FAQs | Student Apartments in Columbia, Missouri

Element Communities are a collection of four top-quality Columbia apartment and townhome communities designed especially with Mizzou students in mind. Element Communities are comprised of The Adora, The Braxton, The Cleo and The Decker, which feature a variety of spacious, furnished apartments plus a full set of community features such as a 24-hour fitness center, a rooftop pool, fire pits and more.

Element Communities are privately owned and professionally managed communities. Click here for more information about the management and ownership.

You can select your roommate(s), or you can apply on your own and we can match you with other students. Applicants answer a short list of lifestyle questions to help in the matching process.

Instead of requiring all roommates to sign a joint lease, each person at Element Communities has their own individual contract, with one person per bedroom. This means you are only responsible for paying for yourself — not your roommates. Even if a roommate moves out or other bedrooms in your apartment are empty, you only pay the rate for your bedroom.

Each resident at Element Communities pays a flat rate that includes:

The spacious accommodations at Element Communities include 1, 2, 3 and 4-bedroom apartments and townhomes, many with private bedroom-bathroom suites.

Yes, nearly all residences at Element Communities include a furniture package.

Element Downtown communities (The Braxton, The Cleo and The Decker) include a furniture package with a queen-size bed, dresser and nightstand in each bedroom; the living area includes a sofa, coffee table, entertainment stand and barstools.

The Adora has a furniture package in select homes that includes full-size bed, dresser and nightstand in each bedroom, plus a sofa, coffee table, entertainment stand and barstools in the living room.

To see a sample of the furniture and other finishes, please visit our model residences.

The standard term begins August 8, 2025 and ends July 14, 2026, with payments made in 12 equal installments. Limited alternate dates are available; please inquire with our staff.

Each resident must pay an administrative fee for each contract year. This fee is reduced significantly if the resident provides a qualifying guarantor (often a parent) for their financial obligations under Housing Agreement.

Yes. Residents can pay online 24 hours per day, by credit card or ACH electronic checking. Element Communities offers automatic payment by either credit card or checking account — just fill out one page, one time and payments will be made automatically. Convenience fees apply for credit card and debit card payments.

Your living costs at Element Communities can be covered by financial aid, just like on-campus housing. Any available financial aid funds, after university charges are satisfied, are released to the student for non-institutional expenses, such as off-campus housing. These funds can be used to pay charges at Element Communities. Normal payment deadlines will continue to apply.

Element Communities are designed and offered for students at the University of Missouri or other local colleges. The per-person contracts are also designed with students in mind. Therefore, applications are accepted only from students at one of these local colleges or universities. Element Communities are Equal Opportunity housing providers and welcome student residents/families with children, at no extra cost other than regular charges for each bedroom space selected by the resident. In order to match roommates in shared apartments with college students, roommate consent is required for any occupant who is not a college student.

Element Communities have monitored fire-sprinkler systems, along with electronic locks for building access plus individually hard locking bedroom doors. Community courtesy patrols are provided at select times. Management staff can be reached by a 24-hour phone number.

Each of the Element Communities is pet-friendly, subject to limits on animals and breeds. All Element communities are smoke-free in all indoor and adjacent spaces. Guests are welcome at all times, subject to the consent of roommates and security considerations. Overnight guests are welcome, with limits on the number of days and guests.

The downtown communities (The Braxton, The Cleo and The Decker) offer plenty of on-site garage parking for an additional cost. The Adora offers free surface parking throughout the community.

The Braxton, The Cleo and The Decker are within walking distance to the University of Missouri campus and downtown Columbia. Residents of The Adora enjoy direct shuttle bus service to Mizzou, running every 10 to 15 minutes during Fall and Spring semesters when classes are in session. Students also ride free on the Lynx public transportation with student ID, with bus stops just steps from the Element Communities.

Yes. Please request an appointment for a personal tour or just stop by to see us and we’ll be happy to show you the community.