What Is an Individual Lease?
The Rive Madison offers leases by the bed rather than by the full apartment. Each resident signs their own lease and is responsible for their individual bedroom space and monthly installment rather than the entire apartment or a roommate’s portion.
Learn MoreWhat Is a Guarantor?
A guarantor is typically a parent, guardian, or another qualifying individual who agrees to take financial responsibility for the lease if the student is unable to meet the lease requirements on their own.
Families should review the guarantor requirements alongside the lease so everyone understands their financial responsibilities before signing.
Does The Rive Madison Offer Roommate Matching?
Yes. Complimentary roommate matching is available upon request. Students complete a profile that includes information about their interests, study habits, sleep habits, academic major, and other lifestyle preferences. The leasing team uses those details to pair residents who may have compatible living preferences.
Students who already know who they would like to live with can discuss roommate requests with the leasing team during the leasing process.
How This Works in Your Favor
Separate financial responsibility
Your student is responsible for their own lease rather than a roommate’s monthly installment.
Clearer budgeting
Families can plan around their student’s housing costs without dividing a full-apartment payment among roommates.
More roommate flexibility
Students can live with friends or request roommate matching while keeping their lease obligations separate.
More individual accountability
Students have their own lease terms, payment responsibilities, and housing communication to manage throughout the year.
The Rive Madison offers furnished apartments ranging from one-bedroom layouts to five-bedroom options, giving students choices for living alone or sharing an apartment with roommates.
What’s Included
What’s Included
Furnished bedrooms
Each private bedroom includes a bed, underbed dresser drawers, a desk with USB outlets, and a chair. Apartments also feature personal bathrooms, roller shades, and hardwood-style flooring.
Furnished living areas
Shared living spaces may include a sofa, coffee table, TV, and bar stools, giving roommates the main furniture pieces they need for everyday apartment living.
Kitchen appliances
Kitchens include stainless-steel appliances, designer cabinetry, and cabinet space for groceries, cookware, dishes, and other kitchen essentials.
In-unit laundry
Apartments include a washer and dryer, so students can take care of laundry from their own apartment rather than relying on a shared laundry room.
Internet access
High-speed Wi-Fi is available throughout the community, including the apartments and shared amenity spaces.
What Families Should Still Plan For
Monthly installments
Families should account for their student’s monthly installment as part of the housing budget. The amount will vary based on the floor plan, bedroom type, lease term, upgrades, and availability at the time of signing.
Required fees
Families should also plan for one-time and recurring property fees associated with the lease. These may include application, trash, technology, and other applicable charges. Additional fees may apply.
Renter’s insurance
Renter’s insurance is required. Students can provide their own qualifying coverage or use the available community option.
Parking
Reserved parking is available in the multi-level garage for an additional monthly fee. Students who plan to bring a vehicle should account for parking separately from their monthly housing installment.
Personal living expenses
Groceries, toiletries, cleaning products, school supplies, dining out, transportation, clothing, and other personal purchases should be included in the student’s overall monthly budget.
Apartment upgrades
Select VIP and Mansion residences include additional apartment features. Depending on the specific apartment, upgrades may include features such as an enhanced thermostat, upgraded kitchen backsplash, upgraded closets, spa-style shower head, dimmable lighting, under-cabinet kitchen lighting, upgraded TV and sound bar, or a private hot tub. Families considering an upgraded apartment should account for the difference in the monthly installment.
The Rive Madison gives students several ways to study, work out, recharge, and spend time with friends without leaving the community. From private study rooms and coworking spaces to the fitness center, sauna, rooftop pool, and shared lounge areas, these amenities give students useful options throughout the day.
Study Spaces for Coursework and Group Projects
Students do not always have to head to a campus library when they want to study outside their apartment. The Rive Madison includes:
- Private study rooms
- Group study rooms
- Open coworking areas
- Printing services
- Coffee bar
- Community-wide Wi-Fi
Private rooms give students an option for focused coursework, virtual meetings, interviews, or online classes, while group rooms and coworking areas provide more space for collaborative projects and study sessions.
Fitness & Wellness Amenities
The Rive Madison includes a fitness center and dry sauna, giving students options for working out or unwinding without leaving the community.
Students can fit a workout around classes, studying, work, and campus activities rather than adding another trip across Madison to their schedule. The sauna also gives residents another place to relax after a workout or a long day of classes.
Rooftop Pool & Outdoor Spaces
One of The Rive Madison’s more distinctive features is its rooftop amenity space overlooking Madison. Residents have access to a rooftop pool with a tanning shelf, hot tub, cabanas, lounge seating, outdoor games, grilling stations, firepits, and views across the city.
These spaces give students somewhere close to their apartment to spend time with roommates and friends, enjoy warmer Madison days, or take a break from coursework.
