Graduate Housing Resources

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Graduate Student Housing

Whether you are new to Howard and the Washington, D.C., area or you are a current student making the decision to live off-campus, Howard's Office of Off-Campus Housing and Community Engagement provides some great resources to support students living off-campus. The Office of Off-Campus Housing will help guide you through the process of finding housing and provides guidance about moving in, signing leases, safety & security, tenant & landlord rights, and being a responsible member of your new neighborhood community. They also provide a food pantry available to all Howard students.

While many first- and second-year undergraduate students take advantage of guaranteed on-campus housing, many upper-class HU students, as well as graduate students, live off-campus in the neighborhoods surrounding the main campus and elsewhere in D.C., Maryland, and Virginia.  Securing housing can be a daunting task for those of you who are not currently in D.C. or the surrounding area, but there are many affordable housing options for graduate students living off-campus in the D.C. metropolitan area.  Please use the information below to begin your search.

Begin Your Housing Search

Use the Off-Campus Housing Website

Howard’s Off-Campus Housing website is an excellent first step to finding housing options. You can also use the housing website to search for roommates with similar interests and preferences and to explore message boards and other resources to assist your search. Signing up is easy and free.  Students searching for a sublet should log into the Off-Campus Housing Site, select 'Housing' at the top of the page, click on "More," and then apply the 'Sublets Only' filter under 'I Want to Rent.'

Sign Up for an Account

  1. Visit the Off-Campus Housing website and click "Sign Up".
  2. Select "Howard Students, Faculty and Staff" to sign up as a student through the Member Registration page.
  3. Fill out all required fields. Under the University Information section, you must enter your @bison.howard.edu address. If you have yet to receive your HU student email address, please contact Enterprise Technology Services.
  4. Once you have filled out all fields and have read and agreed to the Terms and Conditions, click "Register" to complete your registration.

Creating a Roommate Profile

  1. Go to "My Account" and select "Add my roommate profile." Fill out the information in your roommate profile.
  2. Once you have filled out the information on one page, hit "Save" or "Save and Continue" to go to the next section.
  3. Once you have filled out all required fields, you have completed the profile and you can return at any time to edit information. 

*Remember to deactivate your roommate profile after you have found a roommate. 

Searching for a Roommate

  1. Go to "My Account" and select "Roommates." This link takes you to a page with profiles of students looking for housing.
  2. Narrow your search by selecting from the filters. You can sort potential roommates by gender preference, smoking habits, pet ownership, cleaning habits, University affiliation, and more. 
  3. Click on the user's name to view the user's roommate profile. You can view the user's "About Me" section, neighborhood and housing preferences, move-in date, ideal price range, and more.
  4. Contact potential roommates through the Off-Campus Housing Posting site. Fill out the information in the "Contact" sidebar to send an email to the user's HU student email address. You will be notified when they respond!

Exploring Housing Listings

  1. Select "Housing" from the menu bar.
  2. Explore listings by scrolling through all listings on the site, or by filtering for specific characteristics. You can filter properties by location, lease type, lease duration, housing type, rooms, price, and more.


Tips for Your Housing Search

The Office of Graduate School Student Affairs has compiled a list of tips and resources below to consider as you begin your housing search. Click on each "+" header item below to expand and view the tips and the tools available to you to help you navigate your housing search.

Visit multiple places

Visit multiple places: Every area has advantages and drawbacks. Beyond looking at reviews, try to visit multiple places in person, if possible, to get an idea of commute times to get a feel for the neighborhood before making a final decision. 

Speak to current students

Speak to current students: In addition to searching online via the Office of Off-Campus Housing Roommates section, speak to current students about housing options they have taken advantage of.

Consider your commute time

Consider your commute time relative to your class schedule. Know your commute options: Enter a street address, intersection, or landmark into the Service Locator on Metro’s Service Nearby website and find bus and rail service(s) within 1 mile of your location (Do not enter commas, the city, or zip code).

Consider proximity to public transportation

Consider proximity to public transportation. Most graduate students live near a metro station. Use the wmata.com Trip Planner to find out what transportation is available to and from campus.

Commute time vs. costs

Commute time vs. costs: Housing costs generally decrease the farther you are from the downtown area, but it is important to factor your commuting cost into your monthly budget; it may be cheaper to rent a place that reduces daily commuting costs. Wmata.com (the D.C. metropolitan public transportation website) has a Cost to Ride resource to help you plan the cost of your trip. 

Establish a budget

Establish a budget: When searching for housing, be realistic about your budget; consider all of your monthly expenses, including rent, security deposit, fees, and utilities.

List your priorities

List your priorities: Every area has advantages and drawbacks. In choosing a neighborhood, prioritize what is important to you (cost, commute, nightlife) to tailor your search. Use Walkscore.com to find out how walkable, bikeable, and close to public transit your neighborhood is.

Looking for pet-friendly housing?

Looking for pet-friendly housing? If you are looking to live with your pets, many apartment search sites allow you to filter by pet-friendly housing. Peoplewithpets.com is a free national directory where you can search for pet-friendly housing. 

Conduct a walk-through

Before moving into your new space, conduct a walk-through to make sure you are comfortable with the rental. A rental condition checklist is available here. Also, check out Fastweb’s Complete Guide to Finding & Leasing Off-Campus Housing; it’s a great starting point!

Additional Housing Resources

A non-exhaustive list of apartment guides for housing in Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia and resources that may be useful in your housing search is included below. Please note that this list is provided for convenience. The University does not endorse or recommend third-party sites:

Rental Search Sites

Rental Search Sites

Furniture Rental

Furniture Rental

Resources for International Students

Resources for International Students

Local publications featuring rental information:

Local publications featuring rental information

Temporary/Short-Term Housing Options

Temporary/Short-Term Housing Options

Renter Resources

Renter Resources

Living in the DMV

Living in the DMV

Housing Search Tips

Housing Search Tips 

  • My First Apartment (blog with helpful advice on roommates, budgeting, moving, and decorating)

Internet, TV & Utilities

Internet, TV & Utilities