Search for Housing
- What is the Housing Registry
- Search the Housing Registry
- Tips on Searching for Rooms/Apartments in the Housing Registry
- Need Help?
What is the Housing Registry
The OCHA Housing Registry lists non-Columbia-owned, furnished and unfurnished rooms and apartments for rent. Most of the listings are located in the New York metropolitan area.
Listings are posted for three weeks or until the lister removes or directs OCHA to remove the listing, or OCHA determines, in its sole discretion, that the listing should be removed.
Search the Housing Registry
To search the listings, you will need a UNI and password. Your Columbia-issued UNI consists of your initials plus an arbitrary number and is usually the same as the first part of your Columbia e-mail address.
For example, if your e-mail address is pkg4@columbia.edu, then your UNI is pkg4. Your password is the same as your e-mail password.
If you do not have a UNI and are a newly accepted student, alumni or other affiliate, please fax, mail, or visit the OCHA office during business hours with your letter of acceptance, current alumni card or proof of affiliated status in order to be issued a user name and password to enable you to search the database. Proof of employment can be obtained from your department administrator. Both user name and password must be typed in lower case.
SEARCH
If you have your UNI and password, click above to go to Housing Registry.
For maximum security, if you are using a shared workstation, we strongly recommend that you exit or restart the browser before leaving the workstation.
Tips on Searching for Rooms/Apartments in the Housing Registry
In the Housing Registry, click on HOUSING SEARCH and complete the form. Then click on "Start Search" to get your results.
If you receive a message saying "Sorry, no listings matching your search criteria were found," try broadening your search criteria. For example, enter "general" under location preference and enter your dollar maximum and "0" for your minimum under monthly rent range. In addition, leave the following questions unanswered: move-in and out dates and apartment requirements. If you are still not getting any results, try again later when more listings may match your search criteria.
The Registry allows you to create one or more search profiles and receive e-mail notification whenever new listings match your profile. To receive e-mail notifications of new listings, check the box at the bottom of the search page. Each search profile will be saved for two weeks.
OCHA accepts listings from brokers who charge commissions ranging between one month's rent to 15% of the first year's rent. Many of the brokers who list in the OCHA Registry offer discounted fees to Columbia affiliates. Other OCHA listers, such as landlords and management companies, often charge application fees ranging from $50-200. Any listing that entails payment of a fee should be clearly stated. You have the option of searching for units that have no fees.
Please report to OCHA any listing where the fee was not disclosed on our Web site by clicking below.
If a listing interests you, contact the lister by phone or e-mail by clicking on the INQUIRE button. Fill in the form and it will be submitted via e-mail to the lister who will respond to you. The lister's e-mail address is kept confidential.
Need Help?
If you have any questions, need help, want to report any problems, or to make suggestions, please email ocha@columbia.edu or call (212)854-2773.
OCHA is located at 401 West 119th Street near Morningside Drive.