Finding housing as a college student in Oxford is more than just picking a
place to live — it is a race against time and rising prices. With housing agreements signed months in advance, coupled with an ever-growing population, securing a lease requires strategy.
Local realtors and property managers shared their advice for students trying to find housing.
Coordination and timing
Peyton Adams, a realtor with Cannon Cleary McGraw, identified poor coordination as a common mistake among first-time renters.
“Properties fly off the market, so the more you waste time or drag on during the decision-making process, the higher the likelihood of you missing out on the best properties,” Adams said.
Clayton Faggert, associate broker and owner of OLR Realty, recommended students start searching for housing in late fall.
“The mistake we see the most is people waiting to apply for a property and then missing out on that property,” Faggert said. “I would say starting at the end of the fall, around November, December and January, is the appropriate time.”
Josh Cissell — property manager and owner of Cissell Management Co., a property management company based in Oxford — however, warned against searching for housing too early.
“Often, those who panic-rent in the fall end up settling for limited inventory at higher prices. Instead, students will find more options and better prices if they wait until … most properties become available for lease,” Cissell said.
Adams described the current housing market as highly competitive.
“Many properties never come available on the market and are just passed down year after year. If you find a place you really like, you might have to be aggressive to secure a lease,” Adams said.
Wesley Templet, chair of the Associated Student Body Senate Housing Committee and a junior public policy leadership major, cited availability and pricing as major concerns for students.
“With such a small college town, all of the apartments start selling leases really early in the October through December range for the next August, whereas in a normal city, you’ll find leases that start every month,” Templet said.
A 2023 ASB survey found that 24.5% of the 732 students surveyed experienced some form of housing insecurity while at the university.
The leading cause, cited by 25.5% of respondents, was “leasing season,” the two-and-a-half week gap between most lease end dates and new lease start dates. High rent, issues with the university housing department, lack of available housing and roommate conflicts were also factors.
According to data from Rent Cafe, the average rent price in February 2025 for apartments in Oxford was $2,117 — higher than in Jackson ($1,048) and Starkville ($1,385).
Faggert expects prices to remain high due to limited housing availability.
“With the shortage of housing, rents are expected to maintain the level that they’re at now or continue to increase over the next few years,” Faggert said.
Cissell, however, noted there may be a shift in the market.
“Last summer, rental prices began to soften. Now, with a substantial amount of new housing inventory hitting the market, we anticipate prices will continue to level off,” Cissel said.
Understanding the lease
Cissell also advised students to thoroughly review the lease before signing.
“A common mistake first-time renters make is not fully understanding their lease and the responsibilities that come with it,” Cissell said. “Students need to recognize that these properties represent significant investments, and we’re going to hold them accountable as adults. They should carefully read and understand their lease, know their responsibilities, perform routine maintenance and promptly report property issues to management.”
Adams further cautioned students to be aware of the content in the leases they are signing.
“A lease is a legally binding contract,” Adams said. “Ask for the lease for review before you ever commit to signing it. A poorly written lease can cause issues for a tenant long after they move out of a property.”
Templet highlighted key lease details to be aware of.
“You want to know the starting date of your lease and when that might end,” Templet said. “Another thing, especially for apartment complexes, is if you’re renting by the dwelling or by the room. If you’re renting by the dwelling, that means that you and your roommates all pay one rent together. If you pay by the room, then you pay your individual rate per room. You pay differently, and that can affect if you have utilities or whatnot.”
Avoiding scams
Faggert recommended using local property managers for housing searches to avoid scams.
“A big problem people have run into recently is applying for a fraudulent listing,” Faggert said. “Make sure you speak with someone, and make sure that you use a legitimate website to do your research. The fraud rates on realtor.com are much less than they are on some of the other websites.”
For affordability, Faggert suggested Shiloh or Carrollton. For higher-end options, he recommended The Commons, The Reserve, The Mill, Creekside and The Lamar.
Adams weighed in on the safety of housing options in Oxford.
“Almost all student housing in Oxford provides the same level of safety thanks to (the Oxford Police Department) and on-site management,” Adams said.
Adams highlighted Rowandale, The Bluffs East and West and Corporate Student as popular housing options.
Communicating with landlords
Adams emphasized communication as a crucial aspect of apartment hunting.
“Communication is the most important part of the landlord and tenant relationship,” Adams said. “Signing a lease is a big commitment that marries you to the property and the landlord for a long time. If a landlord is not effectively communicating and acting in a professional manner, then it might be time to look somewhere else.”
Cissell said a lack of communication could be problematic.
“A major red flag students should look out for is landlords or property managers who are consistently unresponsive or exhibit poor communication,” Cissell said.
However, Cissell noted that the leasing season can cause responses to take longer.
“At times, due to the sudden surge of students contacting us simultaneously, it might take a few hours or even until the next day to respond,” Cissell said. “That’s different from consistently poor communication, which can indicate larger issues with the property or management.”
Parents
Adams said that many parents play a large role in assisting students with their housing search.
“Many parents are still actively involved in paying a portion or all the rent, so it makes sense that they would want to be involved. At the end of the day, it is the student’s decision and responsibility to find housing,” Adams said. “College is most everyone’s first taste of the freedom and responsibilities of adulthood. Being able to navigate rental markets and landlords is an important life skill.”
Cissell advised parents to guide rather than control the process.
“Parents handling every detail for their student can actually cause more issues and confusion,” Cissell said. “It’s healthiest and most productive when parents step back, support their student and provide guidance without leading the entire process.
