General Questions

Oh certainly! Please contact us, we’d love to show you around. We do in-person and virtual tours! 

We have walk-in office hours M-F 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. We are available on Saturday by appointment. We are closed on Sundays. 

We sign leases on a first come, first served basis.  If you think you know which building you’ll want to live in, please don’t wait to sign your lease.  We don’t want you to be disappointed!  

Yes! We allow up to 2 pets with no breed restrictions. The second pet must be under 35 lbs. We require a $250 non-refundable fee per pet that is due at move-in and a $25/month pet rent per pet.

Yes, all Smile apartments are fully furnished.

Yes, some are. Utilities included in the monthly service and utility charge vary by building. Ask a leasing agent for more details.

Yes, we have parking spots for rent at or near all our apartments. Some buildings even have a free parking spot included. You can view the parking spot locations here.

This means everyone who signs and co-signs the lease is responsible for making sure all the rent is paid.  If you need more information or advice on your lease, please check out the University’s Off-Campus Community Living (OCCL) office.  

Smile leases typically run from around mid-August to around the end of July. However, rent is always paid in 12 equal monthly installments with the first installment due on August 1st. You certainly can pay ahead of the installment schedule, but you can’t pay behind schedule. 

Nope! Please only submit one application and the Smile Team can transfer your application to any Smile property.

You can put your own contact info and a salary of $1.00 

Provide your SSN if you have one. If you do not have one you may enter 999-99-9999

You do not need a co-signer if you are a UIUC student and meet the credit requirements OR you meet our credit and income guidelines and are not a UIUC student.

If you have a driver’s license/or state ID and an iCard, upload those. If you are an international student or worker upload your Visa and I-20. If you cannot provide these documents, please upload your Passport and UIUC acceptance letter.

*Please note: a Visa and I-20 must be provided before your move-in

If you've never had a landlord you can put yourself as your landlord and your current or home address

We charge a $300 non-refundable admin fee that covers your application fee, a unit cleaning, and a carpet/furniture cleaning at the time of move-out. You can also opt to pay a traditional security deposit instead, which is equal to one month's rent.

We sign leases on a first come, first served basis.  If you think you know which building you’ll want to live in, please don’t wait to sign your lease.  We don’t want you to be disappointed!  

You can move in as soon as your lease begins.  Check out your lease.  Lease start dates vary from building to building.  We’ve got to get in there to clean and fix everything between leases, so you can’t move in before your lease starts.  If you have to be on campus before your lease begins please make other arrangements.

Let us know and we’ll fix it! Use your online portal or give us a call.

It’s easy, you can do it online and through our app!  You can also bring us a check or mail it to us.  Just please don’t walk in with a pile of cash.  For everyone’s safety we don’t accept cash payments.  

Smoking (anything) is not allowed indoors at any Smile buildings.  If you must smoke you must do it outside.  

Yes! As a Smile resident, you are required to have Landlord Liability Insurance (LLI). This protects our properties from any damages throughout the duration of your lease. You may opt for our Appfolio insurance coverage or get a policy from another provider and upload the policy to your portal (minimum of $100,000 in coverage per resident). It is imperative that every resident in the apartment is covered, and Smile Student Living is listed as “additionally insured.” This policy does not cover damage to your personal belongings, so we highly recommend also getting renters insurance. Renters insurance protects your personal belongings if something happens to them. Sometimes, your parents’ homeowners or renters insurance covers your belongings, so please make sure to check their policy!

The University of Illinois provides great services for students who have questions about housing.  The Off-Campus Community Living (OCCL) program supports and assists students with landlord, lease and roommate questions.  Students can also get free legal advice and representation from Student Legal Services.  The Office for Student Conflict Resolution offers free conflict resolution services to any student who is experiencing conflict with another student.

We offer contactless move-in. There will be a key box on your apartment door or another accessible location. We will provide a key box code around noon on your move-in day.

Living with Smile has its rewards! Get started with our loyalty rewards platform. Complete actions to earn points. Once enough points are earned, you receive a reward of your choice! Log in here: https://communityrewards.me/. Please email marketing@smilestudentliving.com if you need support with the rewards platform.

Pest control preventative services are included! Only preventative services are included with your lease. If there becomes an infestation in your apartment, it may become a resident charge on a case-by-case basis.

Yes, we offer subleasing. 

Yes, you are still responsible for the lease. You will still have access to your online portal.

There is a $100 subleasing fee per person/applicant. 

We will need to know the rent amount, the day the sublease is moving day, and the day the sublease is moving out.

We need them to apply to gather all of their contact information. They can apply online using our sublease application.