Moving to DC

Housing Resources:

There are a multitude of resources, both at Georgetown and in the broader Washington, DC community to help students locate housing.

• 55 H St. is Georgetown's first-ever graduate housing complex that will open in Fall 2022! Learn more and submit a housing application here! This facility is located in downtown Washington, DC close to Georgetown Law Center, Union Station, and Capitol Hill.

• International Student House (ISH) is another good option for graduate students. Students can apply for scholarships through May 13. Note that not everyone who applies will receive a scholarship.

• Georgetown's Off-Campus Housing website is a collection of listings, as well as useful housing resources, that may be useful to students. In particular, we recommend referring to the Tenant Information section of the Resources page in order to familiarize yourself with lease requirements, a tenant bill of rights, budgeting tools, and more.

• The Office of Neighborhood Life has compiled a number of resources to help you navigate the entirety of your housing search. This includes information about leases, useful contact information for once you move into your home, etc.

• The Office of Global Services has put together a useful Neighborhood Cost Comparison document for neighborhoods that students commonly live in. Note that the costs on that sheet are merely estimates, and are not representative of every student's living situation. GHD has also compiled a more detailed neighborhood guide, which you can access here.

Many students utilize non-university off-campus housing resources:

• Craiglist

• The Washington Post

• Facebook: there are general DC housing search pages, as well as neighborhood-specific pages

A few housing tips:

• See if any of your GHD classmates (including rising second-years!) are in search of roommates!

• DC law requires landlords to have a Better Business License in order to rent a property.

• Be wary of scams! Don't pay anything until you have seen the property.

• If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.

Your Lease:

A lease is a legally binding document between the tenant and the landlord. It is important to read the lease carefully before signing and to keep a copy of it after all parties have signed. If you have any questions about what is written in the lease, ask your landlord about it. Here is a sample lease for you to see what a basic lease might say, and a lease checklist to see what basic things may or may not be included in your lease. If you have questions about your lease, you should ask your landlord about it before you sign.

If any changes or additions are made to the lease, as agreed upon by you and your landlord, these changes should also be signed by you and your landlord and you should have a new copy of the lease which reflects these changes.

If you are intending to sublease your space, make sure that it is allowed under the terms of the lease and you are subleasing to someone that you trust to care for the property. Subleasing your space means that you will be this person’s landlord and will be ultimately responsible for any and all damage they cause to the property. If you do sublease, make sure you have a written agreement.

Your Security Deposit:

Your security deposit is an amount of money that your landlord will put in an interest-bearing escrow account until you move-out. This money can only be used to repair any damage you and your housemates caused to the property during your tenancy. Be sure you know all about your security deposit and how much it can legally be.

Commuting to Campus:

Be sure to factor in commuting time when deciding where to live! Georgetown does not have a Metro stop, and, while Georgetown provides free shuttles to the Rosslyn (Orange and Blue lines) and Dupont Circle (Red Line) Metro stations, there is not a station in the immediate vicinity of the university, and the shuttles do not run regularly during off-peak hours.

We discourage students from driving to campus, as street parking is zoned and limited to two-hour parking. Parking is VERY strictly enforced in the Georgetown neighborhood. There are on-campus and near-campus garages, but they carry hefty fees, even for students.

The University is accessible via Washington, DC city buses, Circulator buses, and Capital Bikeshare. There are bike racks around campus if you decide to ride your own bike to campus!

Traveling to and From the DC Area:

There are three airports that service the Washington, DC region:

• Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA) is the most conveniently-located airport to the city, just across the river in northern Virginia. Aside from a few flights to and from Canada each day, flights only go between domestic locations. You can get to and from this airport via the Blue Line of the DC Metro, via cab or Uber.

• Dulles Airport (IAD) is the largest airport in the region, and includes both domestic and international flights. It is located in northern Virginia, outside of the Beltway. You can get to and from this airport via the Silver Line of the DC Metro (which leaves from Rosslyn station), or via rideshare services.

• Baltimore Washington International Airport (BWI) is located in Maryland, and is accessible via MARC train (which leaves from Union Station in DC), or via rideshare services.

You can also travel throughout the region via Amtrak or Acela trains.