Ohio State apartments for rent in Columbus: current listings and prices

If you are looking at Ohio State apartments for rent in Columbus, the most useful starting point is a clear list of what is posted right now and on what terms. This guide pulls current apartment listings from our Columbus off-campus listings page, with each one's posted monthly price, size, lease type, lease timing and the drive-time figure the lister supplied, followed by advice on what to ask before you sign.

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

Right now, these apartment listings near Columbus are live on our site: Blume at $1,430/month, a furnished one-bedroom sublease; SUBLEASE FOR SPRING 2027 at $1,439/month, a furnished one-bedroom, one-bath sublease; The View On High at $1,509/month, a furnished three-bedroom, two-bath sublease; Victorian Village at $1,650/month, an unfurnished two-bedroom, one-bath unit on a year lease; and The Rambler at $1,880/month, a furnished one-bedroom sublease. All five are listed with Apartment as their property type.

What Is Listed in Columbus Right Now

Not all five are open today, so read the lease timing on each one. Two are listed as available now: Victorian Village, a year lease with a lease timing of 9/1/2026; and The Rambler, which is listed as a sublease. The other three start later: SUBLEASE FOR SPRING 2027 lists a lease timing of "December to July", Blume lists a lease timing of 12/20/2026, and The View On High lists January.

Drive times vary too. Blume and The View On High are each listed as under 5 minutes by car from campus, while Victorian Village, The Rambler and SUBLEASE FOR SPRING 2027 are each listed as 5 to 10 minutes by car. Those figures come from the Distance by Car field each lister fills in, so treat them as the lister's estimate and try the route yourself at the hour you would actually travel.

The lease types split cleanly. The one unfurnished unit, Victorian Village, is listed with Year Lease (12 Months). The four furnished units, Blume, The View On High, The Rambler and SUBLEASE FOR SPRING 2027, are all listed as subleases. That gives you a real choice between signing your own lease on an empty unit and stepping into a furnished place for the remainder of someone else's term.

None of these five is listed as rent by the room, so the posted price is the figure the lister set for the listing. If you plan to share any of them, ask how rent is billed and whether each roommate signs the lease.

Ohio State Apartments for Rent in Columbus: Sublease or Year Lease

The Ohio State apartments for rent in Columbus listed above fall into two groups, subleases and year leases, and the right one depends on how long you need a place and how much you want to set up yourself. A sublease can get you into a furnished unit mid-year without committing to a full twelve months, while a year lease gives you your own contract with the landlord and a predictable end date.

If you take a sublease, the original lease usually still sets the rules. Ask to see it, confirm the exact end date, find out whether the landlord must approve you and whether there is a fee, and check whether the original tenant's deposit stays in place or you pay a new one. Put the arrangement in a written sublease agreement that names the unit, the rent, the dates, the furniture included and who covers any damage.

If you sign a year lease, read the move-in and move-out dates, the rent due date, late fees, renewal terms and the rules on subletting, in case your plans change partway through. A 12-month lease generally commits you to the full term, including months you may spend away from Columbus, so think about summer before you sign. With an unfurnished unit, also budget for the furniture you will need to bring or buy.

Furnished and unfurnished units also change what move-in looks like. With a furnished sublease, ask for a list of every piece of furniture that stays and photograph its condition when you arrive, since you may be responsible for it at the end. With an unfurnished year lease, plan how you will get a bed, desk and seating into the unit and what you will do with them when the lease ends.

Roommates are worth planning for too. If you share a two- or three-bedroom unit, agree in writing how rent and each utility will be split and what happens if someone leaves early, and make sure everyone understands whether all tenants are responsible for the full rent under the lease.

In both cases, ask what the monthly price includes. The listing gives you the rent, but the lease should spell out which utilities you pay, how parking works, and how the security deposit is handled at the end.

Tips for Renting an Apartment in Columbus

• Check the start date before anything else. Three of the listings above list later start dates (12/20/2026, January and "December to July"), so match each listing's lease timing to your own move-in date.

• Read the original lease on any sublease. Confirm the end date, whether the landlord has to approve you, and how the deposit is handled before you pay anything.

• Get furnishing and utilities in writing. Ask for a list of what stays in a furnished unit and which utilities are included in the rent so you can compare listings fairly.

• Never send money for a place you have not seen. Tour in person or by live video, make sure the person you are dealing with has the right to rent or sublet the unit, pay through a traceable method, and take dated photos on move-in day.

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 Ohio State University.