Moving to Manhattan
ON-CAMPUS HOUSING
Kansas State University provides residence hall living for approximately 3,800 students and 552 on-campus apartments for students and their families.
K-State residence halls have professionally trained, full-time, live-in staff. Juniors, seniors, and graduate students serve as resident assistants in each hall.
Contracts are issued to students upon receipt of a residence hall application and a $25 non-refundable housing application fee for fall enrollees and $12.50 for those entering in the spring.
The cost of room and board housing contract is set annually and approved by the Board of Regents and is one of the lowest in the Big Eight. Payments may be made in full each semester or on a monthly installment plan. Three meal plans are offered for residence hall and Jardine Apartment residents. The 20-meal plan (maximum offered) serves three meals per day with the exception of Sunday's evening meal. The 15-meal and 10-meal plans offer students the option of choosing the meals they wish to eat during a given week.
Student families and single graduate students are eligible to live in Jardine Terrace, although space for single graduate students is limited. Since assignments are made on a first-come, first-served basis, early application is recommended. A deposit is required. These low-cost one- and two-bedroom University apartments come available furnished or unfurnished. The rent includes gas, water, and trash collection. Jardine residents use the residents' council form of government to regulate community life. Jardine Apartments are partially accessible for people with physical limitations. The Department of Housing and Dining Services is pleased to work with students and family members to accommodate special needs.
OFF-CAMPUS HOUSING
Advertisements for off-campus housing appear in the Manhattan Mercury and other local newspapers, as well as in the Kansas State Collegian.
The Consumer and Tenant Affairs Office on campus maintains a bulletin board that lists available rental units and various other housing options. A roommate matching service is also available. You may also check with this office for a list of larger apartment complexes, property management companies, and real estate companies that have rental properties.
Off-campus apartments range from one-room studio apartments to four-bedroom apartments. Houses and mobile homes also vary in size and number of rooms. Individual rooms may also be rented.
Some apartments and houses are unfurnished, and others are furnished. Some may offer either option with a price differential.
The most common restrictions are: no pets, no smoking, no water beds, and a maximum number of occupants per unit. Some complexes do not allow subleasing.
Leases are almost always for 12 months, though a few are written for 10 or 11. Common contract periods are June 1 to May 31, and August 1 to July 31.
Leases should be in writing. If the owner/manager offers you an oral lease, pick up a sample lease and modify it to meet your needs and those of the owner/manager. Once you have modified a lease, the signatures of the owner/manager and all renters are necessary for the lease to be valid.
You should carefully check the rental unit and its contents. Do an inventory with the owner/manager within five days after moving in. Make needed repairs a part of the lease.
Find out about the owner/manager's track record for prompt repairs and fair deposit return. Ask present or former renters, K-State's Consumer and Tenant Affairs, or the Manhattan Department of Human Resources.
The amount of the deposit cannot be more than 1, 1½, or 2 months rent. The amount is usually dependent on whether the apartment or house is unfurnished or furnished, and whether pets are allowed.
The following University and city offices provide information such as sample leases, sample roommate agreements, inventory checklists and tenant's rights handbooks. Staff in these offices may interpret leases, mediate landlord/tenant or roommate disputes, interpret the Kansas Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, and inspect for code violations.
Code Inspection Officer
City Hall
11th and Poyntz
537-0056
Consumer and Tenant Affairs
Office of Student Activities and Services
K-State Union
532-6541
Consumer and Tenant Affairs
Office of Student Activities and Services
K-State Union
532-6541
Department of Human Resources
City Hall
11th and Poyntz
537-0056
Students' Attorney
Office of Student Activities and Services
K-State Union
532-6541
For more housing information contact:
Consumer and Tenant Affairs
Office of Student Activities and Services
Kansas State University
809 K-State Union
Manhattan, KS 66506-2800
785-532-6541
FAX 785-432-7292
Department of Housing and Dining Services
Residence Halls
Kansas State University
104 Pittman Building
Manhattan, KS 66506-4601
(785) 532-6453
Department of Housing and Dining Services
Family Housing - Jardine
Kansas State University
Frith Community Center
600 Jardine Terrace
Manhattan, KS 66502
(785) 539-2097
A helpful publication, Tenant's Handbook of Rights and Responsibilities, is available in the K-State Union Copy Center.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
TRAVEL TO MANHATTAN
Kansas City International Airport (MCI) is approximately 130 miles east of Manhattan. US Air Express provides daily service from MCI to Manhattan Municipal Airport, which is approximately 10 miles from Kansas State University. For fare information, contact US Air Express, 1-800-428-4322.
KCI Roadrunner Express provides daily ground transportation from MCI to Manhattan. For fare and reservation information call KCI Roadrunner at 1-800-826-8294.
TRANSPORTATION IN MANHATTAN
Neither Kansas State University nor the city of Manhattan has public bus service. Local taxi service is available.
WEATHER AND CLOTHING
Be prepared for both hot and cold weather. In the summer the average daytime temperature ranges from 85°F to 95°F. Winter temperatures usually stay below freezing. Snow and ice is expected from November through March.
Students dress casually for classes. Bring clothing appropriate for the seasons.
MONEY AND BANKING
There are several banks near the KSU campus. Consumer and Tenant Affairs has available a list of local banks and the different checking and/or savings accounts they offer. If you plan on opening an account for immediate use, please remember that bank checks or bank drafts usually take 10 days to clear. Travelers checks can provide immediate funds.
HEALTH SERVICES AND INSURANCE
A student health fee is included in every on-campus student's tuition charge. This provides basic health care at Lafene Health Center.
Please note that your student health fee does NOT cover the cost of surgery or hospitalization. It is therefore strongly recommended that you make arrangements to cover such emergencies should they occur for you and your family.
All Kansas State University students may elect to have access to health care at Lafene Health Center provided for their non-student spouse. Non-student spouses are eligible for care at Lafene to include available services, with exception of University Counseling Services, simply by paying the Spouse Health Fee each semester. Lafene Health Center provides services only to students and their fee-paid spouse; children cannot be seen in this facility. Contact Lafene Health Center (785-532-7759) for more information.
BOOKS AND SUPPLIES
Books and supplies can be purchased at local book stores in Manhattan.