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The Housing Search
The very first step in one's housing search should be the purchase of
a good map of the Boston area and a T System Map (Massachusetts Bay Transportation
Authority - MBTA). One recommendation is Arrow Publishing Company's Boston
Red Map which can be purchased at the MIT Coop store on campus and many
other locations for a cost of about $5.00. T System Maps can be purchased
at the Coop and other locations for $3.00. The T System Map presents the
subway lines, bus routes and commuter rail lines overlaid on a map of
the Greater Boston area. These two maps are essential to an effective,
informed housing search.
With maps in hand, one's housing search can be conducted through many
different routes, all of which should be utilized. The most common resources
for MIT students are MIT's Off-Campus Housing Service, campus bulletin
boards, newspapers, realtors and a network of friends, relatives, church
groups, or co-workers. You should also contact currently enrolled students
as well as employees in your department in order to see if apartments
are being "recycled' by people leaving the department. Though their use
is generally discouraged by the MIT Off-Campus Housing Service, apartment
listing services are also a possibility. Each of these resources will
be discussed below. Under no circumstance should you consider contracting
for an apartment without either viewing it or having someone view it on
your behalf. Price is not an indication of quality and dissatisfaction
is not a reason to cancel a signed lease.
I. The MIT Off-Campus
Housing Service The Off-Campus Housing Service also has a great deal of information
available concerning housing-related subjects including:
The document "The Tenant's Commandments," which is also available, provides
valuable information regarding the legal aspects of rental housing.
The Housing Office staff is available to help you with any questions
or problems you encounter in your search. They are also able to look over
a lease for you and explain clauses you may find confusing.
The Office has free telephones available for local calls to rental agents
and landlords.
The Off-Campus Housing Service is open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday
through Friday. There may be some extended office hours during the latter
part of the summer, so be sure to check. Please note that the Office is
unable to mail or provide listings over the telephone, due to the rapid
turnover. However, selected information (i.e. temporary accommodations
or roommate forms) may be mailed out upon request. It would be in your
best interest to use the Off-Campus Housing Service. A single stop will
make you better prepared for your housing search.
The Off Campus Housing Service maintains the current rental listings on a web sit ethat may only be accessed by current affiliates. Admitted students may obtain they MIT ID number from their academic department, then open their e-mail account. Once you have that information, you should obtain an MIT Certificate (there is a link on our main page just below the link to the current rental listings for the Certificate site). Other incoming addiliates, such as new employees, post-docs or visitors will not receive their MIT ID number until their appointment begins. Without the MIT Certificate, newcomers will not be able to access the web site until thery are here in Cambridge. Our office has several computers set up for newcomers to access our data base.
While the Off-Campus Housing Service provides organized listings of housing
and roommates, bulletin boards and kiosks all over MIT often have apartment
and/or roommate ads posted as well. Keep your eyes open as you walk around
campus, especially during late summer or early spring.
Looking through Boston area newspapers at apartment rental advertisements
is an effective way to familiarize yourself with the Boston housing market.
Rental advertisements often seem to be written in a language of their own.
Review this list to familiarize yourself with
commonly used abbreviations.
The real estate section of The Boston Sunday Globe provides the
most extensive listing of apartments in the Boston area, although apartments
are also listed in The Boston Globe throughout the week. The Boston
Herald, The Boston Ledger, The Boston Phoenix, The
Boston Tab; The Cambridge Chronicle and The Cambridge Tab
are sources of listings as well. If you have a particular area or neighborhood
in mind, you can also consult local newspapers (see listings at the end
of each area profile). Keep in mind that most of the listings in newspapers
are through real estate agencies.
While it is financially in your best interest to find an apartment on your own, with Boston's tight market and students' time constraints, using a realtor could become a necessity. Unless you are already familiar with the Boston area and have an unlimited amount of time to look for an apartment, going through a realtor may be your best choice. As mentioned earlier, most realtors charge a "finder's fee" of one half to a full month's rent if you accept one of their apartments. While this seems like a substantial fee, it may be well worth it if you find a suitable apartment within a reasonable amount of time. Remember, you only pay a realtor if you locate and rent an apartment through that agency. There is a list of reliable real estate agencies on our site. These are real estate agencies which have been helpful to MIT visitors in the past. Since these agencies have a good history of performance, it may be in your best interest to begin your housing search with this list. The Off-Campus Housing Service would appreciate hearing from you about your experiences with any realtor on their list. Shopping around to different real estate agencies is a good idea. Ask
about the agency's policy regarding services offered and the amount of
the commission (the "finder's fee"). While most realtors charge a half
to a full month's rent, a quarter of a month's fee is also a possibility.
All real estate agents must be licensed by the Massachusetts Board of
Registration of Real Estate Brokers and Salesmen. If you have any questions
about the reputability of a particular agent, call the Board of Registration
at 727-2373, or go to www.state.ma.us/reg/boards/re/.
Only licensed real estate agents may collect this fee.
A realtor will show you housing and act as an intermediary between you
and the landowner. For someone new to the Boston area and/or without a
car, being escorted to view apartments is an invaluable and time-saving
service. Before you visit a realtor, try to list your requirements for
a desirable apartment:
Some cautions about working with a real estate agent:
Use your contacts in the area: friends, relatives, co-workers, church groups,
business contacts, department headquarters, etc. Let them know that you
are looking for an apartment and ask them to keep their eyes open for you.
Often you may be able to get information about a vacancy before it is advertised.
Do not hesitate to ask contacts in the area for information about Boston
and the housing market. Be aware that every one's experience varies so you
must carefully weigh all the information you receive about a particular
area.
VI. Apartment Listing
Services In general, it would be wiser to look at listings from daily newspapers
rather than pay a fee for such a service. The Off-Campus Housing Service
strongly discourages the use of listing services because apartment-seekers
often pay the fee and finalize housing arrangements through a realtor,
at an additional expense.
VII. Rental Resources on the Web Please note that this is presented as a helpful service to our affiliates. Web sites change daily and we do not endorse or recommend any one site over another. You can always do a search for Boston apartment rentals to get the most current information. http://www.bostonapartments.com
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