Your Housing Options

Your options depend on your personal status—whether you are a new or continuing student, for example, or whether you are single or have a family. Review the following categories and figure out your personal status.

New student–single
New student–family
Continuing student–single
Continuing student–family

New Student–Single

This is your personal status if

• you are a new graduate student
• you have not yet started classes at MIT
• you have never been registered at MIT as an undergraduate, graduate, cross-registered, special, or exchange student, etc.
• you have never received graduate housing as a visitor or MIT affiliate
• you are coming to MIT without a partner or family
• you will be living in your room alone

Housing options

Ashdown House
Edgerton House
Sidney-Pacific
Tang Hall
The Warehouse

You should know

• As a new student, you have the best chance of getting an on-campus housing assignment, because MIT gives new students priority. Read about the allocation process.
• Make your requests as broad and inclusive as you can so you have a better chance of getting a housing assignment. You can prioritize your choices during the application process as well as tie preferences to different living options. 
• New Student–Single assignments and non-renewable and are for one year if assigned in the May Allocation.  If assigned in the November Allocation for Spring Housing, students will have the option to renew one additional year.  After your initial assignment expires, you must reapply for graduate student housing as a continuing student. 
   

New Student–Family

This is your personal status if

• you are a new graduate student 
• you have not yet started classes at MIT
• you have never been registered at MIT as an undergraduate, graduate, cross-registered, special, or exchange student, etc.
• you have never received graduate housing as a visitor or MIT Affiliate
• you will be living with a partner or family while you are an MIT student
• you can prove this status with documentation

Housing options

Eastgate Apartments
Westgate Apartments

You should know

• Eastgate offers one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments. Westgate offers efficiencies, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom apartments.
• New Student-Family assignments are non-renewable and are for two years if assigned in the May Allocation. Students assigned in the November Allocation for spring housing are assigned a non-renewable, one and a half year assignment.
• Find out more about family housing.
• Learn how the housing allocation process works.

Continuing Graduate Student–Single

This is your personal status if

• you have already been taking classes at MIT
• you have been registered at MIT as an undergraduate, graduate, cross-registered, special, or exchange student, visitor, etc.
• you have received graduate housing as a visitor or MIT Affiliate in the past
• you are single (not married/not in a domestic partnership)

Housing options

Ashdown House
Edgerton House
Sidney-Pacific
Tang Hall

You should know

• As a continuing student, you can increase your chances of receiving a graduate housing assignment by making your preferences as broad and inclusive as you can. Take care to prioritize your choices during the application process. Read about the allocation process. 
• Continuing Student–Single assignments granted in the May Allocation are renewable for as long as you remain a registered student provided you do not terminate your housing. Next year, you will have the opportunity to renew your housing assignment. You won’t have to reapply to the housing allocation process.

Continuing Graduate Student–Family

This is your personal status if

• you have already been taking classes at MIT
• you have been registered at MIT as an undergraduate, graduate, cross-registered, special, or exchange student, etc.
• you have received graduate housing as a visitor or MIT Affiliate in the past
• you will be living with a partner or family while you are an MIT student
• you can prove your family status with documentation

Housing options

Eastgate Apartments
Westgate Apartments

You should know

• Eastgate offers one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments. Westgate offers efficiencies, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom apartments.
• Continuing Student–Family assignments granted in the May Allocation are renewable. Next year, when it’s time to reapply, you will have the opportunity to renew your housing assignment. You won’t have to reapply to the housing allocation process.
• Find out more about family housing.
• Learn how the housing allocation process works. 
   

Who qualifies as a partner or family

Partner—A married spouse or domestic partner of the opposite sex or same sex with whom you share your life and with whom you will live permanently while you are at MIT.

Family—The relative or relatives you live with permanently and with whom you will live while you are a student at MIT. Examples of approved family:

• student (married or not) living with one or more children
• student living with a parent when the parent is a legal dependent
• student living with a sibling when both are MIT graduate students

If your status changes and you are no longer living with your partner or family, you must notify the Housing Office immediately to register this change. You must vacate family housing within 30 days of a change in family status.

Improve your chances

• You should rank only those residences where you would like to live. 
• The more places you rank, the more likely you are to get housing on campus. 
• It is important to strike the right balance between “want to live on campus” and “want to live in this or that particular residence.”
• If you are assigned to one of the residences that you rank, you will be expected to move there, so don’t include options that won’t work for you. 
• Remember—you can go back to the application page and change your preferences as many times as you’d like before the deadline. 

Zoning laws

MIT housing policy takes into consideration City of Cambridge zoning laws, which restrict how many people can live in an apartment.

Need help with your application?

Contact the Graduate Housing Office.

Good to know