Baylor International Student Housing: The Complete Waco Apartment Guide

If you're an international student starting at Baylor this fall, you're already juggling more than most incoming students — visa paperwork, flight logistics, shipping what you own across an ocean, and figuring out a country you've never lived in. Housing is one more thing on that list, and it's the one with the shortest deadline. Most affordable apartments near Baylor fill months before the semester starts, which means if you wait until you land in Waco to find a place, you'll be stuck with hotels and leftovers.

This guide walks through what's different about renting in Texas as an international student — the guarantor requirement, lease language that surprises people, the furniture problem, and which apartment complexes near Baylor actually work for international students. It's written for both the students and the parents researching Baylor international student housing from abroad.

Start your search before you arrive in Waco

Baylor's Center for Global Engagement (CGE) is direct about this: begin looking for off-campus housing as soon as possible, because most affordable housing close to campus fills several months before the term begins.

A few things to know up front:

• Freshmen live on campus. If you're an incoming undergraduate, you'll be in a Baylor residence hall your first year. Global Gateway Program students are also required to live on campus their first year. This guide is mainly for transfer students, graduate students, and undergraduates entering sophomore year or later.
• Graduate students have limited on-campus options. Most Baylor grad students live off-campus, which is why international graduate students often need housing settled before their F-1 visa appointment.
• The leasing window is different from your home country. In the US, apartments near major universities run on an academic cycle. 19Eleven and similar Baylor-area complexes start pre-leasing for the next fall as early as the previous October. By April, the best units are already taken for August move-in.

If you're arriving in August for the Fall 2026 semester, you should be signing a lease by May or June at the latest. April is already getting late.

The guarantor problem (and how to solve it)

This is the single biggest obstacle international students face. Almost every US apartment application asks for credit history and proof of US income — neither of which you have.

Most Texas apartment complexes solve this by requiring a guarantor (sometimes called a cosigner). A guarantor is someone who legally agrees to pay your rent if you can't. In Texas, that guarantor typically must:

• Be a US citizen or legal US resident
• Have a good credit history (usually 650+)
• Earn 3-5x the monthly rent in annual income
• Sign the lease alongside you

If you have family or a trusted contact in the US who fits this profile, that's the simplest path. But for many international students, that's not realistic — and international guarantors from your home country are usually not accepted, no matter how strong the income.

Alternatives that actually work:

• Third-party guarantor services. Companies like Insurent, TheGuarantors, and Leap act as your guarantor for a fee (usually 5-10% of annual rent). Not every complex accepts these, so ask before paying.
• Pre-pay a semester or year. Some complexes will waive the guarantor if you pay 6-12 months of rent upfront. Bring documentation of the funds — a letter from your home bank works.
• Provide your I-20 and I-94. Some landlords will accept these, plus proof of funds, in lieu of US credit. Worth asking directly.
• Larger security deposit. Two or three months' rent as deposit instead of one.

When you email an apartment, ask two questions before anything else: Do you accept international students without US credit history? If yes, what documentation or alternative to a guarantor do you accept? If the answer is "we require a US cosigner with no exceptions," move on.

What US leases actually say

A few parts of a standard Texas apartment lease catch international students off guard:

• 12-month term, fixed. Most leases at Baylor-area complexes run a full 12 months, not a 9-month academic year. If you're on a 1-year program or going home for the summer, you either pay through summer, sublease, or sign a lease transfer. Some complexes allow transfers, some don't.
• Break-lease fees. Ending a lease early typically costs two months of rent. "My program ended" is not a legal reason to break a Texas lease without penalty.
• Utilities are usually billed separately. In many countries, rent is an all-in number. In Texas, electricity, water, and sometimes gas are usually billed separately by the utility company. Internet might or might not be included — at 19Eleven it is.
• Renter's insurance is often required. It's cheap (about $12-20/mo) and protects your belongings. Not optional at most complexes.
• You're responsible for move-out cleaning and damages. Take photos of everything the day you move in and email them to yourself. It will save you hundreds of dollars on move-out.

Read the lease before signing. If there's language you don't understand, Baylor Legal Services (free for students) and the CGE can help translate it. Our guide to questions to ask before signing a lease covers this in more depth.

Furniture: the arrival gap

Most US apartments are unfurnished. That's a shock if you come from a country where "apartment" means "a place with furniture already in it." Expect four bare walls, a refrigerator, stove, and in-unit washer/dryer if you're lucky.

