Off-Campus Living & Neighborhood Relations

Our resources help you find off-campus accommodations, sublease or roommate options, and assist local residents with off-campus living related issues.

Important Update:

Large house and apartment parties off-campus are a serious offense that could result in eviction according to the newly updated City of Columbia Rental Property Ordinance. Failing to abide by executive orders such as hosting large parties is now considered a serious offense with a 10 point penalty per party. At 15 points, landlords lose their rental permit and tenants are evicted. Do your part to keep Columbia safe by avoiding large gatherings, wearing face coverings, practicing physical distancing and getting tested.

Off-Campus Living FAQs

Off-Campus Housing and Neighborhood Relations remains open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., via email at saocss@mailbox.sc.edu or by phone at 803-777-3366. Our staff will be working remotely and the physical office will be closed until further notice. Please know we are still here to assist and support you and your off-campus needs! We can also be reached via social media (Instagram or Twitter @UofSCOffCampus). For the most up-to-date campus information, visit the university’s COVID-19 landing page.

OCLNR recommends taking time before you sign a lease. Although you may hear of students searching for housing as early as Fall semester, you will have plenty of time to secure housing. Do not feel pressured to sign a lease until you have received a lease review from Student Legal Services and/or discussed all aspects of the roommate contract with all roommates or cosigners/guarantors.

You can use the Daily Gamecock's online Garnet Living housing locator. Once you have an idea of what type of place you would like to call home, use the property search on the Garnet Living website to find places that match your needs.

No. Being a featured lister only means that the property has chosen to reach out to UofSC students but is not affiliated with UofSC.

Short-term housing may be rare but is searchable on the Garnet Living website. We encourage you to contact a property directly if you have specific questions.

In order to make your own judgement on the safety of a neighborhood, please use the Community Crime Map on our website.

The OCLNR office is not a referral service but a resource for our students. We provide you with information to help you make the best housing decision for you. We suggest you contact and visit multiple places to find the one that best fits your needs.

It may. Any financial aid that you receive must go through the Student Financial Services Office first. For more specific information, please contact Financial Aid at 803-777-8134.

You can find a roommate on our message board. You can log-in with your network ID and password and find another UofSC student that is either looking for a place or already has a place that may fit your needs.

As a safety and security precaution, all users must log in with their network ID and password. This ensures that students you find on the message board are UofSC students. If you need assistance, please contact OCLNR at 803-777-3366 or saocss@mailbox.sc.edu.

You will need to try to work out disagreements with your roommate. Property managers are not obligated to make arrangements for you because you can't get along with others any longer. It is unlikely that a property manager will let you out of a lease because of this. If you try to work things out and find that there is an escalation of the problem, document what you tried and see if that helps your case with the property manager.

Potential tenants should always visit and thoroughly inspect residential premises that they are interested in renting. UofSC is not responsible or liable by the content of advertisements or by conditions existing on the premises of advertisers.

UofSC students can request legal support and services in matters that relate to landlords, tenants, housing and domestic relations. The Department of Student Life has teamed up with Student Legal Services to offer consultations and educational programming to fee-paying students. You can make an appointment here.

OCLNR staff are in regular communication with private off-campus apartment communities to keep them informed about the decisions made by the University of South Carolina that directly impact student tenants and to advocate for the needs of off-campus students.
We have encouraged private apartments to consider allowing students who are no longer residing in Columbia due to COVID-19 out of their leases. In response, local property managers have shared that these decisions are being discussed and made at the corporate level because this is a nationwide crisis. UofSC does not have decision-making authority over lease agreements and cannot make changes for students.

Notify your leasing agency of your desire to end your lease to determine what, if anything, can be negotiated.
If you would like to review your lease and discuss possible legal grounds for breaking your lease, we encourage you to review this resource about getting out of a lease and request an appointment with Student Legal Services. Due to privacy requirements, only currently enrolled UofSC Columbia students can make the appointment request (cannot be a parent, guardian, etc.).

Yes, UofSC is not asking students to leave Columbia. students may remain in their off-campus apartment or house. We encourage our students ro evaluate options and make desicisions that are best for their personal situation.
If you choose to stay in the Columbia area, it is essential you abide by local, state, and national orders to reduce the spread of the coronavirus and help our cocmmunity return to normal as soon as possible. Please do your part to stop the public health crisis by wearing a face covering when in public, washing your hands regularly, avoiding non-essential contact with others and staying home as much as possible.

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