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Essentials

 

Student Housing

The UAH inventory consists of Apartment Shares, Dormitory-style rooms and a very limited number of One bedroom, Studio and Family units for which priority is given to couples and families. This housing is primarily located within walking distance of the campus in the Morningside Heights neighborhood.  Students are also housed in Manhattan Valley, just south of Morningside Heights, and in Washington Heights, just north of Morningside Heights.  Additionally, students are housed in Riverdale, Bronx, in a new facility known as The Arbor, which opened in 2008.  Shuttle service to and from The Arbor is available.

Contents:

Eligibility for University Apartment Housing (UAH)

Housing in UAH managed buildings is available to all full-time students in housing eligible programs:

  • Graduate or professional schools located on the Morningside Heights campus
  • School of General Studies (GS)
  • First year transfer student enrolled in the School of Engineering's Combined Plan Program
  • American Language Program Students (ALP)-students in the School of Continuing Education- ALP Students must contact alphousing@columbia.edu to request an ALP Housing Application. (ALP students do not apply online.)

Students first registered prior to 2004 are not eligible for UAH housing.

Student housing is limited to a maximum of five years from the date of first enrollment in the program at Columbia or duration of the program whichever is shorter.

  Please Note - HOUSING FOR COUPLES AND/OR FAMILIES IS LIMITED

Required documentation of couple and /or family status is detailed below in the section on Lease and Contract Signing Procedures.  Due to space limitations UAH is unable to provide housing to accommodate friends or relatives other than, in very limited number, spouses/partners or dependent children of students.  Any available housing for couples must be prioritized for couples who have previously lived together and/or shared joint finances.

Because demand for couples' housing exceeds the supply, students who are still in their first year of housing are not eligible to apply to transfer into couples' housing. Students may apply to transfer into couple's housing  during the second year of housing through the Transfer Lottery. Please plan accordingly. Documentation of couple and/or family status will be required.

Please note that we are unable to accommodate most requests for studios from single students.

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Applying For UAH

In order to obtain housing from the University, a student must:

  1. Apply for housing and be approved by your school. Applications should be submitted according to the information and the deadlines provided by your school.
  2. Satisfy all eligibility criteria.
  3. Prioritize your preferences of accommodations, as required in the Application.

Please note that Housing Applications are valid only for the term for which they were originally submitted. If you do not receive housing or decide to defer your admission, please submit a new Housing Application.

Office of Disability Services (ODS)

For students whose disabilities substantially limit their ability to live in Columbia's traditional housing units, accommodations are provided. Students must follow the University's Disability Housing Accommodations Procedures & Guidelines and submit the required form for consideration of their requests. Students must otherwise be eligible for University housing in order to be eligible for disability housing accommodations.

Disability Housing Accommodations Deadlines: June 1st for Fall semester; November 1st for Spring semester. While applications submitted after these dates will be accepted and considered, Columbia cannot guarantee that it will be able to meet late applicants' accommodation needs, including any needs that develop during the semester.

Housing Application Deadline 

Submit your housing application according to the instructions provided by your school.

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Housing Allocation and the Role of the Schools 

Columbia University houses students from ten schools at its Morningside Heights campus, with programs ranging in duration from nine months to seven years, therefore the number of UAH units available for occupancy varies each year. In late spring, the number of housing units expected to be ready on or before registration is determined and each school is allocated a specific number of UAH spaces for its students. Each school decides how to use its allocation. The University does not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, nationality, or ethnic origin.

Your application for UAH must first be approved by your school before we are permitted to offer you housing. Inquiries regarding the housing application approval process should be directed to the Housing Liaison in your school. All other inquiries regarding housing assignments, policies, and procedures should be addressed to UAH directly.

For fall, this process begins in mid April and concludes mid July.

For spring, this process begins mid November and concludes by the beginning of January.

To monitor your application and assignment status, you may login to that section of our Web site using the applicant ID and password provided to you when you applied for housing:

 Housing Application and Assigment Status

 

 

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Housing Assigments 

The number and type of student housing units available for rent at any given time varies throughout the year. Therefore, we cannot guarantee that students will be housed in accommodations that satisfy their first preference in terms of type, location, and price range. To enable us to offer you the best assignment, it is important that you indicate as many acceptable types of housing as possible and note any special circumstances in the comments section.

Offer of Accommodation

All students approved for housing will be sent one Offer by E-mail before the start of their academic programs. An offer will be made based on the preferences indicated on the housing application as well as unit availability.  The Offer will include a brief description of the unit, general tenant information, and instructions for accepting the Offer. To accept the unit, you must make the payment as directed in the Offer within five calendar days after the date of the Offer.