Resident Events & Shared Spaces
The Rive Madison also gives students opportunities to meet people outside their immediate roommate group. Community amenities include a gaming and lounge area, while resident programming may include pop-up shops, event sponsorships, and collaborations with local brands.
For students arriving in Madison without an established social circle, resident activities and shared spaces provide additional ways to meet neighbors and become more involved in the community.
Pet Amenities
The Rive Madison is pet-friendly and includes pet washing stations and an outdoor dog run. Students planning to bring a pet should review the applicable pet policies, restrictions, documentation requirements, and added costs before signing.
Before Move-In
Because The Rive Madison’s apartments come fully furnished, families do not need to plan around moving large bedroom and living room furniture into the apartment on move-in day.
Students should focus on bringing personal and household essentials such as:
- Bedding and pillows
- Towels
- Toiletries
- Cookware
- Dishes and utensils
- Cleaning supplies
- Laundry supplies
- School materials
- Clothing and hangers
- Electronics and chargers
- Decorations and personal items
Students living with roommates should coordinate shared items before move-in, including cookware, dishes, cleaning supplies, and small kitchen appliances. Planning ahead can help avoid duplicates and make it easier to divide up what everyone is bringing.
On Move-In Day
Once your student has access to their apartment, they should walk through the bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, and shared living area before beginning to unpack.
They should confirm that the main furnishings and appliances are in place and report anything that needs attention. It is also a good time to learn how to use the resident portal, locate the leasing office, and understand how maintenance requests are submitted.
For unpacking, starting with the first-night essentials usually makes the day easier. Bedding, towels, toiletries, chargers, medication, clothing, and a few kitchen items are much more useful on the first evening than having every decoration unpacked.
Getting Familiar With The Rive Madison
During the first few days, students should take time to learn where the amenities and resident resources are located. Knowing how to get to the study rooms, fitness center, package lockers, parking garage, rooftop areas, leasing office, and other shared spaces can make everyday apartment life easier once classes begin.
Settling In With Roommates
Students sharing an apartment should also talk through everyday roommate expectations early. It is usually a good idea to discuss cleaning responsibilities, groceries, shared supplies, guests, noise levels, kitchen use, and how roommates will handle purchases for shared items in the common areas.
These conversations do not have to be overly formal. The goal is simply to make sure everyone starts the year with a similar understanding of how the shared apartment will function.
Planning Ahead for Move-Out
Students should keep move-out requirements in mind throughout the lease rather than waiting until the final week. Families can help by reviewing move-out dates, cleaning expectations, personal property removal, key return procedures, and other lease requirements ahead of time.
The Rive Madison is located at 506 West Johnson Street, a short walk from the University of Wisconsin–Madison campus and downtown Madison.
Walking to Campus
The Rive Madison is about a five-minute walk from UW–Madison, making walking a practical part of everyday student life.
Students can head to class, meet classmates on campus, attend student organization meetings and events, or return to their apartment between commitments without needing to plan every trip around a car, bike, or bus schedule.
Being close to both campus and downtown also gives students access to restaurants, shopping, entertainment, and other Madison destinations on foot.
Walking to Campus
The Rive Madison is about a five-minute walk from UW–Madison, making walking a practical part of everyday student life.
Students can head to class, meet classmates on campus, attend student organization meetings and events, or return to their apartment between commitments without needing to plan every trip around a car, bike, or bus schedule.
Being close to both campus and downtown also gives students access to restaurants, shopping, entertainment, and other Madison destinations on foot.
Learn MoreBikes
Biking is another practical way for students to get between The Rive Madison, UW–Madison, downtown, and other nearby destinations. The university maintains long stretches of bike paths and a ton of bike parking spaces near campus buildings, making it easier for students to incorporate biking into their daily commute.
UW–Madison also offers air and repair stations around campus and a University Bicycle Resource Center where students can use tools for basic tune-ups. Students who are new to biking in Madison should plan to use city and university bike maps to plan their route before heading out.
Parking
Students bringing a car can reserve parking in The Rive Madison’s multi-level parking garage for an additional monthly fee. Parking availability and eligibility should be confirmed before signing if having a vehicle in Madison is an important part of your student’s plans.
Rideshare
Rideshare can be useful for destinations that are less convenient to reach on foot or by bike, including grocery trips, appointments, airport transportation, dinners farther from campus, internships, or other trips across Madison.
Families may want to discuss transportation plans before the semester begins, particularly for late-night trips or further destinations students expect to visit regularly.
Buses
The Rive Madison’s West Johnson Street location gives students access to bus service close to home. UW–Madison’s fare-free Route 81 travels along Johnson Street and connects nearby downtown and campus areas, including Broom Street, Lake Street, Langdon Street, and Memorial Union.
Students can also use UW campus routes 80, 82, and 84 without a bus pass, while an ASM student bus pass provides unlimited rides on Madison Metro Transit for trips farther around the city.
