General Information
		Apartment Rentals
		Leases
		Temporary Housing
		Credits & Disclaimers

General Information

The MIT Off Campus Housing Service, which is available to all members of the MIT Community, maintains lists of shared accommodations (roommate situations)*, rooms for rent**, apartments and houses for rent in the greater Boston area. Our office functions in a referral and advisory capacity only. We are unable to mail listings of rentals as they become outdated quickly. There are many public web sites offering similar infomation. You may access these by doing a search for boston rentals. Although tempting, we do not advise anyone to contract for long term housing without first viewing the potential rental. Price is not an indication of quality in this area. We cannot guarantee the condition of the unit or rental agreement prior to or after contracting with the owner or agent. Our listings are also online. The data is secure and requires a current certificate for access. Newcomers who are not established in the MIT system will not be able to access the rental postings until you receive your ID number and MIT email address. You should plan to visit our office to view the available rentals.

Individuals must make their own arrangements to rent housing with the owner or the real estate agent. We cannot negotiate any rental agreements and MIT will not cosign leases. Single people and couples with no children should take one week to locate housing. Families with children could take up to three weeks. See section on "Lead Paint" for more details. Be aware that most landowners in this area do not accept pets.

* roommate situations: a multiple bedroom apartment with a person living in each bedroom and sharing the common expenses of rent and utilities
** room for rent: a bedroom in a home or boarding house, furnished and including the cost of all utilities; may or may not have cooking facilities; generally a shared bathroom

Apartment Rentals

The quality of accommodations at every price level compares unfavorably with housing in most other communities in the United States. Newcomers are strongly advised to budget carefully and realistically to include the high rents prevalent in this area and surrounding suburbs.

Single family houses usually rent for $1800 - $4000 per month, plus the cost of heat and utilities. Furnished rooms, with or without cooking facilities will range from $700 - $900 per month depending on quality and location. Our office also maintains listings from people who are looking for a roommate. The Off Campus Housing Service also coordinates evening "Roommate Get-Togethers" which provide an opportunity for newcomers to contact potential roommates in an informal atmosphere each summer.

Estimates for monthly rents of apartments, unfurnished, not including utilities or heating costs are as follows:

The cost of heat and other utilities varies widely, depending upon usage, the age of the building and the degree of insulation.

Leases

The majority of houses and apartments are rented with a one year lease from September 1 through August 31 of the following year, committing the tenant to twelve months rent. Leases are binding contracts not easily cancelled. Occasionally an apartment will be rented on a month to month basis, called "tenant-at-will." One rental period noice (usually 30 days)from either the tenant or the landowner will cancel a tenancy-at-will agreement. The Off Campus Housing Service can provide further information on legal issues upon your arrival.

All agreements between the landowner and the tenant should be in writing, carefully read by the tenant and signed by both parties. It is your right as a tenant to retain one signed copy.

Most landowners require one month's rent, the last month's rent and a security deposit equal to one month's rent in advance. You should be prepared to pay up to three months rent before occupying any apartment. If you use the service of a real estate agency, there will be an additional charge of up to a full month's rent paid to them. The Off-Campus Housing service maintains listings from both owners who will charge no agency fee and real estate agencies who will generally charge a fee. Because there may be additional expenses, such as telephone and furnishings, newcomers should arrive with sufficient funds (not in cash) for these initial expenditures.

Temporary Housing

The cost of rooms in hotels and motels range from $150-$300 per night. Guest houses will range from $70-$150 per night. The demand is high and reservations should be made well in advance of your arrival, particularly from June through September.

Credits & Disclaimers

Original text for the MIT Guide to Neighborhoods and the Rental Housing Market was written by Bridget K. Nedzi as her master's thesis in Urban Studies and Planning in 1984. Last hardcopy revision was July 1994. Formatting and updating for presence on the World Wide Web done by Seth Perlman, July 1995.

This information is furnished as a matter of service only. While efforts have been made to include correct, current information, no guarantee is given, nor should any be inferred, with regard to the accuracy or timeliness of any material contained herein.

The MIT Corporation is not liable for any damages whatsoever arising from any errors or ommissions made in the compilation of this information. Legal information presented in these Web pages is meant solely to help the reader appreciate some of the problems that may arise, not to substitute for a lawyer. Users of this information are therefore urged to consult their own legal counsel in the event a question arises as to their particular legal obligations.

All Off-Campus Housing pages written by Linda Patton. Comments or questions about the site should be addressed to general@mit.edu.