Finding Housing During Your Internship

Tips on housing in your internship city

The celebration of finding your internship has subsided, and now you're wondering where in the heck you're going to live for that 8–10 week period. Here are a few tips for locating your temporary abode in your internship city.

• Does your employer offer housing assistance? Some firms may pay for your housing, or have deals with local apartment complexes. They may also have professionals willing to rent out a room to interns. If it's not outlined in your offer letter, it doesn't hurt to ask your recruiter!
• Use your network. For example, when I looked for Atlanta housing before my internship (way back when), a friend's older sister told me about some college friends with a basement apartment in Atlanta. All it took was getting the word out about my short-term housing need, and I loved the end result - great neighborhood, fun temporary roomies. Similarly, some of your pals from your chosen city may have parents who'd love to "adopt" you for the summer!
• Check Facebook intern-housing groups. These have become one of the best tools for exactly this situation. Almost every major firm/city combo has a group (something like "EY Atlanta Summer Interns 2027" or "Deloitte Nashville Intern Housing") where people post looking for roommates or subletting their place for the summer. Ask your recruiter or firm contact if one exists for your class.
• Check for an apartment-finding service in that city. Most major cities have apartment-finding websites or services where you can search short-term leases (since you'll only be there a little over 2 months). These leases will likely be pricier than your rent in Auburn, but at least you'll be earning money during your internship! The most important thing is making sure your apartment is in a safe location — size matters less since you'll be at work most of the day. Here are a few options, though a quick Google search for your specific city is worth doing too: 
  • • Promove & AR Corporate (Atlanta only)
    • Apartment Guide (any major city)
    • Apartment Finder (any major city)
    • Apartment List (any major city)
    • Rent.com (any city)
    • ApartmentAdvisor — rates listings by neighborhood, amenities, and price so you can spot the best deals rather than just browsing raw listings.
  • Airbnb will sometimes offer extended-stay discounts, so it's worth a shot! You can rent an entire apartment/home or a single room. If you go the room route, make sure your temporary roommate is an upstanding citizen!

Craigslist is an option, but only if you do your diligence. Craigslist classifieds can turn up nice short-term options (e.g., people who own vacant condos and just want to cover the mortgage), but renter beware - some sketchy stuff is on there too. See the safety note below before committing to anything you find here.

Don't have a roommate lined up? Sites like SpareRoom or Roomies can help match you with someone else searching for short-term housing in the same city. Also use the Accounting Interns Teams channels to see if other Auburn students are in the same boat.

A few practical things to check before you sign anything:

• Confirm subletting is actually allowed under the current lease — not every listing is legally allowed to be sublet
• Ask what's included in rent (utilities, internet, parking) so you're not surprised later
• Check if your firm requires proof of renters insurance — some do
• Start looking early. Good short-term sublets near firm offices in popular intern cities go fast, so don't wait until a few weeks before your start date

🛑 A quick safety note

Whatever route you go - Craigslist, Facebook groups, or anywhere else you're dealing with an individual landlord instead of a company - a few rules apply:

• See it in person (or on a live video call) before you send any money. No exceptions.
• Never wire money, or send a deposit via Venmo/Zelle/CashApp to someone you haven't verified. A landlord who's "out of the country" and needs the deposit wired first is one of the most common rental scams out there.
• Bring a parent to see the place if you can, and let them ask questions too. If your mom or dad feels good about it, it's probably safe - they're the ones who'll worry about you the whole time, so their buy-in matters.
• Trust your gut. If something feels off about the listing, the landlord, or the price being too good to be true, walk away.

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