UW apartments for rent in Seattle: current listings and prices

If you're hunting for UW apartments for rent in Seattle this fall, timing matters more than you might think. Several of the places listed right now are takeovers and subleases from students whose plans changed, and a good one can go quickly. We pulled five furnished apartment listings from our current Seattle listings so you can compare real prices and lease dates side by side.

Every listing below is an apartment, every one is furnished, and every one is listed as under 5 minutes by car from campus. That doesn't make them identical, though. Lease lengths, start dates and what the rent actually covers vary a lot, so read each one with your own move-in date in mind.

Begin your search at Off-Campus Universe, where you can browse current listings near Seattle.

4703 9th Ave NE Room is listed at $860/month, the lowest price in this group. It's at 4703 9th Ave NE in Seattle, and the lease runs from now to August 2027 on a 12-month lease. The listing shows 8 beds and 3 baths, while the title calls it a room, so confirm with the lister exactly which space the rent covers and how many people share the unit. The description says it's fully furnished and close to grocery stores and the Link.

TAS Investment Apartment Lease Transfer comes in at $976/month for a furnished 1 bed, 1 bath setup at 4542 19th Ave NE. The description calls it a lease takeover and says the lease runs to August 31st, 2027, with utilities based on usage on top of rent. The listed timing is November to August 2027, so ask the lister whether a move-in this month or in January still works. The listing also mentions a shared bathroom with one roommate, a furnished living room and a private balcony.

Trailside Student Housing B5 is listed at $1,279/month. It's a furnished 2 bed, 2 bath apartment at 4801 24th Ave NE in Seattle, and the lease timing is simply listed as a takeover on a 12-month lease. The listing says the building has a gym, study rooms, patios and lounges. Since the start date isn't spelled out, ask when the takeover begins and when the lease ends before you plan around it.

Standard Apt Room with Ensuite Near UW is the highest-priced option here at $1,550/month. It's a furnished private bedroom with its own bathroom in the 98105 ZIP code, with timing listed as December to August 2027. The listing says the unit has in-unit laundry and a shared kitchen, and that the building includes a gym and study spaces. One thing to check: the lease type is listed as 9 months, which doesn't quite line up with a December to August window, so get the exact end date in writing.

Lavender Apartments is a sublease at $1,150/month at 4519 18th Ave NE. It's a furnished 1 bed, 1 bath listing with timing of December to June 2027, and the description says the lease runs through June 30th, 2027. The listing says underground garage parking is available in the building. It also notes that the photos come from the building's website rather than the actual unit, so ask for current photos or a video tour.

What these Seattle listings have in common

All five listings are in Seattle, and every address shown sits in the 98105 ZIP code, on streets like 9th Ave NE, 18th Ave NE, 19th Ave NE and 24th Ave NE. If you want to stay close to campus without a long drive, it makes sense to focus your search on listings like these and compare them against each other.

Prices in this group run from $860/month to $1,550/month, and that spread mostly reflects what you're getting. A private bedroom with its own bathroom costs more than a spot in a larger shared unit. A sublease with a fixed end date in June is a different commitment from a lease that runs through August 2027. Before you compare on price alone, line up the end dates.

Four of the five are posted as takeovers or subleases, which matters for how you apply. With a takeover, you usually step into the original lease, which means the building or property manager may still need to approve you. With a sublease, you may be renting from the current tenant instead. Ask each lister which arrangement it is, and who you'd actually be signing with.

Furnished units save you a lot of hassle mid-year. If you're arriving in January or switching places between quarters, you won't need to buy a bed and desk or arrange movers. Still, ask what furniture is included in your room versus the shared spaces, because listings don't always separate the two.

UW apartments for rent in Seattle: how to time your search

UW apartments for rent in Seattle don't always follow the usual fall-to-summer cycle. Plenty of students hand off their leases between quarters, which is why you'll see several listings here with December start dates or immediate takeovers. Check the academic calendar for your own start date and work backward from there.

If you need a place for the start of the new year, now is a good time to reach out. Students who are leaving usually want an answer quickly, and a takeover that's open in mid-November may not stay open for long. Have your basic details ready when you message a lister: your move-in date, how long you need the place, and whether you can handle an application fee or deposit.

If you're planning further ahead for next fall, the picture is different. Ask landlords and buildings when they start signing fall leases, since some open applications months in advance. A takeover that runs to August 2027 can work as a bridge until then, and some students take a short sublease now and use the extra months to look around for a longer lease for the next school year.

Either way, compare more than one listing. It's normal for two places in the same part of the U District to have very different rent, utilities and lease terms. Our current listings page updates as new takeovers and subleases are posted, so it's worth checking back every few days during November and December.

One more practical point: the distance figures on these listings describe drive time, not how long it takes to get there another way. If your daily routine depends on transit, ask the lister how they get to class and how long it usually takes them.

Tips before you sign a takeover or sublease near UW

• Ask who you'll be signing with. For a takeover, find out whether the property manager has to approve the transfer, what that process costs and how long it takes.

• Confirm the exact start and end dates in writing, especially when the listed lease type and timing don't match, so you aren't caught paying for months you didn't plan on.

• Ask what the rent includes. Some listings say utilities are extra or based on usage, so get a recent monthly estimate before you compare prices.

• Request current photos or a live video tour of the actual unit, and check which furniture stays in the room and which belongs to the current roommates.

Ready to find your place? Browse all listings at Off-Campus Universe.

This article is provided by an independent housing resource and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the University of Washington.