It’s the time of year when the question, “Where are you living next year?” starts to arise. According to SOURCE, the university has seen a 7% enrollment increase over the past year. This means the housing for students within Fort Collins is more desirable, and leases are likely to fill faster. 

The most obvious options when choosing housing as a CSU student include on-campus housing, off-campus apartments and houses in the neighborhoods. 

“Living in the dorms is nice now, but people are already talking about where they are living next year, and it seems like we just arrived.” -Quincy Mort, CSU student 

The majority of on-campus housing is in the residence halls, and first-year students have to live in them — with a few exceptions, like living at home instead. When living in the dorms, students also have to choose one of the three meal plan options offered by CSU.

The on-campus option is comparatively one of the more expensive ones, totaling more than $6,000 per semester with the room and meal plan combined. The majority of students who live in the dorms also have to share a room and bathroom, usually with someone or multiple people they barely know. 

Even CSU had a housing crisis this year with students living in the dorms, as some of them were placed to live at the Best Western University Inn off campus on College Avenue.

Quincy Mort, a first-year at CSU who currently lives in Ingersoll Hall, explained how she is already feeling pressure and is worried about finding housing for next year, as this is her first interaction with any kind of lease.

“Living in the dorms is nice now, but people are already talking about where they are living next year, and it seems like we just arrived,” Mort said.

“Housing options for next year seem expensive, and I worry about finding roommates who I know well enough at this point to sign a lease with,” Mort said. “I don’t know how to get the help I need, and my parents are so far away.”

When considering renting a house, the city has a U+2 law in place. According to the City of Fort Collins website, this is to avoid “over occupancy complaints.” If renters fail to comply with this law, they could face a large fine or even eviction. 

However, the average rent in Fort Collins is $1,840 dollars, which can be expensive to split between only three college students. Due to this cost, some house renters may feel the need to add someone to their lease. However, due to the U+2 rule within the city, renters can only do so in secret, putting them at risk for legal or housing trouble. 

Many students choose to live in an apartment, as many of the complexes are located closer to campus, and larger apartment facilities advertise their spaces, making them seem more available. 

Addison Spiekerman is a junior at CSU and lives in The Standard apartments located right across from campus on West Lake Street. Spiekerman discussed the pressure of already re-signing a lease in her current living situation, as she has been notified that the place she currently lives is already filling up. 

“Right now, the apartments I live in are already notifying me and my roommates to re-sign, as the apartment is filling up,” Spiekerman said. “We are constantly getting emails saying that the occupancy for next year is limited and we should renew our lease if we want a spot.”

Spiekerman went on to explain how the year prior, she did not sign her lease until the spring, and this year, she’s worried if she doesn’t re-sign or sign a new place soon, she might be out of luck with how fast her apartment is filling up.

Spiekerman shares her apartment with three roommates. 

Spiekerman said she determined living in an apartment was the best option, as the appeal of having everything included was what sold her, and a house just seemed like too much work. 

Spiekerman also touched on how the worry of not finding a place to live was present early on when she looked last year, so she decided to sign early. 

As the Fort Collins and CSU populations grow, it is likely housing options for students will be harder to find. As the fall semester comes to a close, student leases may also be harder to find, and with the desirability of certain housing options, rent costs could very well rise within Fort Collins.

Reach Katherine Borsting at news@collegian.com or on Twitter @katbor2025.