Answers for Parents about Off-Campus Student Housing in Ames

Q. WHAT TYPES OF HOUSING ARE AVAILABLE?
A. University West offers 1-5 bedroom apartments and townhomes.

Q. HOW MANY LOCATIONS DO YOU HAVE?
A. University West is made up of 6 different collections all located near each other in West Ames: Bird, Celtic, Fieldstone, Fieldstone Grand, Mortensen Place, and Steinbeck.

Q. HOW DO I SECURE AN APARTMENT/TOWNHOME FOR MY CHILD?
A. Select your favorite floor plans from our floor plans link. Then, call our office to set up a tour with a leasing consultant, tour the floorplan options, then make your choice! Security deposit (typically equal to 1 month's rent) and a $40 application fee per person are due at the time of lease signing to secure the unit.

Q. CAN MY CHILD JUST RENT A ROOM?
A. Yes! University West offers a limited number of "Rent-by-the-Room" options. Your child can rent 1 bedroom in a 2 bedroom apartment. They can pick their own roommate to live with, or we can match them with one. The perks of this deal are that you are on your own lease, and ALL utilities are included! Please note, we do not allow mixed genders or pets in any rent-by-the-room unit.

Q. WHAT DOES THE MONTHLY RENTAL RATE INCLUDE?
A. Monthly rent includes cable, internet, fitness membership, off-street parking, lawn care, snow removal, trash, access to our 2 swimming pools, sand volleyball court, basketball court, tennis court, and multi-use trails. Our Mortensen Place townhomes include a garage for free, Mortensen Place apartments have a heated underground parking garage, and our other locations have garages that are available for an extra fee.

Q. WHAT EXTRA DO I HAVE TO PAY FOR?
A. You are required to pay for your water, electric, and gas. These can be set up through City of Ames (515-239-5120) and Alliant Energy (800-822-4348).

Q. WHAT FORMS AM I REQUIRED TO COMPLETE?
A. An application is required to be submitted. Once the application is completed, a leasing consultant will go over the lease paperwork with you.

Q. WHAT FORMS OF PAYMENT DOES YOUR COMMUNITY ACCEPT?
A. We accept check, money order, certified funds, or ACH (automatic withdrawal set up through a credit/debit card or savings/checking account). You may also pay on our website using your credit/debit card. You may set up automatic payments through ACH or online. We do not accept credit/debit cards in the office.

Q. WHEN IS RENT DUE?
A. Rent is due on the 1st of every month. A $40 late fee is charged at 5pm on the 5th of each month if rent has not been received yet. You are always more than welcome to pay your rent in advance or sign up for automatic payments!

Q. WHAT IS THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITY LIKE?
A. University West is conveniently located near several Cy-Ride Red Route bus stops and Highway 30 in West Ames. Iowa State University is just 2 miles down the road. We are directly on Ames' network of multi-use trails, making it easy to bike, exercise and walk a dog. The West Ames community also offers a variety of hot spots such as West Towne Pub, Café Milo, Perfect Games, Jimmy Johns, and Tanworld! The Ames Middle School and Iowa State Sukup Basketball facilities are also located in our neighborhood.

Q. ARE PETS ALLOWED?
A. Pets are allowed in select units at all of our properties except Fieldstone Grand. Dogs are allowed on 1st floor at Bird, Celtic, and Mortensen and both floors of Fieldstone and Steinbeck. Cats are allowed on both floors as well. A pet deposit of $300 is required before the pet enters the apartment. Monthly pet rent is $30/month for 1 pet and $50/month for 2 pets. There is a 2 pet maximum per apartment.

Q. IS THERE PARKING ON SITE?
A. All of our parking lots are free, open parking. Be careful not to park in front of someone's garage, because that is assigned parking.

Q. WHAT LEASE OPTIONS ARE OFFERED?
A. All of our leases are 12 month leases. We have 2 options for a move-in date: July 31st or August 3rd. All move-outs occur on July 31st. We offer joint leases on 1-5 bedroom units and a "Rent-by-the-Room" option on 2 bedroom 2 bathroom units at Celtic and Mortensen Place. "Rent-by-the Room" leases include ALL utilities!

Q. WHEN IS OUR SECURITY DEPOSIT RETURNED?
A. Security deposits are sent out 30 days after your lease end date (July 31st).