By: Roy Aker

Starting this fall, University of Minnesota students will be able to share their rental experiences and review other students’ property ratings online.

URentWise, a website for those with a University email address, will enable students to review, research and comment on hundreds of properties.

The project’s creator, University alumnus Adam Arling, said he came up with the idea as a University senior wanting to do community relations work. During that time, he discussed his ideas with Minnesota Student Association members and Student and Community Relations within the University’s Office for Student Affairs, but he decided to work on the project independently.

Arling has undertaken the year-long website project with the help of web designer Jonathan Sollie and web developer Brenden Ellingboe. Most listing information will come from the City of Minneapolis, Arling said.

The website, which Arling said he modeled on user-driven websites like Rate My Professors and Yelp, fills a need for University-area renters who may fall victim to poor-quality rentals or landlords, he said.

“One of the big issues being a renter is that you’re new to this whole market,” Arling said, “and often you don’t access information you should know until it’s too late.”