Housing | The Boston Housing Market

Getting Started

General Information

Housing Options

General Information

MIT is located in Cambridge, close to the center of the Boston metropolitan area. Living costs in the Boston/Cambridge area are among the highest in the country. Hopefully, this guide will provide important information to assist in your housing search.

General Characteristics

Most apartments in the Boston/Cambridge area are unfurnished, many without refrigerators and few have air conditioning. Utilities are often not included in the rent, making actual housing costs even higher than they appear. Almost all apartments rent on the basis of a one-year lease, usually from September 1 to August 31. Some units are rented on a month-to-month basis (known as a "tenancy-at-will"), though this is far less common, usually 5% of all rentals.

Initial Costs

Finding an apartment is an extremely expensive proposition. Expect to pay first month's rent, last month's rent and frequently, a security deposit equal to a full month's rent in advance of taking occupancy. Furthermore, if you locate your apartment through a rental agent, payment of a "finder's fee" of one half to a full month's rent is usually required. A new tenant, therefore, should be prepared to pay up to three months rent and one months "finder's fee" prior to moving in. For example, a $1000/month apartment could require an initial deposit of $4,000. Be prepared with sufficient funds, but do not carry large amounts of cash with you. Traveler's checks or "bank" checks are recommended.

Timing Your Search

Apartment hunting can be a time-consuming process. Be prepared to spend one to two weeks in your search. Families generally need a longer time to find an acceptable unit. Plan to start looking for an apartment one month before you intend to move in. It is advisable to arrive in advance of your family to minimize temporary housing costs.

Most leases require tenants to give at least 30-60 days notice before vacating. Since most leases expire August 31, landlords know about vacancies around July 1. Therefore, the best time to look for a September rental is mid to late July. Beware that in a market as tight as Boston's, compounded by its high student populalion, most of the more desirable units are rented by early August. Late November and the first half of December are the best times to be looking for a January rental while April and early May are best for a summer rental.

Temporary accommodations are most scarce in July through September, so reservations should be made in advance. Hotel costs range from $150-$300 per day. Guest houses and "Bed and Breakfast" accommodations range from $70-$150 per day, depending on individual requirements. A list of local hotels and guest houses are available on this site under "Temporary Housing".

Housing Options

The metropolitan Boston area provides students with several different housing options:

Apartment Buildings

Large and small apartment buildings abound in the Boston/Cambridge area. Generally apartment buildings contain studio to two bedroom units. Larger units are not common. Apartment buildings are most common in the more urban areas - Boston neighborhoods near downtown and parts of Cambridge.

Houses

Single, two and three family houses are all common housing types in metropolitan Boston. Houses tend to contain larger units, usually two bedrooms or more. Houses are more common in less urban areas such as Arlington, Somerville, Watertown, parts of Allston-Brighton and parts of Cambridge.

Rooms for Rent

Rooms in Boarding Houses or Private Homes
Rooms in boarding houses or private homes are generally rented by the month, although some are available on a weekly basis. Tenants may or may not have cooking facilities, private entrance, or private bath. Most rooms are for single occupancy with rents ranging from $500-$900 per month. Be sure you understand and agree to the "house rules" before making a committment.

Room and Board in Exchange for Work
Services such as child care, eldercare, tutoring, housekeeping, chauffeuring and general maintenance may be exchanged for room and board. Fifteen to twenty hours of work per week are generally required. Listings of both types of rooms for rent can be found at the MIT Off-Campus Housing Service. Special restrictions may apply in these situations (such as no overnight guests or no smoking), so be sure you know what is permitted and expected of you before you move in. International students should ensure their visa status allows this as it is considered employment.

Roommate Situations (Shared Apartments)

These offer an economical alternative to living alone. Although single persons are the most prevalent in this type of living situation, sharing is also an option for single parents and couples to save on expenses. Co-ed apartments are common.

The degree of sharing should be decided as a group in advance. This discussion should begin with basic expenses (rent, heat, electricity, telephone) and cover food, cooking and personal belongings (TV, stereo, tapes, CD's). You should also discuss policies in advance such as, but not restricted to: pets, late rent, bad housekeeping, loud music, drugs, guests, and smoking.

You can form a group in advance and search for an apartment large enough to accommodate all of you. You may also inquire about a vacancy in an existing group. This usually requires an interview to establish compatibility with the existing group.

Roommate situations range from a closely knit group with common goals to a random collection of people who go their own way with many variations in between.

Important Considerations:

Lease? What happens when you need to move? Security deposit?
Coed?
Date available?
How are major decisions made?
When are rent, utilities, etc., due? How are these divided?
Estimated cost?
Food: cooking, purchase, storage?
Housework?
Noise and quiet time?
Insurance (theft and fire)? (We recommend each person obtain his/her own coverage. Insurance is very resonable and should be purchased to cover theft and water/fire damage.)
How many bathrooms? Check out the morning schedule.
See the room available, get apporoximate size; is there a closet?
Laundry, storage, neighborhood?
How do other members of house relate to each other?
How long have they lived as a group?
Why did the last person leave?
For more information check out the Roommate Survival Guidelines

Units in houses, whether single, two or three family, often appear to have lower rents. This may be misleading if utility costs are not considered. As a general rule, units in apartment buildings (five units or more per building) include heat and hot water in the rent while units in houses do not. This is because apartment buildings were generally built on a single heating system while houses were usually built with, or converted to, individual heating systems. New and substantially rehabilitated apartment buildings generally have separate electric and heating systems.

People searching for housing face many choices. Once you have decided on the type of housing, the next step is the size of the accommodation desired. Living alone in a studio or one-bedroom apartment is probably the most expensive option. Generally, the greater the number of people sharing the apartment, the lower the rent per person. Thus, a four bedroom apartment with four people tends to cost less than a three bedroom with three people, etc. A two bedroom apartment does not necessarily house only two students or a three bedroom, three students. For example, if a two bedroom apartment also has a dining room and a living room, three students could share the apartment with one student occupying the living room and the dining room used as the common area. Such creative use of space often permits students to lower their housing costs while still allowing separate rooms. Be sure to check with the landlord if the number of persons who plan to live in the apartment exceeds the number of bedrooms since some local laws prohibit this practice.