Ohio State unfurnished rentals in Columbus: what bring-your-own-furniture leases cost

Bringing your own furniture takes more planning, but it can also get you a bigger place or a lower rent than a fully furnished building. Ohio State unfurnished rentals in Columbus cover everything from a single-bedroom townhouse to 4 bedroom places for a group. We pulled five current listings from the Columbus listings page so you can see real prices and lease details side by side.

Every listing below is unfurnished, so the rent is just the starting point. You'll also want to factor in what it costs to furnish the place and move your things in. Here's what each option looks like, followed by some practical ways to compare them.

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

Victorian Village is a 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom apartment listed at $1,650/month on a Year Lease (12 Months). The lease timing reads 9/1/2026, and it's marked as open now, so it could work if you need a place before spring. It's listed as 5 to 10 minutes by car from campus. Since it's unfurnished, two people splitting the rent would also be splitting the cost of a couch, kitchen basics and the rest.

Large Townhouse UA Area is a townhouse with 1 bedroom and 1.5 bathrooms, listed at $1,395/month on a Year Lease (12 Months). The timing is listed as move in any date, which is unusually flexible, so ask the lister which start dates are actually open right now. It's listed as 5 to 10 minutes by car from campus. A townhouse layout with an extra half bath can feel roomier than a typical one-bedroom apartment.

Apartment unit for rent is a 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom apartment listed at $2,044/month. This one is a Sub Lease, meaning you'd be taking over someone else's lease, and the timing is listed as 12/11/2026, which lines up with a spring-semester move. It's listed as 5 to 10 minutes by car from campus. Before you commit, ask how the landlord's approval process works for a lease takeover and when the original lease ends.

Updated 4 Bedroom Central Campus is a 4 bedroom, 2 bathroom townhouse listed at $3,400/month on a Year Lease (12 Months). It's listed as under 5 minutes by car from campus, the shortest drive time in this group, and the lease starts 8/7/2027. That makes it a next-fall option for a group that's already formed and wants to lock something in early.

4 bed / 1 bath - With Offstreet Parking is a 4 bedroom, 1 bathroom duplex listed at $2,173/month on a Year Lease (12 Months). Timing is listed as All dates, so ask the lister which move-in dates are available. It's listed as 5 to 10 minutes by car from campus. With four bedrooms and one bathroom, it's worth thinking through morning routines with your future housemates before you sign.

Why go unfurnished

An unfurnished rental means the lease covers the space, not the stuff in it. You bring your own bed, desk, seating and kitchen gear. For some renters that's a downside, because furnishing a place from scratch adds up fast. For others it's the whole point: you get to set up a space the way you like, and you're not stuck with someone else's worn-out mattress or a couch you don't want.

Unfurnished places also tend to suit longer stays. If you're planning to live somewhere for a full year or more, buying a few pieces once and keeping them can work out better than paying for furniture through your rent. If you already own furniture from a previous place, or your group can pool what everyone has, an unfurnished lease starts to look even better.

The tricky part is timing. Moving furniture in the middle of the school year, especially during finals in December, takes planning. If you're looking at a spring move, build in time to arrange a truck or delivery before classes start.

It also helps to know what late October looks like for the search. Spring-semester openings tend to come from subleases and from units with a mid-year turnover, so there are fewer of them and they move quickly. Next-fall listings are just starting to appear, which gives you more time to compare, tour and talk through budgets with your group before anyone signs.

Ohio State unfurnished rentals in Columbus: comparing the true cost

To compare Ohio State unfurnished rentals in Columbus fairly, look past the headline rent. The five listings above run from $1,395 to $3,400 a month, but they range from one bedroom to four, and the right comparison depends on how many people will share the place. A 4 bedroom townhouse at $3,400 split four ways is a very different number than a one-bedroom townhouse paid by a single person.

Next, think about furnishing costs. Make a rough list of what you'd need: a bed frame and mattress, a desk and chair, a couch, a table, kitchen basics. Price it out honestly, then spread that cost over the length of the lease. On a Year Lease (12 Months), a one-time furniture spend becomes a small monthly add-on. On a shorter sublease, the same spend weighs more heavily.

Lease type matters too. Four of these listings are standard year leases, while one is a sublease. With a sublease, you're stepping into an existing lease, so check whether the landlord has to approve you, whether you'll sign anything directly with them, and what happens to the deposit.

Drive time is the last piece. One listing is listed as under 5 minutes by car from campus, and the others are 5 to 10 minutes. If you'll be driving to class, ask each lister about parking and whether it costs extra.

Once you've narrowed it down, put your top two or three options in a simple table: monthly rent, number of bedrooms, cost per person if you're sharing, estimated furniture spend, lease length, start date and drive time. Seeing the numbers next to each other usually makes the choice clearer than reading listings one at a time, and it gives you a short list of questions to send each lister.

Tips for renting unfurnished in Columbus

• Ask the lister which appliances come with the unit, since unfurnished doesn't always mean the same thing from one place to the next.

• Measure doorways and stairwells, or ask for the room dimensions, before you buy or move large furniture.

• If your group is splitting a bigger place, agree on who owns which shared items and what happens to them when the lease ends.

• For a spring move, plan your furniture delivery or truck rental early so it doesn't clash with finals week.

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.