You have three options:

1. Furnished apartments. These exist but cost $200-400/mo more and are often resort-style complexes with other tradeoffs — short-term furniture costs more in total than buying used would.
2. Buy used when you arrive. Facebook Marketplace, Baylor student sale groups, and IKEA in Round Rock (1.5 hours south) are the standard path. A basic apartment setup (bed, desk, couch, dining table) runs $400-800 used.
3. Rent furniture. Companies like CORT Furniture Rental deliver a full apartment package for a monthly fee. Pricey but zero hassle if you're only staying a semester.

If you're going the "buy used" route, plan to stay in a hotel or short-term rental for your first 3-5 days. Our setting-up-your-first-Waco-apartment guide has more on internet, utilities, and what to buy first.

Where international students have traditionally lived near Baylor

A handful of complexes near Baylor are known for having strong international student communities — that matters because it means the leasing staff has handled international applications before and won't fumble your paperwork:

• The Arbors. Historically one of the most common choices for Baylor international students.
• 19Eleven Apartments. Loft-style, gated, walking distance to campus, and a flat $40/mo monthly fee (trash, pest, internet, facilities) — no hidden surprises for students budgeting from abroad.
• The Grove at Waco. Larger, resort-style complex with furnished options.
• Kingsgate. Older, budget-friendly.

Avoid complexes with long lists of separate fees. Some Waco complexes advertise $800/mo rent but bill another $150-200/mo in "amenity packages," mandatory valet trash, technology fees, and premium parking. For international students running a currency-conversion budget from home, these surprise fees are painful.

Questions that matter more for international students

When you tour an apartment — in person or over video from abroad — ask:

1. Do you accept international students without a US cosigner? If no, you're done.
2. What's the earliest move-in date? If your flight lands two weeks before classes start, can you get keys?
3. How is rent paid? Some landlords require a US bank account and paper check. Some accept international wire transfers or international-friendly payment apps. This matters more than most students expect.
4. Are utilities separate? And if so, do utility deposits also require US credit history?
5. What's the furnished option cost vs. unfurnished?
6. What's the sublease or lease-transfer policy? Most international students don't know if they'll be in Waco every summer.
7. Is renter's insurance required, and does it have to be from a specific provider?

The CGE can help — but not with everything

The Center for Global Engagement runs out of the Sid Richardson Building (First Floor, East Wing) and is your best on-campus resource once you arrive. They can help with:

• Understanding visa-related housing rules (F-1, J-1)
• Connecting you with current international students who've rented in Waco
• Referring you to Baylor Legal Services if a landlord-tenant issue comes up
• Arranging airport pickup and short-term accommodations for incoming students

What they don't do is negotiate leases for you, pay your deposit, or act as a guarantor. The financial piece is on you.

How 19Eleven fits international students

19Eleven Apartments is purpose-built for Baylor students, and a few details make it easier for international students specifically:

• Transparent monthly fees. $40/mo flat for trash, pest control, internet, and facilities. What you see online is what you pay — no surprise "amenity packages" that show up on month one.
• In-unit washer/dryer and internet included. Fewer utilities to set up after arrival. Moving into a new country is exhausting; fewer post-arrival errands is worth something.
• Walkable to campus. Roughly a 10-minute walk to central Baylor, so you don't need a car to start. Setting up a car in a new country is expensive (insurance, registration, Texas license) and you can defer it for a year or more.
• Gated community with controlled access. This matters when your family is 8,000 miles away and already worried about safety in a new country.
• Loft-style layouts. Unfurnished, but the exposed-beam open plan makes it easy to furnish minimally — which is what you want when you're buying used.

If a 4-bedroom split works with roommates, rent at 19Eleven runs about $687-$700 per bedroom per month all-in, which is lower than most on-campus housing for international graduate students once meal plans are factored in. Our 4-bedroom floor plan page has the specifics.

Before you book your flight

1. Sign a lease first. Don't land in Waco hoping to find housing.
2. Have your guarantor situation sorted in writing. US cosigner, guarantor service, or pre-payment — confirm it with the leasing office in writing before you buy the flight.
3. Coordinate move-in with arrival date. Most complexes won't let you move in before your lease start date. Plan 3-5 days of temporary housing if there's a gap.
4. Bring documents. Passport, I-20, I-94, admission letter, bank statement, and contact info for your US guarantor if you have one.
5. Read the CGE's Fall 2026 Arrival Information. They update it every semester with airport pickup, orientation dates, and temporary housing options.

Ready to see 19Eleven?

We've leased to Baylor international students across multiple graduating classes. Our leasing team has handled international applications before and will be upfront about what we can and can't accept. Schedule a virtual tour from abroad, browse our floor plans, or start an application. Our transparent $40/mo fee structure means no surprises at move-in — which matters when you're making decisions from 8,000 miles away. If you still have questions about the broader Texas relocation piece, our moving to Waco guide covers that too.