Harvard Housing

There are two different types of Harvard-owned options:

1. HBS Residence Halls: Includes the doctoral block of rooms in Hamilton Hall, as well as buildings available through the general lottery like Chase, Gallatin, McCulloch, Morris, and Mellon Halls. These buildings are connected by tunnels to many of the buildings you’ll visit every day. HBS Residence Halls provide a unique, vibrant community of single-occupancy spaces. They are fully furnished and come with a convenient nine-month or twelve-month lease. See below for a video tour of a Hamilton Hall room. 

2. Harvard University Housing through Harvard Real Estate Services:  Includes the apartments of One Western Avenue and Soldiers Field Park (located next to the HBS campus), and 5 Cowperthwaite, Peabody Terrace, and 10 Akron apartments (located across the River from the HBS campus). Harvard University Housing offers a wide variety of options and amenities, and they are open to students (and their families) enrolled at any Harvard University school. See below for a video tour of a Soldiers Field Park apartment. 

Harvard Real Estate Services and the HBS Housing Office are completely independent of each other, with separate processes, policies, deadlines, and requirements. Pay careful attention to these differences. Please note that there are very specific deadlines for each option. Key deadlines are listed here with more information on each option below.

• April 16 at 5pm: Deadline to secure a room in Hamilton Hall through the Doctoral assignment process

• April 17-18: Doctoral lottery held (April 17th for returning students and April 18th for new residents)

• May 1: Deadline to submit an application for the Harvard University Housing lottery

We strongly suggest that you research housing options and apply for as many options you can. 

Residence Halls Lottery

All doctoral students are invited to live on the HBS campus in the residence halls. The Live at HBS website provides comprehensive information about the residence halls and the application process. 

The residence halls, designed for single living only, are owned and managed directly by Harvard Business School. These halls offer storage, security, and housekeeping services such as trash removal and bathroom cleaning. Rooms are furnished, cable-ready, and have direct, high-speed Ethernet and wireless access to the Internet. Furthermore, the Housing Office has made arrangements for students to live on campus year round, reflecting the nature of our programs.

The primary tradeoffs of living in a residence hall are the shared kitchens and the small size of some rooms (which make them conducive only to single students).

Residence Halls Room Type and Selection

The HBS residence halls include Hamilton Hall, where doctoral students are guaranteed a room, as well as Morris, Gallatin, Chase, and McCulloch Halls. Descriptions and photos of the residence halls can be found here. Rooms in Hamilton Hall are guaranteed and students have the choice of two types of rooms:

• Type Full: $17,124 ($1,903 per month for September – May; $500 for June – August)

• Type Full Deluxe: $18,405 ($2,045 per month for September – May; $500 for June – August)

Doctoral students may reserve a room in Hamilton in mid-April through the doctoral lottery. Please note: Hamilton rooms are guaranteed if you apply through the doctoral lottery. 

New students will be able to move in near the end of July. 

Residence Halls (Dormitory Rooms)

Please visit the Live at HBS web site for additional information and room descriptions/costs.

Harvard University Housing (Apartments Through HRES)

Harvard Real Estate Services Office
617.495.3377
hhousing@harvard.edu
HRES Web site

Harvard Real Estate Services (HRES) leases conveniently located apartments—Soldiers Field Park and One Western Ave (located at HBS) and Peabody Terrace (located in Cambridge)—to affiliates of Harvard University through Harvard University Housing.

HU Housing (HUH) is typically appealing to students who have families or want apartment-style living. There is extremely high demand for HUH apartments; apartments are not guaranteed.

HU Housing offers unfurnished apartments on a fixed-term lease basis and does not require a security deposit or finder’s fee. Rental fees include the cost of utilities at some complexes, and 24-hour maintenance service is provided. You must sign a year-long lease.

To live in any HU Housing apartment, you must fill out the HU Housing application (details of the application are below). In addition to using the window process described below, HU Housing apartments also become available through the Currently Available List which can be accessed at anytime by anyone who has filled out an application.

HU Housing Application System

HU Housing Applications will be available on March 1. Students who would like housing through HRES for Fall, should plan to submit applications by May 1. To learn more about the application process, visit the HU Housing web site.

You will be assigned a window of time to view the HU Housing apartment inventory and select a suitable apartment; this will be your "View and Select Window."

You will be notified of your window time in early May via the email you enter into your application. The first window will open early- to mid-May and each successive window opens approximately a week after.

Applications submitted after the deadline will not be included in the assignment of "View and Select Windows." These applications will be placed in the last available window.

Families with two or more children have priority in the HRES apartment selection process.

Additional Information

Pets

HBS Residence Halls do not allow pets.

Harvard Real Estate Services currently permits pets in certain apartments. At these apartments, there is a limit of one cat or one dog, not to exceed 40 pounds when full grown (breed restrictions apply), or two domesticated pet birds.

Smoking Policy

Smoking is NOT permitted in HBS Residents Halls or in any HU Housing property.

Comparison: HBS Residence Hall and HU Apartments

If you are seeking a single-occupancy housing option, it is in your best interest to apply for both HBS Residence Halls and Harvard University Housing. Lottery timelines are aligned so you can apply to both and make a decision between your offers. See below to understand how the two options compare.

Comparison: Features

The chart below details some of the services and differences between HBS Residence Halls and Harvard University Housing.