Off-campus apartment living gives students more responsibility for handling everyday housing matters. At The Rive Madison, students should generally take the lead when it comes to maintenance requests, monthly installments, lease questions, roommate conversations, and intraresident communication.
What Students Should Handle Directly
Maintenance requests
If something in the apartment needs attention, students should contact The Rive Madison’s on-site team or use the resident portal to report the issue. The team is also available after hours when assistance is needed in the case of an emergency.
Payments
Monthly installments are paid through The Rive Madison’s Resident Portal. Students should know when their installment is due, log in regularly to review their account, and contact the leasing office if they have questions about a payment or account balance.
Community communications
Residents should regularly check email, resident portal messages, and property communications for information about maintenance, events, payments, deadlines, and other updates.
Roommate conversations
Cleaning, shared purchases, guests, noise, and other everyday roommate matters should generally be discussed between the residents sharing the apartment.
Lease questions
Students should know how to access their lease and should contact the leasing team when they need clarification about a deadline, policy, renewal, or other housing matter.
How Parents Can Stay Involved
Parents and guardians still play an important role while giving students room to manage their own apartment responsibilities.
Before move-in, families may want to discuss:
- Who will make the monthly installment payments
- How parking and other housing expenses will be handled
- Which personal expenses the student will manage
- When the student should contact a parent about an apartment issue
- How roommate disagreements should be approached
- Important renewal and move-out dates
- How often the family will check in during the first few weeks
Reviewing these expectations ahead of time can help students know which responsibilities are theirs and when it makes sense to ask a parent or guardian for guidance.
Privacy & Account-Specific Questions
Parents and guardians can contact The Rive Madison with general questions about leasing, amenities, floor plans, parking, and move-in preparation.
For questions involving a particular resident’s lease, account, payment information, or other personal details, the student may need to participate in the conversation or provide permission before information can be shared.
What fees should families plan for at The Rive Madison?
Families should budget for a one-time application fee, a one-time non-refundable fee, and recurring trash and technology fees. Renter’s insurance is also required; students may provide their own qualifying policy or enroll in our community’s coverage for an added monthly charge.
For the most up-to-date fee amounts, parents should visit our dedicated fee page.
How close is The Rive Madison to UW–Madison?
The Rive Madison is about a five-minute walk from the University of Wisconsin–Madison campus. Its West Johnson Street location also places students within walking distance of downtown Madison, restaurants, shopping, and entertainment.
What floor plans does The Rive Madison offer?
The Rive Madison offers one-, two-, three-, four-, and five-bedroom apartments. Students can choose a layout based on whether they want to live alone, with one roommate, or with a larger group.
Are The Rive Madison apartments furnished?
Yes. Apartments come fully furnished. Bedrooms include a bed, underbed dresser drawers, desk with USB outlets, and chair. Shared living areas include a sofa, coffee table, TV, and bar stools, while kitchens include stainless-steel appliances and designer cabinetry. Apartments also include in-unit washers and dryers.
Do residents have private bedrooms and bathrooms?
Yes. The Rive Madison features private bedrooms with personal bathrooms, giving each resident their own bedroom and bathroom space within the apartment.
Are leases individual?
Yes. Leases are by the bed rather than by the full apartment. Each resident signs their own lease and is responsible for their individual bedroom space and monthly installment.
Does The Rive Madison offer roommate matching?
Yes. Complimentary roommate matching is available upon request. Students complete profiles that include details such as interests, study habits, sleep habits, and majors. The leasing team uses those profiles to help match residents with people who have compatible living preferences.
Does The Rive Madison have study spaces?
Yes. Residents have access to private study rooms, group study rooms, open coworking spaces, printing services, a coffee bar, and community-wide Wi-Fi.
What fitness and outdoor amenities are available?
Amenities include a fitness center, dry sauna, rooftop pool with a tanning shelf, rooftop hot tub, cabanas, lounge seating, outdoor games, grilling stations, and firepits.
Is parking available?
Yes. Reserved parking is available in The Rive Madison’s multi-level parking garage for an additional monthly fee. Students who plan to bring a vehicle should confirm availability during the leasing process.
Is The Rive Madison pet-friendly?
Yes. The Rive Madison is pet-friendly and includes pet washing stations and an outdoor dog run. Restrictions and additional requirements may apply, so students bringing a pet should review the pet policy before signing.
What should students bring for move-in?
Students should bring bedding, towels, toiletries, cookware, dishes, cleaning and laundry supplies, school materials, clothing, electronics, and personal decorations. Since apartments are furnished, students do not need to bring large bedroom or living room furniture.
What bus options are available to UW–Madison students?
UW–Madison campus routes 80, 81, 82, and 84 are fare-free. Students can also obtain an ASM student bus pass for unlimited travel on Madison Metro Transit buses and BRT routes.