Frequently Asked Questions

Call us to set up a tour at 484-757-5696 or email us at lehigh@collegetowncommunities.com.

Any student will be accommodated at Polk on Third. If you already have another student that you know you would like to live with, you will be placed with them, within the same apartment. If you are looking by yourself, you will be put on our “Roommate Needed List” and matched with other single tenants of the same gender using our Roommate Matching System. The roommate matching questionnaire is part of your initial application that you fill out prior to signing a lease to live at Polk on Third. We use your answers to this questionnaire and compare them with other residents’ answers and match everyone accordingly.

Yes, apartments are fully furnished. Options vary by apartment, but here is a brief overview of the furnishings offered: a sofa or loveseat, accent chair, coffee table, end table, media console, HDTV, full-sized bed and hypoallergenic mattress, night table, desk/dresser, desk chair, counter seating or table seating.

Polk on Third apartments are supplied with a refrigerator/freezer, a stove/oven, dishwasher and microwave. Free laundry facilities are located on each floor.

STUDIO: High-speed internet with password-protected Wi-Fi, free laundry, water, sewer, and trash removal included; residents pay a $50 monthly utility fee for electric.ONE BEDROOM: High-speed internet with password-protected Wi-Fi, free laundry, water, sewer, and trash removal included; residents pay a $60 monthly utility fee for electric.TWO BEDROOM: High-speed internet with password-protected Wi-Fi, free laundry, water, sewer, and trash removal included; residents pay a $80 monthly utility fee for electric.THREE BEDROOM: High-speed internet with password-protected Wi-Fi, free laundry, water, sewer, and trash removal included; residents pay a $100 monthly utility fee for electric.

Access to the entire facility for the complete duration of your lease term, a fully furnished apartment, HDTV in every unit, FREE laundry facilities on each floor, FREE high speed internet, after hours emergency maintenance, Personal Online Resident Portal that allows you to make online rental payments as well as work order requests, and a secure package delivery system.

No, we do not charge a security deposit!

Rent is to be paid by the 1st of every month of your contract. Arrangements can be made to pay a full semester in advance or a full year in advance if that is desired by the tenant.

Rent payments can be made by check, money order, wire transfer, credit or debit cards (No cash will be accepted) in the Leasing Office or online through your Resident Portal account. Most debit cards have a daily limit for charges, so check with your bank to be sure you have the ability to make large payments before attempting payment. Convenience fees will apply to any online payment and vary depending on your payment method. Checks are the cheapest way to pay!

Check can be made payable to Polk on Third.

Any student enrolled at Lehigh University, Penn State Lehigh Valley, or Moravian University.

Any tenant is allowed to have a guest visit or spend the night at any time without the need to register or sign them in. However, a guest is NOT allowed to stay for more the 3 days at a time. Roommate consideration must be taken into account with all visitors. Guests must be accompanied by the tenant whom they are visiting at ALL times when inside the property.

ALL residents will have their own bedroom.

We are located three blocks from Lehigh University campus.

No, pets are not allowed. No pets are allowed to “visit” any of the properties at any time either, due to the possibility of spreading allergens or fleas that could be disruptive to other residents in the property. Following guidelines pursuant to the Federal Fair Housing Act and the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act, College Town Communities is committed to making reasonable accommodations to allow a Service Animal or Emotional Support Animal (ESA) to live with a resident in the Leased Premises. Applicants and current residents requesting such accommodations must contact the Leasing Office prior to bringing the Service Animal or ESA on property, complete all necessary paperwork required by the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission, and be granted written permission by Landlord in order to do so. More information regarding your rights and responsibilities to allow a Service Animal or Emotional Support Animal to live with you in the Leased Premises can be found here or by calling the tollfree PA Fair Housing hotline at 855-866-5718.

Yes, free laundry facilities are located on each floor.

We have two lease start dates available. Leases for the 2027-28 school year will begin on June 8, 2027 or August 11, 2027. Contact the Leasing Office for more information regarding your specific apartment move-in date.

All leases are a full year lease. We have two lease start dates available. Leases for the 2027-28 school year will begin on June 8, 2027 and end on May 23, 2028 or begin on August 11, 2027 and end on July 19, 2028. Contact the Leasing Office for more information regarding your specific apartment move-in date.

Background checks are performed on every student who wants to live at Polk on Third.

No, there is no fee to apply to live at Polk on Third. There is, however, a $299 Administrative Fee once you have decided to complete a lease to live at Polk on Third. The Administrative Fee is a nonrefundable annual fee due at lease signing for all applicants and renewals. The fee covers the online application process, renewal lease generation, resident and guarantor screening, annual lock programming, secure package delivery system, 24-7 access to the online Resident Portal, and after-hours services call center services.

