented rental listings, includes ratings.
- CN&R Classifieds with rentals section.
- Craigslist — a great place to find a room for rent, and it's free.
- rent.com — has listings, but requires an email address to get them.
- rentcafe.com — Free rental listing search
- Chico Housing Action Team (CHAT) - Housing advocates
- ApartmentList
