Student Government has a solution for students with questions about off-campus housing.

Student Government will be hosting a residency fair that allows students to explore off-campus living opportunities, ask the landlords questions and learn how to read leases. The event will take place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday in the Great Hall of the Memorial Union.

This fair is intended to help students see off-campus living options and be able to compare prices, availability, capacity and distance from campus in one convenient place, as well as being able to speak to the landlords of properties they are interested in.

“There are a lot more places to rent in the city than people realize, and at fair prices,” said Dozmen Lee, the director of residency for student government.

Along with 24 landlords who maintain off-campus living options, several university departments will also be in attendance.

“I wanted it to be more than just a landlord’s event,” Lee said. “That’s why I’m including the Ames Tenant Union, Student Legal Services, the Department of Residence and ISU Dining.”

Student Legal Services and the Ames Tenant Union will assist students in learning how to read a lease, how to deal with roommate or landlord issues and what their rights are as student renters.

The Department of Residence will allow students to see the prices of living on campus and help them see if it might be cheaper to stay in the residence halls for a longer period of time, or if it is more cost effective to go off-campus.

ISU Dining will be catering the event, as well as giving students information about maintaining a meal plan if they choose to live off-campus.

The fair is being held earlier in the year to give students plenty of time to make their decisions before housing contracts and lease agreements must be finalized.

“This event is going to be the start of something bigger,” Lee said. “We are going to be doing this twice a year, biannually, and we are going to use this money [paid by landlords to reserve a spot at the fair] to go towards the lease gap.”

The lease gap is a period of time between a lease ending and the person gaining access to their new living space. Student Government is planning to use the money, paid by the landlords to reserve a spot at the event, to try and rent out a residence hall for students to stay in during the lease gap. A room in the residence hall would be offered at a cheaper price than renting a hotel for that time period, and potentially even for free.

Students are encouraged to come in to ask questions and see the many different living arrangements that Ames has to offer.

Editor’s note: This article has been updated to reflect the correct times of the residency fair.