Harvard Law School Housing

Frequently Asked Housing Questions

How do I apply for on campus housing?
What are the dates of residency for on campus housing?
What are the different types of dorms on campus?
What do the dorms look like?
What is the difference between the HLS dorms and the HLS apartments?
How much does on campus housing cost?
Are bills included in the price of on campus housing?
Is there a security deposit required to live on campus?
Are the dorms furnished?
How likely is it that I will receive on campus housing?
How does the lottery process work?
How do I cancel my on campus housing?
How do I change my dorm room for a different HLS dorm room?
Can I live on campus during the summer?
When is move in and what info will I need?
When is move out and what info will I need?
Can I live on campus if I only need accomodations for part of the year?
Can I get a later move out date if I am participating in the law review writing process?
How do I become a Resident Assistant?
What is the difference between Harvard University Housing and HLS on campus housing?
What percentages of students live on campus versus off campus?
What are the most popular places to live off campus?
How much does it cost to live off campus?
How and when should I look for off campus housing?

•  How do I apply for on campus housing?
  The first step in procuring on campus housing is to fill out a housing application. If you are applying to move on campus for the current academic year, fill out the above form and email housing@law.harvard.edu expressing your interest to move on campus. We often have availabilities during the academic year, and the housing coordinator will be in touch with you about what dorms are available. If you want to apply for housing for the upcoming academic year, please see the housing lottery schedule to see when applications will open and close.
  
•  What are the dates of residency for on campus housing?
  The dates of residency vary depending on your year. Please see the Current Dates section of the website for residency dates specific to your academic year.
  
• What are the different types of dorms on campus?
  Harvard Law School has many different types of dorms and apartments available on campus. They range from traditional dormitory-style singles to residential apartments. For a complete list of the different types of on-campus housing, please visit the on campus housing main page.
  
•  What do the dorms look like?
  For pictures of the different types of dorms and apartments, please visit the HLS Housing Photostream.
  
•  What is the difference between the HLS dorms and the HLS apartments?
  The HLS Housing Options Org Chart best represents the different branches of housing.
  The HLS dorms are Ames, Dane, Shaw, Story, North, and Hastings Halls. These are considered dorms because they all have communal lounges, kitchens, and bathrooms. North Hall is the only exception to this, as the North dorms have private bathrooms. The HLS Apartments are three HLS-owned Victorian houses located two blocks north of campus – 1637 Mass Ave, 3 Mellen Street, and 5 Mellen St (also called Baker Hall). The types of apartments within these buildings range from one bedroom apartments to an 8 bedroom house (Baker Hall). The HLS Apartments are only available to returning students, and have a separate lottery process. Both the HLS apartments and dorms have 9 month leases, require no deposit, include all bills but cable, and are fully-furnished.
  
•  How much does on campus housing cost?
  Monthly prices for on campus housing range from about $700 to $1900, depending on what type of dorm or apartment you choose.  On Campus Housing Rent Range [will make new web page] contains complete information about the different prices of the different dorms. Student Financial Services recommends not spending more than 60% of one’s monthly budget on housing. For more information about budgeting for housing, please see SFS’ “A Word or Two about Housing.”
  
•  Are bills included in the price of on campus housing?
  All bills except cable are included in the price of on campus housing.
  
•  Is there a security deposit required to live on campus?
  There is no deposit required to live on campus.
  
•  Are the dorms furnished?
  All of the dorms and apartments are furnished with a bed, desk, and desk chair. There are also couches, arm chairs, televisions, chests of drawers, and bookshelves depending on what type of dorm or apartment you are living in.
  
•  How likely is it that I will receive on campus housing?
  100% of students who apply on time for HLS on campus housing receive a housing offer by the middle of the summer. The majority of students who do not apply on time also receive housing offers, but the selection is generally limited, and the later a student applies the less likely he is to receive an offer. Please review the lottery schedule to make sure you apply for housing on time. Please note that applying for on campus housing is not a binding contract and students may decline their on campus housing for no fee up to a certain date.
  
•  How does the lottery process work?
  The lottery is a very complicated process that can be broken down into four different periods – application, lottery, room selection, and waitlist room selection. For more information on all of these, please review the Lottery and Room Selection FAQ.
  
•  How do I cancel my on campus housing?
  Students who wish to cancel their housing should fill out a room cancellation form and also email the housing coordinator at housing@law.harvard.edu explaining their reason for cancelling their housing. Students should review the room cancellation policies to understand what penalties may apply to their room cancellation.
  
•  How do I change my dorm room for a different HLS dorm room?
  Students who would like to move from one dorm to another should fill out a room change request form. Due to the high demand for on-campus housing, room changes are not always possible, but we do our best to accommodate a request for a change when we can. While requests can be submitted beginning as soon as the end of room selection, no requests are reviewed until the conclusion of all of the on-campus housing lottery and room selection processes in June. Requests are considered and evaluated based on availability. We are happy to move students from one dorm to another during the academic year if there are vacancies. During the academic year, requests for room changes are considered beginning the end of September with the last room change requests considered the last week of March. Students should feel free to fill out a room change request at any time. If we do not have a the type of room that student requests, we will keep the request open all year in the event that a room happens to open up.
  
