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Housing

Finding suitable accommodations in this area can be difficult, time-consuming, and frustrating because of the limited supply and the high demand. Rental prices are among the highest in North America. Reasonably priced housing is becoming more and more scarce; however, a number of alternatives do exist. You may rent a room in a house, which means sharing kitchen and bathroom facilities. You may also share an apartment with others or rent an apartment on your own.

If you work or study in Cambridge, apartments in Somerville, Allston, Brighton, Watertown, Belmont and Arlington are conveniently located.

For those working or studying in the Medical Area, the Beacon Hill, Back Bay, Allston, and Brighton neighborhoods of Boston, as well as the cities of Brookline and Newton, are good choices.

Other factors to consider in choosing housing are the location of public transportation, grocery stores, laundromats, the safety of the neighborhood, and the cleanliness of the building.

Some people prefer to utilize the services of a real estate agent or realtor. This is someone who handles the rental or sale of apartments and houses. A person who wants to rent or sell an apartment or house lists the property with a realtor who then finds a person or persons interested in renting or buying the property. It is best to have someone familiar with the area recommend a reputable realtor. If you are willing to pay the one-time fee (often at least 50% of one month’s rent), renting through a realtor may save you time and energy. You pay the realtor’s fee only if you sign a lease. It is sometimes possible (though usually more expensive) to ask an agency to arrange an apartment or house for you before you leave your home country. You might want to try checking with some of the larger agencies in your home country to see if they have affiliated offices in the Boston area. Public schools in a specific town are open only to residents of that town; therefore, if you have children and wish to enroll them in public schools, you will want to consider the quality of the school system in choosing where to live.

Internet Resources

Please note that Harvard University does not authorize or support any of the following websites. However, you may find them useful for obtaining information.

  • http://www.boston.com/realestate/
    This website contains a search engine which enables you to enter your preferences (rent, number of bedrooms, neighborhoods). Harvard University (main campus) is located in Cambridge. You can find the Cambridge option by clicking on the box for Boston. Just a warning: some of the realtors’ postings seem very attractive. These apartments may very well already be taken. We suggest that you call them anyway and leave a message with the number where you can be reached. That way, even if the apartment you are looking for is no longer available, the realtor can provide other options.
  • http://www.apartments.com
    (boston.com) also has listings. Go to the site and enter your location in the “Quick Search” section. This will bring up a list of currently available apartments by location, along with contact information for reaching the realtor in charge.
  • http://www.bostonapartments.com
  • http://www.bostonrealtyhub.com
  • http://euroclub.mit.edu/
    Most of the apartments listed on this site are not furnished. After you find an apartment, you may want to visit the MIT Furniture Exchange or other second-hand furniture stores around this area. This website contains information on moving sales under the bulletin board. It sometimes has information on sublets as well as some apartment openings. You can also post your roommate wanted ad or apartment wanted ad on the bulletin board.
  • http://www.neighborhoodlaw.org/cat/43
    This site contains useful information on Massachusetts laws regarding housing. Before you sign a lease, it is a good idea to have an idea of basic housing and rental laws in Massachusetts.
  • http://www.roommatesusa.com
    This is website” lists people looking for roommates. You may click “browse” to look at the lists without signing up as a member.
  • Most schools have their own websites with housing information (see below). Some of them have specific listings of apartments and/or rooms available whereas others may have bulletin boards where students can post their want ads regarding sublets and roommates.

Here are the websites with the housing information for individual schools: