Even though we are almost done with the fall semester, apartment complexes are already reminding students that they can begin signing leases for the following fall, whether they are resigning or signing for a new room in the same complex.

Yet, as we all have probably experienced, a lot can change in a year.

For instance, while you might enjoy the company of your current roommates and living situation right now, your roommates could transfer schools, their personalities could change or you might find that you want to live with other people.

Your fall 2019 schedule might also make living where you currently live less enjoyable due to distance from campus and class, or you could just want to move into another apartment complex. Another likely example is that you might be asked to live in-house for your sorority or fraternity halfway into the year, yet you already signed a contract for an apartment or house. 

Along with not wanting to live with your roommates anymore or not liking your apartment complex, you could have some extreme circumstances that would prevent you from fulfilling a year-long lease. Some students could fall ill and have to take a semester off or have family emergencies that require them to need to go home.

If you are to sign a contract with your apartment complex, you are legally binded to either stay in your room until your lease is up, find someone to sublease your apartment or pay to break the contract. However, paying to break your contract can be expensive and finding someone else to take over your lease for the remaining time can be hard to find.

Saying that, there are circumstances where this could actually be beneficial. Signing a least almost an entire year early allows for comfort in secure housing. There are those who have known their roommates for a long time and will enjoy living with them for a while and the likelihood of a mid-semester fallout is minimal. Additionally, if you re-sign your lease as early as offered, there are typically deals available such as offering the tenant a slightly lower rate if they agree to stay in the same apartment.

It isn’t smart to sign something that would legally bind you for an extra year, on top of the year you are in the middle of fulfilling. What if something such as what has been stated above were to happen to you or your family and you were unable to find someone to sublease your room?

The only thing that would prevent this issue from recurring is to have the option for short-term leases or to only have short-term leases. This would help solve almost all the issues mentioned above from becoming real issues. Apartment complexes-make leases into six-month leases. Give students the freedom to move around without all the consequences that would currently follow them.