Housing
If you are unable to make permanent housing arrangements before your arrival on campus, we suggest that you arrive at least a few days early and use that time to find a suitable place to live.
During that time, you may need to arrange a few nights in a hotel or hostel. The Greater Boston Visitors Bureau (800-888-5515) can help you find appropriate accommodations at various prices.
If your family will live with you, we suggest you secure housing before arriving in Boston, or make the trip first to find housing and have your spouse and/or children join you later. If you wish to ship any personal belongings, we recommend having them delivered after you have arrived and have a permanent address.
Orientation Accommodations
Some temporary, on-campus housing is available for international undergraduate students participating in Orientation. Contact the Orientation office for more details.
Permanent Housing
If you will be living off campus during the academic year, you must secure your own housing accommodations.
There are two types of permanent housing:
- 1Boston University-owned and -operated dormitories and apartments for undergraduate and graduate students
- 2Apartments owned and operated by private individuals or companies
Finding an apartment in Boston on your own can be challenging, especially in late summer or early fall, when thousands of students return to the city for the beginning of classes. Housing in Boston is limited and rent can be high. The following list may help you find housing off-campus.
Some helpful websites with listings for apartments and roommates are:
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- bostonapartments.com
- apartments.com
- Boston Craigslist
- roommates.com
- Real Estate on Boston.com
- Aparment Source
- All Boston Apartments
Please note that Boston University is not affiliated with, and does not endorse, any non-BU housing services. We provide these links as services commonly used by students and renters in Boston
Use personal connections: Apartments are often found by word of mouth. Ask friends, relatives, classmates, colleagues, etc., if they know of available apartments or people seeking roommates.