USC Columbia 12 month leases: full-year lease options

USC Columbia 12 month leases make up a big share of what's posted near campus, and every listing below is set up as a full-year lease. You'll find a one-bedroom apartment, rooms in a shared house and a few whole houses, and you can keep an eye on our current Columbia listings for new ones.

A 12-month lease gives you a stable rent and a place to stay through the summer, which suits you if you're staying in Columbia for classes, work or an internship. The trade-off is that you're on the hook for the full year, so it pays to know exactly when the lease starts and ends before you sign.

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

The Narrative is a furnished 1-bedroom, 1-bath apartment on Idlewilde Blvd at $799/month, listed as 5 to 10 minutes by car from campus. It was posted by a student looking to pass on their lease, and the listing says you get your own bathroom, a furnished kitchen and living room, and a back patio. The listed start of 10/1/2026 has passed, so confirm the current dates and terms with the lister.

2 Bedroom House in Rosewood Area is an unfurnished 2-bedroom, 1-bath house on Hemphill St at $1,650/month, listed as 5 to 10 minutes by car from campus. The listing says the yard is fenced front and back, garbage collection is included, tenants pay water, electricity and lawn care, and a dog may be considered with a pet deposit. Its listed start of 10/10/2026 has gone by, so ask whether it's still available.

3 Bd/2.5 Ba House 127 Rosewood Hills is an unfurnished 3-bedroom, 2.5-bath house on Rosewood Hills Drive (contact for price), listed as 5 to 10 minutes by car from campus. The listing says it has hardwood floors on the main level, an eat-in kitchen with granite countertops and a primary suite on the main floor. The listed start date was 9/1/2026, so check current availability with the owner.

Rosewood rents by the room at $750/month in a furnished 4-bedroom house on Chevis St, listed as 5 to 10 minutes by car from campus. The listing says Wifi and a security camera system are included and tenants pay utilities. The fields list 3 baths while the description mentions one full and two half baths, and the timing reads Now to July, so ask the owner how the layout and lease dates actually work.

Unfurnished 2BR/1BA House is a 2-bedroom, 1-bath house on Ashton St at $1,700/month, listed as 5 to 10 minutes by car from campus. The title and description call it unfurnished, but the furnished field says yes, so ask the owner what's included. The listing says it has an in-unit washer and dryer and a fenced backyard, and the listed start of 8/1/2026 has passed.

How these full-year leases near USC Columbia compare

All five listings are listed as 5 to 10 minutes by car from campus, so the choice comes down to layout, price and who you'd be sharing with. Prices run from $750/month for a room in the Rosewood house to $1,700/month for the house on Ashton St, with one listing that asks you to contact the owner for the price.

If you want a place to yourself without a whole house, The Narrative listing at $799/month is the only 1-bedroom here. The two 2-bedroom houses, at $1,650/month and $1,700/month, give you a yard and more room, and they're natural fits if you plan to split rent two ways. The Rosewood Hills house adds a third bedroom and extra bathroom space for a three-way split.

Room rentals are a different setup. At the Chevis St house you're renting a single room and sharing the common areas, so you'll want to know who handles utilities, how bills get divided and what the house rules are before you commit. That arrangement can be a good way to get into a house without finding housemates yourself.

Watch the start dates. Most of these show dates from August through October that have already passed. Owners sometimes keep a listing up until they find the right tenant, and lease takeovers often have a bit of flexibility, so a passed date isn't a dead end. It's just the first thing to ask about.

USC Columbia 12 month leases: what to check before you commit

USC Columbia 12 month leases come in a few forms, and the details matter more than the label. Some run from a fixed August start to a July end, some start whenever the unit opens up, and some, like a lease takeover, pick up partway through someone else's term. Before you sign, ask for the exact start and end dates in writing.

If you're taking over a lease from another tenant, find out whether the owner or management company will put the lease in your name or whether you'll be subletting under the original tenant. That affects who you pay, who returns your deposit and who's responsible if something goes wrong. Ask the property directly how their transfer process works and whether there's a fee.

For houses rented from an owner, ask about the application process, what the deposit covers and how repairs are handled. The Hemphill St listing, for example, spells out its utility split and yard care, which is the kind of detail you want for every place you consider. If a listing doesn't say, ask.

Timing is on your side in early November. Some renters leave at the end of fall semester, which opens up spring-semester takeovers and January move-ins. At the same time, many owners and buildings start talking about next fall's leases now. If you know you'll need housing for August, it's a good month to ask about renewals and early signing.

Finally, ask how the lease ends. Find out how much notice you need to give if you won't renew, whether the rent goes up at renewal and whether the lease converts to month-to-month afterward. Those answers are easy to get now and much harder to sort out later.

Tips for signing a full-year lease near USC Columbia

• Get the exact lease start and end dates in writing, especially where a listing's start date has already passed.

• Ask which utilities you'll pay, whether internet is included and how bills are split in shared houses.

• For a lease takeover, confirm with the property whether the lease transfers into your name and what fees apply.

• If you'll be gone over the summer, ask before signing whether subletting is allowed under the lease.

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 South Carolina.