Welcome
Frequently Asked Questions
Graduate Housing
Greetings from MIT Housing & Residential Services (HRS) — we hope you’re as excited as we are for the start of your on-campus housing journey at MIT!
Who We Are
HRS oversees on-campus housing assignments, repair and maintenance, residential security, and more. Our team is responsible for ensuring that residences are welcoming, safe, and effectively supporting MIT’s distinctive residential experience.
We encourage you to connect with members of our team regarding any housing-related inquiries that you may have. We're available to assist through a variety of channels, including virtual and in-person services, as well as by phone and email. Visit our contact page linked below to learn more.
Living on Campus
Each of our residence halls have their own unique community, and choosing where to live is one of the most exciting decisions you will make during your time on campus!
MIT’s residential experience encourages students to make connections with their peers outside of the classroom. This webpage includes some helpful details as you think through your on-campus graduate housing options.
Much like a lease agreement, residents of MIT Graduate Housing are required to sign a one-year license agreement containing the terms and conditions of living in MIT Graduate Housing, as well as the rights and responsibilities of residents and the Institute. For a number of reasons, the law categorizes these types of contracts as “licenses” rather than “leases,” which is why this terminology is used.
Your occupancy date is your confirmed “move-in” date. You will receive an email from HRS confirming your occupancy date after selecting a housing assignment.
*Move-ins will take place no later than November 1 for Fall Self-Selection and March 1 for Spring Self-Selection.
Self-Selection is the process used to select graduate housing at MIT. During the housing selection period, prospective residents will enter the housing portal to view available housing units and to select their desired unit. This enables students to select their exact unit within their preferred building and to confirm their housing assignment in one, easy-to-navigate process.
*Matching with a roommate does not affect the visibility of available rooms during Self-Selection.
MIT offers a variety of housing options at different price points to give graduate students and their families more choice. Monthly housing rates according to unit type are available on our website. In addition, each house also assesses a nominal ‘house tax’ to help support in-residence programming and activities for all building residents. Housing rates are reviewed annually and are updated on the website during the month of March. Any changes will apply to the next contract cycle beginning August 1 of the same year.
Key dates and deadlines are posted to our Dates & Deadlines webpage. In general, prospective residents select housing between May and October. We also offer a housing selection process between November and March for students who are seeking on-campus housing for the spring semester. We will continue to update the webpage linked above with additional dates as information becomes available.
There are currently eight graduate residence halls, including two family housing options for students with children. Additional information including building amenities, locations and other details, is available on our website.
| Residence Hall | Singles | Couples | Students with Children |
|---|---|---|---|
| 70 Amherst Street | X | X | |
| Ashdown House | X | ||
| Edgerton House | X | X | |
| Graduate Tower at Site 4 | X | X | X |
| Sidney-Pacific | X | X | |
| Tang Hall | X | ||
| The Warehouse* | X | ||
| Westgate Apartments | X | X |
*Incoming first-year gradaute students only.
Yes, and more! Residents of MIT Graduate Housing pay one monthly bill for everything! Utilities such as electricity, heat, and hot water, as well as high-speed wifi, cable tv and access to a wealth of campus resources, are all included. Many residences also offer access to in-residence fitness areas, study and music rooms.
The one-year occupancy period typically runs from early August until July 31 of the following year. HRS will make every effort to help ensure incoming residents’ move-in dates align with their housing plans. For example, some incoming residents may transition into their on-campus housing assignment after the expiration of their off-campus lease at the end of August. Similarly, HRS will work with residents who arrive on campus early to connect them with temporary on-campus sub-licensing opportunities until their housing assignment becomes available. We also offer a housing selection process between November and March for students who are seeking available on-campus housing for the spring semester.
Rent responsibility will begin on your scheduled occupancy date. After selecting your housing unit, you will receive a follow-up communication outlining key information and confirming your occupancy date. Please note that residents who move onto campus after their scheduled occupancy date are still responsible for rent beginning on the date they were scheduled to move in.