The Administrative/Facilities Fee is a nonrefundable annual fee due at lease signing for all applicants and renewals. The fee covers the online application process, renewal lease generation, resident and guarantor screening, annual lock programming, secure package delivery system, 24-7 access to the online Resident Portal, and after-hours call center services.

Each resident is required to have at least $100,000 in legal liability coverage for any potential damage to the leased premises for the entire duration of their lease.  This liability coverage protects each resident against major damage to the leased premises.  Signing up for The Waiver Program automatically satisfies this lease liability requirement.  A $16.00 fee will be automatically added to your resident ledger each month.The Waiver Program is not renter’s insurance. It provides up to $100,000 in legal liability coverage for damage to the landlord's property from fire, smoke, explosion, or water. It does not cover a resident’s personal belongings or damage to other residents' personal property.  Although carrying third-party renter's insurance isn't required if you enroll in the Waiver Program, we highly recommend each resident get renter's insurance to protect their personal property.

Any resident can opt-out of the Waiver Program by simply providing complete information for alternate coverage that satisfies the $100,000 legal liability coverage required by the lease agreement.  Residents can purchase their own policy through any insurance carrier.  Projected monthly costs for this coverage will vary by provider. To use an alternate policy, each resident must upload proof prior to moving in, while using the email address from their initial lease application to: https://www.ho4verify.com/resident_portal/CollegeTown Your policy document must show:You as the named or additional insuredThe lease address as the insured locationPersonal liability coverage of at least $100,000Community Name - PO Box 19219, Atlanta, GA 31126 listed as an additional insured

Assuming you are of the legal age, you may consume alcohol in your property/apartment. No alcohol is permitted in the outdoor areas and we expect tenants to follow ALL property guidelines and state/local laws.

No. The apartments are already painted. You may decorate your apartment with posters, tapestries, holiday lights, etc. Please use thumb tacks or nails when hanging things on the walls. Do NOT use Tape, Glue, Gummy poster hangers, 3M double sided sticky pads, etc. Do NOT use wall decals, as they will delaminate the face of the drywall. Any unnecessary damage to the apartment walls could lead to you having to pay for repairs.

Every unit will include mini blinds on each window and you may add window treatments if you desire, but the blinds must stay in place. While we provide the bed and mattress, you would need to bring your own bedding.

Our properties are solely rented to students who attend Lehigh University, Moravian University, Penn State Lehigh Valley, and similar institutions. We work closely with these neighboring campuses, but we are a privately-owned company.

Yes. You may use financial aid proceeds or any other 3rd party payment process to pay for your rent at any of our facilities. Typically, financial aid proceeds are disbursed directly to the student who in turn can then use those proceeds to pay for housing.

Please contact the leasing office for parking options and details.

Rent Reporting is an optional credit reporting and financial tool provided by Homebody Insurance Agency, LLC and its affiliate, Simplified Business Group, LLS, also known as Rent Dynamics. For a monthly fee of $8.95, Rent Reporting reports your rent and utility payments (if utilities are not included in your rent) to one or more consumer reporting agencies, such as Equifax, TransUnion, and Experian. Each rent and utility payment made on time helps build your credit over time, payment by payment, month by month, year by year… even if it’s your guarantor making the payment OR you receive financial aid! Imagine what four years of paying rent on time can do for your credit score!

Your credit score is a number that tells lenders if you usually pay your bills on time, are able to keep your credit card balances low, and are able to manage different types of credit. So when you make on-time payments, your credit score may improve or remain the same if it’s already high. However, as someone who rents an apartment, you’re not building your credit history by paying rent on time. Why not? Because rent isn’t considered debt, and paying off debt is typically what builds credit. Rent Reporting is a tool you can use to your advantage because each on-time payment is reported to the very credit bureaus that report these scores to car dealers, mortgage lenders, a future landlord, etc.

The Rent Reporting Addendum is included in your Lease Agreement. However, you may cancel at any time after signing by using the Homebody app, sending a written notice of termination to Homebody at 4205 Chapel Ridge Road, Lehi, Utah 84043, ATTN: Rent Reporting Service Charge, or by emailing rentreporting@homebody.com. To avoid being charged for the next month, cancellations must be received at least ten (10) days before the end of the current month.Note: If your lease is joint and several (i.e., shared with roommates), each resident must cancel individually to opt out of the program.

More information can be found online at https://www.homebody.com/products/rent-reporting. In addition to learning about Rent Reporting here, we encourage you to click on the various tools on the Homebody website to learn more about money management. What’s the highest credit score possible? How can I improve my credit score? What credit score do I have to have to buy a car? Or even a house? It’s never too soon to begin thinking about what your financial future holds!