•  Can I live on campus over the summer?
  We allow students who are studying for the bar to stay on campus over the summer. We reserve about 15 Gropius rooms for this purpose. Only Gropius is available for summer occupancy, so if you are currently living in North or Hastings you will have to move into Gropius if you would like to live on campus over the summer. The rooms are offered for $35 a night, and students can choose how many nights they would like to stay, but all students must be moved out by August 3, 2012, at the latest. Students can apply for summer housing anytime after March 1st, by completing the Summer Housing Application.
  
•  When is move in and what information will I need when moving into the HLS dorms or apartments?
  You will get several emails from the housing coordinator prior to you move on campus. However, it is also recommended that you review the Move In webpage in order to properly prepare yourself for your move on campus
  
•  When is move out and what information will I need when moving out of the HLS dorms or apartments?
  You will get a few emails from the housing coordinator as well as from the Facilities Management office regarding move out. Please make sure you read these emails thoroughly. It is also recommended that you review the Move Out webpage prior to your move off campus
  
•  Can I live on campus if I only need accommodations for part of the year?
  Whether or not you can live on campus for part of the year depends entirely on how long of a stay you will require. We always allow students who need accommodation for only one semester due to an academic reason (exchange students, early grads, Semester in DC, etc) to participate in the lottery and room selection process. However, we rarely allow students to live on campus for a period of time less than a semester.  The exception to this is for students who want to move on campus mid–semester and stay until the end of the academic year. Students are welcome to move on campus at any point in the year as long as we have vacancies.
  Finding short term housing can be very difficult, so we recommend reviewing our list of short term housing options.
  
•  Can I get an later move out date if I am participating in the law review write in process?
  Students participating in law review can get an extended move out date to allow them to live on campus for the entire part of the write-on process. In order to be granted this extension, students need to fill out the Harvard Law Review Extension Form. This form is emailed to all HLS residents in the spring.
  
•  How do I become a Resident Assistant?
  The Dean of Students office will begin the application process for next year’s RAs in the spring of the current academic year. All upcoming 2L and 3L students are welcome to apply, as well as any returning SJDs.
  Review our Resident Assistant webpage to understand the application process as well as the duties of being a Resident Assistant.
  
•  What is the difference between Harvard University Housing and HLS on campus housing?
  The HLS Housing Options Org Chart best represents the different branches of housing.
  HLS On Campus housing consists of the HLS dorms and HLS apartments. See differences between HLS dorms and apartments. Harvard University Housing (also known as Harvard Real Estate Services/HRES) is off campus, Harvard University-owned apartments. They have over 90 buildings spread across Cambridge. Two of the HUH buildings, Terry Terrace and 29 Garden Street, have HLS blocks within them. This means that only HLS students may rent these apartments. All HUH buildings, including Terry Terrace and 29 Garden Street, are managed by HUH and have a separate lottery process than the one used for HLS on campus housing.
  
•  What percentages of students live on campus versus off campus?
  There are 599 total on campus dorms and apartments. This allows for 33% of the student body to live on campus. 14% of the student body chooses to live in HUH housing, and 53% live in private off campus housing. 45% of 1Ls live on campus, while 15% live in HUH apartments, and 40% live in private off campus housing.
  
•  What are the most popular places to live off campus?
  The three most popular neighborhoods for HLS students to live off campus are Harvard Square, Porter Square, and Inman Square. Almost half of the study body lives in Harvard Square. Furthermore, between Harvard Square and Porter Square along Mass Ave is the most popular are to live. Please review our neighborhood breakdown for more information about popular neighborhoods for HLS students to live.
  
•  How much does it cost to live off campus?
  When budgeting for off campus housing, it is important to keep in mind the additional expenses associated with living off campus. For example, most landlords will require first and last month’s rent, as well as a month’s rent as a security deposit. Furthermore, if you use a realtor to find your apartment, you will usually have to pay an extra month’s rent as the realtor’s fee. Bills as well as furniture for the apartment are also costs that you should figure into your budgeting. HLS students spend anywhere from $450 - $3000 a person per month on rent, depending on their living situations. The average per person rent for an HLS student is $1179/month. 47% of students off campus spend less than $1000 a person on rent each month, and 11% spend more than $1600. Students who choose to live with a roommate can significantly decrease the amount of money spent on rent. Students who live alone spend an average of $1550 a month on rent, while students who live with 1 roommate spend an average of $950 a month, and the price continues to decrease as more roommates are added. Location is also a large factor in price. While it is the most popular location, Harvard Square is also one of the most expensive places to live. HLS residents of Harvard Square pay an average of $1437/month. Somerville and Inman Square are the two cheapest neighborhoods in which HLS students choose to live, with average per person monthly rents being $840 and $910, respectively. Review our neighborhood breakdown for more information about prices of popular neighborhoods for HLS students to live.
  
•  How and when should I look for off campus housing?
  Because each student’s housing needs are different, there are many different ways to approach finding housing. Most students looking for off campus housing choose to either use craigslist or hire a realtor. Review our off campus webpage to better understand how to assess neighborhoods, your budget, the possibility of having a roommate, and how and when to search. Feel free to contact the housing coordinator directly if you would like to speak with someone about the best options for your personal needs.