Frequently Asked Questions
We want your college student to be successful throughout their career at University of South Carolina. They need a good foundation and support to gain this success. At The Nine, we want to help support their productivity by giving them access to shared and private study lounges. We want to keep them healthy with an on-site state-of-the-art fitness center. The Nine meets every need that your student will have while in college so they can achieve what they came here for in an enjoyable atmosphere.
Individual Leases
Individual leasing means peace of mind for you. Your financial responsibility is only for your student’s space unlike many apartments or rental houses where a joint lease is signed. If a roommate transfers to another school or moves out of The Nine for any reason, you do not have to worry about having to cover their portion of rent. This is just another reason why The Nine is your student’s best housing option!
On-site Professional Staff
Our maintenance staff will respond to your student’s maintenance issues quickly and professionally. The Nine offers 24-hour emergency maintenance as well so that your student’s comfort is not affected.
Affordable Floor Plans
The Nine has 6 diverse floor plans ranging from townhomes, three bedrooms, four bedrooms, and five bedrooms. Our leasing team will be able to assist you in finding the perfect fit for your preferred number of roommates.
Roommate Matching
If your student does not have a roommate in mind, we can find them one! Each roommate will fill out a Roommate Matching form so that we know what they are looking for in a roommate. During the summer, we spend weeks looking at these preferences and matching them up with the best person we can find!
Resident Events to Keep Students Involved
While the main focus of your student’s college career will be about graduating and getting a fulfilling job, they also need to have fun along the way. At The Nine, your student will create life-long relationships and connections that will make them even more successful. Our team plans monthly resident events to get them involved. These events range from pizza parties to karaoke nights, from resume building classes to gaming tournaments. We will also keep our residents connected to events going on at the University of South Carolina, as well as events happening around town so they don’t miss anything! We want your student to succeed, and that’s why we thought of them while designing The Nine as a Living-Learning environment!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
The Student Quarter Brand Ambassadors program is a way to promote the property you live at and get paid to do so! If your application is approved, your community will reach out with what they can offer you in exchange for promoting the property on social media.
The Nine at Columbia is only a 6 minute drive from The Horseshoe! Or take a scenic walk through the historic Vista and grab a coffee or lunch on your way to class!
Individual leasing means that each person is only responsible for their portion of the common areas and their bedroom. If your roommate ends up not coming back for the spring semester, you’re not responsible for their payment.
With an individual lease, also called by the bedroom lease, you are responsible for your own monthly rent and the regular upkeep of your part of the apartment. Unlike conventional joint leases, you are not responsible for any delinquent amounts owed by your roommates. This means if a roommate moves out early or misses a payment, all other residents are not responsible for making up the difference.
The Nine’s rent includes: Internet, water, sewer, trash & recycling, washer & dryer, and access to all of The Nine’s amenities, and a wonderful staff that is there to help you anytime you need them.
The only utility you will be required to pay is your electricity usage. SimpleBills will make the payment for you based upon your unit’s usage and bill your SimpleBills account for that charge each month. There is a one-time, annual utility fee of $60.
The Nine’s kitchen comes fully equipped with energy efficient appliances, a refrigerator, microwave, dishwasher, and washer & dryer. The living room includes a flat screen smart TV, TV stand, couch, coffee table, and chair. Your bedroom will come equipped with a full XL size bed and bed frame with a headboard, stackable dresser drawers, and a desk/chair. *Note- review each floorplan as some furnishing layouts with vary based on size and orientation.
Yes, we have 3 options for parking on-site and charged on a monthly basis. We offer reserved parking for $45, garage parking for $55, and an overflow lot for $60. Please note that our community does have limited parking, please contact our leasing team for availability updates!
We LOVE our furry friends at The Nine at Columbia! Please see the office for details, qualifications, and fees.
Yes, we offer a roommate matching system. If you don’t have anyone in mind that you would like to live with, let us match you up with someone! Your application includes a Roommate Matching Sheet that you will fill out to let us know more about what you’re looking for in a roommate. Then, we spend weeks in the summer figuring out the best match for you based on that information.