If you refuse the Offer, or if you do not make the required payment within five calendar days, the Offer will expire and the unit will be reassigned. If at a later date you want University housing, you will have to reapply and will be placed on the housing Wait List as a continuing student.

Apartments are not available for viewing prior to move-in because they are either occupied or under renovation.

No refunds of any payments will be given if you accept an Offer and fail to move into the unit.

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Lease and Contract Signing Procedures

Most students receive standard New York City apartment leases with some modifications, and are billed monthly for their rent. Contracts are given for all dormitory-style rooms and certain student apartments. Rental fees for contract units are billed in full by semester and are charged to your Student Financial Services (SFS) account.

  • The Offer will include a move in-period based on your preferences for arrival and the availability of your housing unit. You will select a specifice move-in date when you accept the offer.  Students sign their rental agreement on the billing start date and are responsible for rental charges from that date.
  • Keys will not be provided nor move-in permitted before the lease/contract is signed.
  • Only the tenant of record may sign the rental agreement and make rent payments.
  • Your lease or contract must be signed in the presence of a UAH employee and can only be signed by the tenant of record.  Once a rental agreement has been signed, move-in may take place Monday through Friday before 4 PM when building staff are on duty.

Appointments for signing rental agreements may be scheduled for Monday through Friday between the hours of 9:15 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. The UAH office is not open on Saturdays, Sundays, and University Holidays.

  • Leases/Contracts will not be mailed or faxed and keys will not be mailed.
  • No deliveries will be accepted for you before you sign your lease/contract and move into your unit. Plan your arrival accordingly.

To sign the lease/contract you must bring:

  1. Two (2) passport size photos of yourself, your partner and children.
  2. Social security number or, if not available, your passport to be photocopied by UAH.
  3. Proof of couple's status and family status, if applicable.

Proof of couples' status (marriage or domestic partnership) includes:

  • Documentation of marriage or domestic partnership.
  • Joint mortgage or lease.
  • Documentation showing, for a period of at least six months prior to the application for housing, an actively used joint bank account, joint credit account, or joint ownership of a motor vehicle.

Or

  • Two items documenting that the applicant and his/her partner have resided together at the same address for a period of at least six months prior to the application for housing (such as drivers' license, voters' registration, utility bills, etc.).

Proof of family status includes:

  • Birth certificates.
  • Other documentation that dependent children reside with you.

Documentation must be translated into English and all translations must be notarized. You may use the services of Columbia University Translation Agency.

Rental Agreement Signing Appointments

Students requesting to sign their rental agreements between the dates of June 1st and September 15th* must call (212) 851-7349 and leave a message with your name, UAH address, and preferred appointment time  You can also E-mail uah@columbia.edu with this request.   

We strongly suggest that you contact us at least five days prior to your move-in date to schedule an appointment. Appointments can only be scheduled once your payment for a unit has been received.

Appointments for signing rental agreements may be scheduled for Monday through Friday between the hours of 9:15 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. The UAH office is not open on Saturdays, Sundays, and University Holidays.  

* During other times of the year lease/contract signing appointments are not necessary due to a smaller number of students entering UAH housing.

To Move In

After your rental agreement is signed, you will be able to pick-up your keys from your superintendent. Superintendents are available for key pick-up from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.  Your lease or contract must be signed in the presence of a UAH employee and can only be signed by the tenant of record.

Please note it is not possible to move in on weekends, after 4 p.m. on weekdays, or on University designated holidays.

 

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Rental Rates and Utilities 

The range of rents for the current academic year can be viewed in the Types of Student Accommodations section of this site. Heat and hot water are included in all rents. Please note that in units where utilities (gas and electricity) are not included, an additional cost of approximately $70-$140 a month per unit (not per person) should be anticipated.

Utilities, Cable Television and Telephone Service

As appropriate, students should contact Con Edison (800) 752-6633, Time Warner Cable (212) 358-0900 and Verizon Telephone (212) 890-2350 before their arrival to arrange for services. Information about the availability of Columbia Ethernet service access can be found on the Columbia University Information Technology (CUIT) Web site. Coin or card operated laundry facilities are available to all UAH tenants.

General UAH tenant information for new and current residents can be found on our Web site.

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Contact Us

If you have any questions, E-mail uah@columbia.edu or call us at 212-854-9300.  The office is located at 401 West 119th Street, near Morningside Drive.

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