Although many students only have been living with their roommates for two months, some may be feeling pressure to decide on whether to live with the same people again next year.

Senior Shana Fellner knows of the pressure.

“Our landlord kind of told us that there were already people looking at the house and if we wanted it, we needed to sign,” Fellner said of her first year living off campus.

She and her roommates signed in October that year and the next two years.

“The first year, signing in October was kind of exciting, knowing you were going to live off campus and out of the dorm life,” Fellner said.

But living with the group for only two months and being expected to sign again for the following year was not as enjoyable, she said.

“The year had just begun,” Fellner said. “Who is to say that they know what is going to happen for the following year already?”

Student Senate and housing officials discourage students from signing leases now that won’t begin until next summer.

Students change their minds about who they want to live with, whether they want to study abroad or take a semester off, and what kind of place they want to live, said Chuck Major, director of Housing and Residential Life.

Rather than signing this early in the year, Major and Student Senate encourage students to wait until January or later to sign leases.

In January, Student Senate organizes HOUSE Day, an event in Davies Center for students to speak with area landlords about their properties, make appointments to view houses or even sign leases.

Senate President Sarah Schuh said there are many quality properties available by the time of the event.

“You don’t have to be concerned that if you have not signed a lease yet, you are not going to get a good house,” Schuh said.

If students wait until HOUSE Day to sign, it would get rid of the stereotype for landlords that the good tenants are the ones who sign in the fall, Schuh said.

“I think it is very idealistic and a good goal to have,” Major said of students signing in January. “But, realistically, I think we all know students will sign early and landlords will have property available early.”

Major offered tips for students when signing for rental housing. First, students should tour the house, touch and smell things, flush toilets, check light switches and talk to current tenants, he said.

They also should read the lease, ask questions, call the city health department to check for violations and get to know the landlord they are signing with, Major said.

“If (landlords) do a nice job,” he said, “they are proud and would not have any qualms about people checking on them.”