Eligibility Requirements

Harvard graduate students, faculty, and employees who meet the following conditions are eligible to apply for Harvard University Housing:

Graduate Students

Those who are full-time, registered, tuition-paying, term-billed Harvard degree candidates. Harvard alumni and visiting undergraduates are not eligible to live in Harvard University Housing.

  • If applying March 2009 - February 2010, this affiliation must be valid through the end of the 2010 academic year.

Note: If you are currently an undergraduate who will attend a Harvard graduate school in the coming year, you must submit your letter of admission to us. Your Harvard I.D. information may not be updated in Harvard's I.D. system in time to meet our housing application and validation deadline.

Faculty and Employees

Effective June 19, 2009, the housing eligibility policy for faculty and employees has changed for the 2009-10 leasing season. HRES no longer requires a Harvard University Departmental Guarantee Letter for non-Harvard-paid faculty and employees. Applications will now be approved for the following:

  • Those who are employed full time, 35 or 40 hours per week, who receive a Harvard University paycheck, and who receive full University benefits. (Those who sign a Harvard Housing lease will pay rent via payroll deduction.*)
  • Those who are appointed as full-time, non-Harvard-paid visiting faculty, visiting scholars, visiting fellows, non-benefits-eligible postdoctoral fellows, Harvard teaching hospital employees, or those in similar affiliation categories. (Those who sign a Harvard Housing lease will pay rent by check.*)
  • Affiliation must be valid through June 30, 2010.
  • If you have questions regarding your eligibility status, please contact us.

 

Note: If you are currently affiliated with Harvard but you will be starting a new job, you must submit your new appointment letter to us. Your Harvard I.D. information may not be updated in Harvard's I.D. system in time to meet our housing application and validation deadline.

*Rent is due on or before the first day of each and every month until the lease expires. HRES strictly enforces a no-tolerance policy regarding late payment of rent.

Nonaffiliated Spouses/Domestic Partners, Children, Parents, and Siblings

Nonaffiliated family members may only live in Harvard University Housing with an eligible affiliate whose name is on the lease (total occupants must not exceed apartment occupancy limits). Nonaffiliated family members are not eligible to sign or to be named as a tenant on a Harvard University Housing Lease and may not retain possession of a Harvard University Housing apartment if the affiliated tenant vacates the apartment.

A domestic partnership is a long-term relationship with an exclusive mutual commitment similar to that of marriage. Both parties must be at least 18 years of age, share joint responsibility for their common welfare, be financially interdependent, and in a relationship of mutual support and caring.