Rent or Buy?
Housing for Your
UVM Student
If your student will be living in Burlington for several years, it may be worth comparing the cost of renting with purchasing a condo, home, or small multi-family property. In the right property, rent from roommates can help offset ownership costs — and when graduation arrives, you may have the option to sell or continue holding the property as a rental.
Considering Buying Instead of Renting?
We help UVM parents evaluate properties through both a residential and investment lens.
That means looking beyond the kitchen, bedrooms, and location and considering questions such as:
What will the true monthly ownership cost be?
Can my student have roommates?
Does the condominium association allow rentals?
Is the property properly permitted for its current use and bedroom count?
What Burlington rental and fire-safety requirements apply?
Is there adequate parking?
What could the property realistically rent for?
What might the resale market look like when my student graduates?
Would keeping the property as a long-term investment make sense?
Our goal isn't simply to help you buy a property. It's to help you determine whether buying makes sense in the first place.
Why Burlington Market Knowledge Matters
Burlington is a unique housing market.
UVM, the University of Vermont Medical Center, downtown Burlington, and a limited supply of housing all influence demand. At the same time, individual streets, condominium associations, zoning, rental regulations, parking, property condition, and permitted bedroom counts can materially affect the usefulness and value of a property.
Burlington also requires registration and inspection of rental properties, making due diligence particularly important when a property may eventually be rented.
That is where local experience matters.
Burlington Residential + Multi-Family Expertise
The Lipkin Audette Team has extensive experience selling Burlington homes, condominiums, duplexes, and multi-family investment properties.
Steve Lipkin has been helping buyers and sellers navigate the Burlington real estate market since 1998. Our team combines neighborhood knowledge with extensive experience evaluating Burlington rental and investment properties.
For UVM parents, that combination can be especially valuable.
We can help identify properties that work for your student today while also considering rental potential, operating costs, property condition, regulations, and eventual resale.
Rent vs. Buy: Let's Run the Numbers
Buying isn't automatically better than renting.
Before making a decision, we can help you compare:
Sometimes the numbers point toward buying. Sometimes renting makes considerably more sense.
Either way, you'll have better information before making the decision.
Renting
Monthly rent
Length of expected occupancy
Utilities and parking
Flexibility after graduation
Upfront costs
Buying
Purchase price and financing
Taxes, insurance, and condominium fees
Maintenance and improvements
Potential roommate rental income
Expected holding period
Future rental potential
Estimated resale costs and value
Sometimes the numbers point toward buying. Sometimes renting makes considerably more sense.
Either way, you'll have better information before making the decision.
Looking for a UVM Rental?
UVM maintains an official off-campus housing database with available rentals, roommate opportunities, and other housing resources.
If you're primarily looking to rent, that's an excellent place to begin.
If you're wondering whether purchasing a property could be an alternative to several years of rent, that's where we can help.
Start Your UVM Housing Search
Whether your student is arriving at UVM, preparing to move off campus, or you are simply starting to explore options, we're happy to be a resource.
We can help you:
- Search Burlington properties currently for sale
- Identify condos with appropriate ownership and rental rules
- Evaluate single-family and multi-family opportunities
- Estimate potential roommate or future rental income
- Review comparable sales
- Discuss Burlington-specific property considerations
- Develop an exit strategy for graduation
Thinking About Buying Housing for Your UVM Student?
Let's have a conversation before you start your search.
We can talk through your student's housing needs, your budget, and whether renting or purchasing makes the most sense.
Contact Steve Lipkin and the Lipkin Audette Team
Burlington, Vermont
Explore UVM Housing Options →
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©2026 Coldwell Banker. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker and the Coldwell Banker logos are trademarks of Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. The Coldwell Banker® System is comprised of company owned offices which are owned by a subsidiary of Anywhere Advisors LLC and franchised offices which are independently owned and operated. The Coldwell Banker System fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act.
