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Campus and Community Life
Resource Portal Care Referral

FAQ

Off Campus Housing provides assistance to WVU students who are not living in a residence hall or University Apartment. The information below may help with some of your common off-campus housing questions and concerns.

If you need more information, feel free to contact us at OCH@mail.wvu.edu or call us at 304-293-5611 with any questions.

All single, first-year students are required to live in a University residence hall. In addition, undergraduate transfer students with fewer than 24 transferable credit hours are also required to live in a residence hall. 

For more information, check out the First-Year Live on Requirements below. 

First-Year Live On Requirment Information

Students should start searching for housing around October of their Freshman year. This will give students ample time to review their housing options. While many students start the process in early fall, we strongly encourage students to take their time with this process.  

It is advised that Freshman wait until they have received their first semester grades before signing a lease. Grades are not the only factor students should consider when signing a lease for the following year. 

While you may feel pressured to sign a lease early, very few apartments fill up before January 1st, and generally, these are only Downtown locations that are extremely close to campus. 

If you are planning to move off-campus allow yourself adequate time to search. Off-campus housing offers a variety of resources. Such as:

  • A Housing Map to assist you in locating off-campus housing in Morgantown

  • Housing Fairs. We typically host two housing fairs a year to inform students of their off-campus housing options in Morgantown.

Renter's insurance plans can cost anywhere from $15-$30 a month. 

Renter's insurance policies generally offer full protection against theft and destruction of belongings, and this can cover the valuables stored in your vehicle if parking is located on the property. 

Renter's insurance can cover things like fires, windstorms, and flooding (The landlord's insurance does not cover your belongings inside the home in cases of natural disasters). 

It can provide liability protection for you and your visitors. 

Generally speaking, landlords are not responsible for your personal property unless the loss of property is due to the landlord’s negligence. Without insurance, you may be financially responsible for any personal property lost to theft or other type of disaster. 

Check with your parent/guardian’s homeowner’s insurance for potential coverage. Some homeowner’s policies protect student rental properties as an extension of the homeowner’s policy. 

The WVU commuter website has great information on parking and transportation available to students traveling to campus

You should immediately reach out to Student Legal Services.

Additionally, you can file a discrimination complaint with the Fairmont/Morgantown Housing Authority, for more information visit www.fmhousing.com.

Breaking a lease is nearly impossible without breaches of contract from the landlords, this is why we stress the importance of doing a free lease review with Student Legal Services before signing a lease. Some leases have a buyout clause which will allow you to pay a fee to end the lease agreement early. Another option is to sublet/relet where you typically pay a fee and then locate a new tenant to fill your position in the lease. 

Off-Campus Housing recommends you reach out to Student Legal Services for more information. 

If your lease allows for a sublet/relet, please post your apartment for rent on our website and on our Facebook group at “WVU Off-Campus Housing” 

There are many options:  
  • WVU’s PRT (Personal Rapid Transit) cars can get you from Walnut Street downtown to the Health Science campus in about 10 minutes. It is by far the quickest way to get across town without a personal vehicle. For more information about the PRT system, visit the PRT website.
  • Motown Taxi offers 24/7 taxi services for both Monongalia and Harrison County. You can visit the Motown Taxi website for more information. 
  • Uber also services the Morgantown area.
  • Lyft is another ride-share option.
  • The Mountain Line Transit Authority has 24 routes that services Monongahela county. Students are free and the public expenses vary.
  • Enterprise has Morgantown car rentals.
  • WVU is not extremely bikeable, however many students do bring bikes for transportation. Most university buildings have bike racks in front of them for safe storage.  

Finding an apartment without seeing it in person can be a challenge. Here are some tips to help you search virtually. 

  • Consider short-term rentals as an option so you can conduct more in-depth searches once you get to the area. 
  • Contact friends living in the area or reach out to the OCH office and ask for advice. 
  • Check reviews on Google or Yelp and see what current residents think about the apartment you are interested in renting.  
  • Do virtual tours of apartment complexes. 
  • You can review your potential lease with Student Legal Services before signing anything for free!

Yes! Not only does WVU have some programs that you might qualify for, but we’ve also compiled a list of local resources as well.