Off Campus Housing

General Information | Finding an Apartment | Other Housing Options

Finding an apartment in New York City involves a considerable expenditure of time, effort and money. The East Village area surrounding the Cooper Union is a very popular neighborhood and thus tends to be expensive. We strongly advise that students who wish to find apartments in the immediate neighborhood make their arrangements in early summer; by August, students are pouring into the neighborhood to attend Parsons, NYU, and other schools, as well as Cooper Union, and it is difficult to locate anything desirable. To find an inexpensive apartment, you must consider apartments in the other four boroughs.

In New York City, the standard lease is for one year and generally involves paying a month's security deposit to be kept for the duration of the lease by the landlord. Students under 18 or from out of town will often be asked for a guarantor. A guarantor signs the lease and agrees to pay if the student fails to do so.

Using a real estate broker is the most efficient way to locate an apartment, but it is extremely expensive, costing 10-15% of the rent for the first year of the lease. CitiHabitats is a brokerage firm that is particularly interested in working with Cooper Union students and willing to give Cooper students a discount. You can also look for "no fee" apartments listed in the Village Voice or The New York Times. The Office of Student Services keeps a list of apartments and roommates; the so-called Housing Registry is updated weekly. Remember that Cooper Union does not investigate these apartments or roommates; you must take that responsibility upon yourself. If you have never looked for an apartment before, we have included some tips (Finding an Apartment). You may also call us at (212) 353-4130 and request a copy of MetroInternational's excellent booklet Help Yourself to Housing. Other Housing Options lists privately run residence halls in the area as well as places such as the local Y's where you can stay for short periods of time.

Housing Registry
A list of apartment vacancies is kept by the receptionist in the Office of Student Services. Some good websites with listings are:

Village Voice
Educational Housing Services

Other sources for listings are:

Educational Housing Services, Inc.
The Student Housing Hotline: (212) 977-9099

Jacobson Properties
11 Waverly Place
Daily apartment listings for no fee apartments.
533-1300 x206

Signing a Lease
A lease is a legally binding document. An excellent booklet you should acquire before signing a lease is Tenant's Rights, published by the Attorney General. Copies are available free of charge when ordered from online