Off-campus apartments raise concerns over safety, livability

By Katherine Borsting @katbor2025

Many Colorado State University students choose to live in an apartment when it is time to move off campus. ere are numerous options close to campus and within walking distance, making it a practical choice for students.

As the spring semester began, some residents’ off-campus apartments experienced issues and incidents regarding safety and livability, and students say the buildings in which they are housed do not seem to be taking accountability.

Sophie Orsund, a junior at CSU, currently lives at e District at Campus West, located on Plum Street, and recently had the key to her apartment given to a stranger who walked into her apartment in the evening.

“ ey gave my key to a new resident and told him it was his apartment, and he walked right in,” Orsund said. “It is three women living in our apartment, and it was honestly super scary having some random guy come in.”

Orsund, who was never contacted about the mistake, decided to take matters into her own hands. She talked to the manager; however, she said he seemed to blame it on the employee who was working at the time. Orsund and her roommates never received compensation or an apology for the incident. resident of e Standard with three other roommates. e apartment above hers had a pipe burst that leaked into her apartment and caused flooding. “ ey emailed us a couple of days before moving back in letting us know we had to find a new place to stay,” Spiekerman said. “We got no phone call or anything.” a lease. Student Legal Services also offers a free lease review to help students understand their contract before signing. Reach Katherine Borsting at news @collegian.com.

After winter break and prior to returning to her apartment, Spiekerman was notified that she would need to temporarily relocate due to water damage in her apartment.

“We are planning on fighting (the complex’s response to issues) because we should not have to pay for an apartment we are not currently living in,” Spiekerman said. Spiekerman and her roommates have already re-signed to live at e Standard for the 2023-24 school year. However, she said this situation made her wish she had not.

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY AVA KERZIC THE COLLEGIAN

Another apartment complex near campus is e Standard at Fort Collins, located on Lake Street near Canvas Stadium. CSU junior Addison Spiekerman is a e apartment complex offered to put her and her roommates in a hotel and provide a weekly allowance for food or a $1,500 gift card to find somewhere else to stay. With either of these options, they would still have to pay for the apartment they were removed from. e minimum monthly rent at e Standard is around $900 a month, not including utilities or a parking spot. e Standard told Spiekerman the relocation would be six to eight weeks, and she will hit the 10th week March 24 and has yet to receive any compensation for the month of March.

Unpredictable scenarios are a real possibility when signing a lease. Many times, a lease is a binding agreement, and no matter the scenario, renters may still have to pay rent even when the apartment presents problems for the renter.

CSU’s Center for Off-Campus Life offers guides on tenant/landlord relations, leasing questions, renting and subleasing and avoiding potential scams in