Yes, you can list your preferred roommates on the Roommate Matching Form with your application. All roommates must list each other for us to confirm that all requests are mutual. You can list your floorplan preference on your application and we will do our best to place you in a floor plan that meets your requests. All requests are taken in order by the date your lease was signed and is based on availability.
As a condition of our lease, we require all residents to carry building protection insurance ($100,000) for damage to the landlord’s property during the term of their lease. The good news is we take the hassle off your plate through an automatic Building Protection Fee enrollment. You pay the monthly premium together with rent but the fee does not cover your personal belongings. The policy does not cover any of your personal belongings, additional living expenses, or liability arising out of bodily injury or property damage to any third party. If you require any of this coverage, you should contact an insurance agent or insurance company of your choice and sign up for a renter’s insurance policy.
Unless your income is greater than 3 times the rental installment or can qualify through our Leap Program, you will need a guarantor. A guarantor must meet the income requirements and credit qualifications. The guarantor is financially responsible and liable for the terms of the lease and rental installments.
The monthly rental installment is your monthly payment for rent. We do not prorate rent, rather you are charged a total rent amount for the lease term divided into equal installments. Rent is due on the 1st of each month.
You have three installment payment options to pay the entire amount due under the lease – one installment, two installments, or twelve installments. If you choose to pay a single installment for the entire amount, that single installment is due August 1. If you choose to pay in two semester installments, those installments are due August 1 and January 1. If you choose to pay in twelve installments, the first installment is due on August 1 and the remaining eleven installments are due on the 1st of the next eleven months. Please note that these are all installment payment options and not monthly rent.
We offer the option to pay online through our resident portal. You also have the option to pay in office with certified funds via personal check, cashier’s check or money order. We do not accept cash.
Maintenance requests can be entered on your resident portal. We have a maintenance team onsite during business hours to assist with any maintenance requests that are entered into the resident portal. After-hours maintenance is available for emergency issues only.
If you need maintenance, simply go to your resident portal on our website and fill out a maintenance request. You can also call or stop by the front desk. If it is an emergency, please notify the front office immediately.
Your mail will be delivered to your apartment’s mailbox located on The Nine’s property. Packages will be available for pick up at the Amazon package locker in the mail room or in the front office.
We suggest that you bring:
Bedding for a Full XL Size bed
Queen bedding works great
Toiletries
Dishes/Cookware
Decorations to make your new room feel like home!
The Nine has resident events that range from pizza parties to Taco Tuesdays. Not only is there free food at events, but it’s also a great way to meet people!
The Nine’s lease is binding and cannot be broken. If you cannot live at The Nine after signing your lease, you will need to re-let. Please call the leasing office for information on re-letting.
Yes. The property’s policy is included here for family occupants with a child(ren) under the age of eighteen (18) who is domiciled with (i) at least one parent, legal guardian, or another person having legal custody of the child under the age of eighteen, or (ii) the designee of such parent or other person having such custody, with written permission of such parent or other person. For family households with children, all household members age eighteen (18) or older must: (A) complete an application, and (B) sign the lease as a Resident. For family households with children under the age of eighteen (18), at least two (2) people will be permitted to occupy a single bedroom. If a family household with children under the age of eighteen (18) requires additional occupancy per bedroom, additional occupants may be allowed on a case-by-case basis based on factors including, but not limited to, the size of the bedroom(s) and unit, age of the children, configuration of the unit, any physical limitations of the property, and local occupancy codes. If the child occupant reaches eighteen (18) years of age during the term of the lease, the lease will be allowed to complete its term, but renewal will only be offered in compliance with the occupancy policy as stated. Child occupants who are under twenty-four (24) months at the time the lease is signed will not be counted under the occupancy policy for purposes of maximum occupancy but will be counted for subsequent leases if they reach the age of twenty-four (24) months during the term of the lease. The Landlord has the right to lease any empty bedroom(s). Families should contact the office directly regarding the application for family households, as this process varies from individual leasing and the required forms are not all available electronically.
