Housing

Things to keep in mind before signing a lease:

• Make sure you have a complete understanding of your overall living expenses – monthly rent, utilities, groceries. Also keep in mind that almost all lease agreements will require a security deposit upfront (this is generally one- or two-months’ of rent combined).
• We recommend incoming students secure a place to live by July 31/August 1 as MODs/orientation generally begins the first week of August. Given this, we suggest you start looking for a place to live in May by using the resources on this page.
• You may want to select your housing to be in the area blocked off in the attached map.
• We highly suggest that you visit (or have someone visit for you) your prospective room or apartment. If this is not possible, ask the landlord if they can do a virtual walkthrough of the space over a platform such as Zoom or FaceTime.
• Understand that a lease is a legal agreement establishing a landlord/tenant relationship. It is a binding document that cannot be broken, so make sure ALL arrangements between you and your landlord are written on the lease agreement.
• Consider having a roommate, or two, as this will alleviate cost-of-living expenses. Too, it is generally cheaper and easier to find shared housing in the New Haven area than it is to find a one bedroom/studio.
• Take a moment to review Yale’s Before You Sign a Lease webpage as well as Connecticut’s Renter’s Guide.