Amid a circus of balloons, popcorn, candy and giveaways, anxious students filled the Michigan Union Ballroom yesterday at the Fourth Annual Housing Fair in hopes of finding clues about where to live next year. Sponsored by University Housing, the event brought together 55 rental agencies and property managers, as well as many other housing and student service organizations.

Hunting for off-campus housing for the first time, Music freshmen Audrey Bayshore and Jennifer Trombley said the fair made them more comfortable about the searching process.

"We were afraid we had no options left," Bayshore said. She and her two future housemates sat in a circle on the second floor of the Union, surrounded by rental fliers and price lists in hopes of finding a house before they left.

Trombley added that finding a place to live is so competitive, "and I'm still nervous we may not get what we want."

While students crowded the tables belonging to rental companies, some vendors did not see as much traffic. Potential renters overlooked the Student Legal Services booth in particular. Douglas Lewis, director and attorney for the organization, explained that SLS plays an important role in the housing process, as many students are not aware of the liability they face when signing their housing contracts - or their permanence.

"People just don't read (the contracts)," he said. "Later on, they decide they want to get out of them because their carpet wasn't cleaned or they don't like their roommates, and it just doesn't work like that."

SLS offers help to students who want to review their contracts before they sign, as well as issues that may arise during the year with landlords.

"If we know your landlord, that's a bad thing," Lewis said.

He and fellow SLS attorney Erica Julien both said that it is unfortunate that more students do not take note of what they sign before finding a place to live. Although an appointment is necessary to meet with SLS attorneys, they do not charge for their services because the fees are already incorporated into tuition payments.

Located in the Union, SLS handles a variety of legal issues, including employment grievances, consumer problems, criminal defense and family law.

Michigan Rental representative Zaki Alawi said there is a solid demand for housing this year and that students are much more enthusiastic than in previous years. Although half of the houses Michigan Rental offers are already taken, he recommends to "take your time and make sure (your house) is what you want."

According to last year's Off-Campus Housing survey, the average monthly rent for a four-bedroom unit was $1,942.

The survey also said that rent decreased 0.3 percent last year, compared to the 2001-2002 academic year, where rental rates increased 4.4 percent. Housing recommends that students do not sign leases prior to Oct. 27.

LSA senior Andrea Hunwick said co-op housing vendors also experienced increased traffic this year.

"People have had a surprisingly positive interest," she said. Hunwick added that the draw of cooperative living is the diverse group of people involved and the larger co-op community students can become a part of.

"We do a lot of activities together, have holiday dinners together and even play pranks on other co-op houses," she said.

Off-Campus Housing advisor Melissa Goldstein said she was very pleased with the event's turnout and added that the Housing Fair is an important tool in informing students about their housing options.

"Students sign their leases really early here, and they don't always know that their contracts are binding," she said.

Housing also offers services to check leases and has records of 550 reputable landlords. They also offer mediation services to ameliorate roommate problems throughout the year.