Amid midterms, classes and finding internships or jobs, a lot of USC students are doing something else this month: hunting for next year’s apartment. After the first two years that USC guarantees students access to on-campus housing, the off-campus market becomes the default. Here’s what to know before signing a new lease.

How much does an apartment near USC cost?

In the 90007 ZIP code area, which covers much of the area around University Park Campus, the median cost for studio apartments is $1,685 a month, while two-bedroom and three-bedroom apartments are $2,300 and $3,125 a month, respectively, as of July, according to RentHop, a site that aims to simplify searching for housing through its designated algorithms.

Sharing a house is another cheaper option for tenants. Some listings near USC advertise private rooms in larger houses for about $1,000 to $1,350 a month.

Which companies rent near USC?

There are a variety of companies that specialize in leasing properties to students in the USC area.

Stuho manages several student housing buildings, totaling around 1,700 beds across all properties. The leasing company offers studios, one-to-four-people shared rooms and houses for large groups. Prices range from around $725 to $1,500 per person a month.

Notoriously, in 2017, students sued Stuho over construction delays and bad conditions at Element, one building managed by the company. As of 2026, residents have also alleged that Stuho withheld parts of their security deposits.

Nevertheless, Stuho is one of the more accessibly priced apartments still within the Department of Public Safety patrol zone.

Mosaic Student Communities owns more than 25 properties and manages more than 60 at USC, Cal Poly Pomona and UC Berkeley. Its development arm, Mosaic Investment Partners, also built Tessera, a 250-bed project near Exposition Boulevard.

Trojan Buildings rents out studios and apartments on Ellendale Place and Shrine Place near USC. The studios are priced at under $1,900 a month. A user said maintenance responds quickly, and one commenter who has lived in the company’s buildings as a student and as an alum described its properties as safe and well cared for, as of 2023.

NOVA Student Housing also leases a variety of properties in the University Park area. Tenants on Reddit described large deposit deductions and restrictive lease terms.

Moo Housing offers leases off-campus in both USC and UCLA areas. Every property they lease comes fully furnished, and many properties are offered under “Student-Friendly Co-Living” terms, meaning tenants lease one room and cohabitate shared spaces with other USCstudent tenants. Moo Housing’s listings range from about $1,000 to $1,500 a month because most of their units are shared.

The Hub On Campus is a national apartment building company that specializes in off-campus student housing. The Hub has two apartment buildings meant for USC students: The Hub Figueroa, located on Figueroa Street and 28th Street, and The Hub Coliseum, also on Figueroa Street but adjacent to 38th Street.

First Choice Housing owns around 77 units near University Park. Its average rate is about $1,500 to $4,400 a month. In 2021, the Daily Trojan reported that students had issues with living conditions in First Choice Housing including broken showers and blinds and leaking.

The Standard is a 429-unit building on South Figueroa Street, less than half a mile from campus. The building opened with 1,261 beds in August. Prices range from $950 in shared spaces to over $2,014 for private spaces.

When is the best time to start looking for housing?

Some students start in October or November and sign their leases by December. An off-campus living guide from the Viterbi School of Engineering says leases that are not passed down by old to new tenants get taken by other students quickly, with some snapped up by the second week of October. However, landlords often still have deals and tenants, spring vacancies, for those who start looking later.

How to connect with a previous tenant?

Ask in USC housing groups on Reddit, Instagram, Facebook or other social media platforms. Search r/USC for move-out posts on Reddit, since former tenants often post helpful information about deposits and repairs. Find a student who has rented from the same company. Ask previous tenants what they’d do differently, how long repairs took and if they had issues getting their deposit back. Would they sign again?

What should be checked before signing the lease?

Reading the whole lease is a must. Look for fees, late charges, early-termination penalties and any trash or cleaning fees. Ask what each fee covers and consult parents, guardians or other caregivers involved as early as possible.

Additionally, ask the company in writing to clean the unit or repair anything broken before moving in. Some housing charge for cleaning, even if the mess was there prior to move-in. If possible, ask for a written move-in inspection report that lists the condition of each room.

What should be done on move-in day?

Take photos and videos of every room, including ceilings, floors, appliances and bathrooms, and check for any damage. If anything is dirty, photograph it and email the photos to the landlord as soon as possible. Keep all the dated emails as evidence of move-in conditions.

Finding off-campus housing may be daunting, but it gets easier once it’s clear what to look for. Start early, read every page on the lease, take photos on move in day and keep every email. Speak frequently to other people who had experiences with the leasing company. None of this guarantees a smooth year, but taking extra precautions doesn’t hurt anyone.