First-Years Face Roommate Pacts Months Before Lease

The fall housing search at the University of Wisconsin-Madison asks freshmen to commit to roommates they have known for weeks, months before a lease begins. Six weeks into his first semester, Nolan Schultz was already weighing how many roommates he could afford for next year. "It's been a little nerve-wracking and stressful just because there's no guarantee for any housing," Schultz said. He had contacted two apartments and researched about a dozen more.

Maria Sells, also a freshman, called it "such a short period of time to find people to live with for such a long commitment." Accounts of roommate disputes circulate among first-year students, who must decide whether to wait a few weeks or sign on with a new acquaintance.

The calendar behind that pressure starts early. Schultz began looking before he arrived on campus, after upperclassmen told him a plan needs to be in place by October. Sophomore Maddie Gerhardt started in August because listings turn over fast; she has contacted two houses and two or three housing offices. Kaia Bodden, a freshman shopping for a house rather than an apartment, set a target of $1,200 a month with a ceiling of $1,300 to $1,400, and said she cannot get below $1,000 without sharing a room. Gerhardt put her own limit at $1,000 and said she and her roommates are looking "just for a place to live rather than a nice place."

Rent levels explain the arithmetic. A 2024 UW-Madison housing analysis put the average monthly rent in and around campus at $1,273 and called that figure "among the highest in the Big Ten Conference." The same analysis calculated that $980 a month would be affordable for a UW-Madison student. A 2026 RentCafe analysis reported a Madison average of $1,856 a month, a 2.28% rise over the prior year.

The buildings have changed too. High-rise apartments have gone up around campus in recent years, and Gerhardt said her parents, both UW-Madison graduates, have watched the houses they once rented give way to apartment buildings. Those units do not reach every budget.

Gerhardt, who grew up in Madison, said proximity to campus sets the price: "The closer you get to campus, it's gonna be the more expensive it's gonna be."

UW-Madison runs Off-Campus Housing Services, which posts rental listings, offers guidance on touring apartments and budgeting, and holds events including the Student Housing Fair. Brendon Dybdahl, director of Marketing & Communications for University Housing, said affordability "can be very subjective," and said the office works with students on a personal budget and options that fit their needs.

Housing listings, landlord emails and roommate negotiations continue alongside course work through the fall. The university's Student Housing Fair is among the scheduled events.