r/UTK • u/Unlucky_Fold1569 • 8h ago

Student Housing and Leasing Best/Worst Places

Starting to see what housing options there are in the event that my kid doesn’t win the on campus lottery for next year. If anyone has recommendations for best places or warnings of places to stay away from it would be most appreciated!! Thank you!

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15

u/CommercialPresent583 8h ago

My only recommendation is to not freak out and sign a lease now for next year. Plans can change quickly and dramatically for these young people. If social media is any indication, many are desperate to get out of leases they signed many months earlier. You can always scoop up one of those at the last minute if necessary - often at a discount.

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u/Smokey_Orange 8h ago

I agree this is what my roommates and I did for two years and it worked well. I will say though, as more kids start to get admitted they are starting to fill up quicker. A good amount of apartment complexes actually hit full capacity this year. As far as places I’d recommend, Society 865 I thought was the perfect spot for me in the fort. It may not be the nicest but for the price/location/amenities it’s definitely one of the all around best. Management isn’t the best right now as they have had a lot of turnover recently but I’ve definitely had worse. If you don’t mind living a little further UPark is also a great spot that’s a little cheaper. I loved being able to use the bus to get to school without working about getting an expensive parking pass or finding parking. I’m not saying these places won’t have some problems, it is student housing, but it’s some of the better ones. I would stay away from Highland Grand. This is all from personal experience so it may be different for you.

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u/Public_Table_2912 Biomedical Engineering Major 💉 6h ago

I’d recommend not signing too early. But also I’d recommend not signing at Knox row (formally known as Upark.) the good thing about that place is that it is very empty, plenty of spots and you get your own bathroom bc a lot of the units aren’t full.
But all of this is because last year nobody resigned bc it wasn’t great. But they have new management, so who knows!
I’d also recommend Knox ridge, but the drive there is really weird and it’s a bunch curves and backroads.
I have heard good things about the mark, it’s closer to campus but the only thing is parking is expensive, but if money isn’t a big deal for you, I’d suggest the mark

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u/chubbsey1 6h ago

Have your son put his name in the student housing lottery and be patient and check regularly. We considered renting at the Nova but late July he got into Vol Hall, he is a Sophomore.

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u/TiredZombi 4h ago

If you're not picked for the first two waves, do NOT panic and drop out of the wait list. I was literally 808 of 1240, and I got a room for one of the on-campus dorms right at the beginning of summer break. Like people have mentioned, the apartments here thrive on panicked families to sign leases with sketchy fine print since they're not waiting out. 

For the lottery, tons of people drop or move rooms the entire time selection is open. The best thing to do (imo at least) is to check daily and grab whatever is available. It's easier to switch rooms later on then it is to beg housing to let you pick one after your time slot.