Free downloads & guides

The Parent Toolbox

Everything we've built to make launching your kid easier, in one place. All of it free, all of it from people who work inside student housing.

Downloads

Print them, fridge them, bring them to the leasing office.

PDF guide

The Co-Signing Guide

Ten insider things to know before you guarantee your student's first apartment, plus a pre-signing checklist. Our flagship guide.

Get the guide →

PDF one-pager

The Leasing Year Timeline

The entire 12-month leasing cycle on one page: what happens each month and the two windows where you hold the power.

Get the timeline →

Tools

Interactive and printable. Built from the questions we answered for two decades.

Calculator

The true-cost calculator

Enter your quote and see the real monthly cost, the annual total, and what move-in day costs in cash.

Run your numbers →

Checklist

The tour question checklist

Every question to ask on a tour, from lease type to utility caps to red flags. Printable, clipboard-ready.

Get the questions →

Worksheet

The comparison worksheet

Three finalists side by side, with true monthly costs that total automatically.

Compare properties →

Checklist

The move-in inspection checklist

The 20 minutes of photos that protect your deposit, room by room.

Protect the deposit →

Insider reading

Start with these, in roughly this order.

Orientation

Student housing, explained

What PBSA is, how it differs from dorms and regular apartments, and the calendar at a glance.

Start here →

The flagship

The leasing year, month by month

What's actually happening inside the leasing office all year, and how to time your move.

Read the timeline →

The money

Decode the lease

The fee stack translated, the guarantor gauntlet, and what you can actually negotiate.

Decode it →

The kid

Is your kid actually ready?

Readiness isn't the acceptance letter. It's self-management. What to practice before move-in day.

Read it →

Directory

Who manages the building?

The 25 national companies behind most student housing brands, with links and how to check their resident-satisfaction rankings.

See the list →

The people

The roommate guide

Matching, the week-one agreement, and what to do when it sours. The #1 source of drama, handled.

Read it →

The year

Living there

Maintenance, packages, privacy rules, and when a parent should actually call the office.

Read it →

The exits

Getting out of the lease

Relets, takeovers, and sublets: which ones release your guaranty, and how to work each one.

Read the escape hatches →

The finale

Move-out without losing the deposit

Notice deadlines, the real cleaning standard, and how to dispute a charge with evidence.

Read the move-out guide →

Reference

The glossary

Prelease, relet, turn week, guarantor: the industry's vocabulary in plain English.

Look it up →

Coming soon

The leasing-year email course

A 12-month email series that follows the leasing calendar, arriving each month with exactly what to do next. Join the list below and you'll get it first.

Get new resources first

Join the list and we'll send the co-signing guide now, plus each new checklist and tool as it ships. Timed to the leasing calendar, so it arrives when you actually need it. No spam, ever.

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