The University of North Georgia is nestled into the quaint town of Dahlonega, and with over 7,300 students enrolled on the UNG Dahlonega campus, finding off-campus housing can be tricky. There are several options for students looking to escape dorm life, but most of these options fall under the control of Dahlonega Rents.

Dahlonega Rents is a well-known commodity for UNG students. It controls many of the townhouses, apartment complexes and small homes that line the streets of Dahlonega, such as Sherman Green, University Heights and Greenbriar Apartments. Students say that the immense demand from people looking to move into a more spacious location can often make apartment hunting through Dahlonega Rents a nightmare.

Mark Scheffer, a sophomore business major at UNG, said that his apartment hunting journey was a frustrating one.

Scheffer says, “We signed an application form in January, and we were told that it was a 95% chance that we would get the apartment in [Sherman Green] we requested. [Dahlonega Rents] called us back in May and told us we weren’t getting it. We got lucky that they had openings in a different location, but it still felt like we were getting screwed the entire time considering they waited four months to call.”

The process for applying for an apartment through Dahlonega Rents is simple but guarantees very little. Barbara Bridges works for Dahlonega Rents and handles much of the communication with prospective residents. Bridges says that the process is straightforward.

Bridges says, “[Students] fill out an application form and they put on that application when they want access to the apartment by. Depending on availability, it is first come, first serve.”

Bridges added that there was no way for students to get ahead in the line, saying that “the earlier students fill out the application, the better chance they will have. [Dahlonega Rents] starts taking applications in September and October, so the earlier the better.”

For those who are unable to land the apartment they hoped for, Dahlonega Rents says it will do its best to find a backup plan to help students. Bridges will call the applicants and offer them a look at a different property if they so choose.

Bridges says, “If availability goes, we will make sure to call and give students a second chance at a different location.”

The sheer number of properties that Dahlonega Rents controls also leads to maintenance issues for some students. A sophomore biology major living in Sherman Green believes that there needs to be a larger focus placed on handling the needs of current residents.

He says, “I am pretty sure [Dahlonega Rents] has one handyman for every single place they run. It takes forever to get anything done when there’s only one guy running around trying to do everything.”

He adds, “I like living where I live, and our landlord is kind, but I feel like from the application process on there have been some annoying issues that seem fixable if there was just better communication on [Dahlonega Rents] end.”

All in all, Dahlonega Rents owns over ten off-campus living properties in and around Dahlonega. Dahlonega Rents can be reached at 706-864-2787 or 706-344-8164, and more information can be found on dahlonegarents.com.