*Rent-responsibility will begin no later than November 1 for Fall Self-Selection and April 1 for Spring Self-Selection.
MIT Graduate Students* | |
Residence Hall(s) | Housing Renewal Policy |
| Renewable License: Residents may annually choose to renew their on-campus housing assignment for the full duration of their MIT graduate degree program. |
| One-Year Renewable License: Residents receive a one-year Housing License Agreement with the option to renew their Agreement for one additional year. In an effort to ensure on-campus living opportunities for incoming graduate students, a lottery will be run (space permitting) for existing residents to renew beyond the second year provided the house meets occupancy goals.** This approach was developed in coordination with student leaders and heads of house from each community. If a lottery is not possible, or if renewal through the lottery process is unsuccessful, residents will be granted early access to select an alternative on-campus housing assignment (excluding Ashdown House, Sidney-Pacific and The Warehouse) before general housing selection. |
| Non-Renewable License: As a first-year only graduate student community, housing renewal is unavailable. Residents who are interested in continuing to live on campus may select an alternative housing assignment, subject to housing availability. Residents will be granted early access to select an alternative on-campus housing assignment (excluding Ashdown House and Sidney-Pacific and The Warehouse) before general housing selection. |
Visitors, Affiliates, Postdocs, Cross-Registered Students* | |
Residence Hall(s) | Housing Renewal Policy |
| Non-Renewable License: Must enter the Self-Selection process annually to select an on-campus housing assignment, subject to housing availability. Existing residents seeking to remain in on-campus graduate housing will be granted early access to select a unit before off-campus visitors, affiliates, postdocs and cross-registered students. |
*Residents must remain eligible for MIT graduate housing. This renewal policy does not apply to undergraduate students living within graduate housing. Visitors, affiliates, postdocs and cross-registered students continue to receive non-renewable licenses.
**In an effort to ensure on-campus housing opportunities exist for incoming graduate students in Ashdown House and Sidney-Pacific, currently a 40% target of each building’s total occupancy will be made available for new incoming residents each year.
***First-year graduate students only
Please review the Institute's housing cancellation policy for additional information about cancellations and assignment changes, including details regarding any applicable penalties. Please note that cancellations submitted after your scheduled occupancy date are instead subject to the early termination policy (see below).
In general, residents are responsible for the entire term of their license agreement. Residents who terminate their on-campus housing prior to the expiration of their license agreement are subject to the Institute’s early termination policy. As noted within the policy, there are penalty-free options for early termination, so long as all advance notification requirements are met.
HRS continues to remain as flexible as possible to accommodate graduate students’ housing needs. If circumstances alter students’ plans or prevent students from arriving to campus through no fault of their own (i.e. travel ban or visa restrictions), HRS will work with the International Students Office (ISO) and students on a case-by-case basis regarding their on-campus housing assignment.
Residents are welcome to bring fish into their on-campus living area within tanks of up to 20 gallons (75 liters). Other pets, including mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians, are not allowed within graduate residence halls.
In limited circumstances, the Disability and Access Services Office may approve a resident’s use of an assistance animal (often for emotional support reasons) as a reasonable accommodation for the resident’s use in the resident’s dwelling unit, or acknowledge a dog as a “service animal” which has been individually trained to do work or perform a task on behalf of an individual (not necessarily a resident) with a disability. Please contact HRS or Disability and Access Services at das-student@mit.edu for more information.
Yes. Parking is overseen by MIT's Parking & Transportation Office. There are parking lots located within close walking distance of all graduate residence halls. Additional information, including parking locations and rates, is available online.
Most graduate housing units come furnished, although MIT offers several unfurnished housing options as well to provide students with more choice during their housing search. Details regarding the furniture and appliances included within furnished units are available on each residence hall’s webpage. Please note all MIT furniture must remain within the unit and cannot be stored.
Yes. Those who mutually-request to live together will be able to jointly select a unit within the online housing portal during the Self-Selection process. Those who do not have a specific roommate/suitemate in mind may submit their living/lifestyle preferences within the Self-Selection application to find compatible roommates/suitemates.