How Much Rent is Too Much Rent?

How Much Rent is Too Much Rent?

The information on this page is intended to help you understand the financial aspects of your housing options while a student at HLS. Additional information about housing may be found on the HLS Housing webpage.

Careful consideration of your housing decisions and their financial consequences at the beginning of the moving process are likely to pay off in the long-term in lowered stress levels and a more pleasant and productive HLS experience. There are many housing options available to Harvard Law School students: on-campus (HLS residence halls and apartments), Harvard University Housing (Harvard-Owned Real Estate apartments), and off-campus (privately owned and operated living situations). Each option carries its own set of pros and cons in relation to start up and monthly costs, location, and amenities. Whichever option you choose, we strongly recommend that you thoroughly work through the various impacts your decision will have.

The HLS JD Student Budget is designed to accommodate a moderate style of living. For 2021-22, the 9-month (Sept May) budget for Room/Board/Personal expenses is approximately $3,100/month. (Please note that the 9-month academic year in this calculation does not include the 3-month summer working period.) For most of our students, living within this budget normally means living in one of the more economical HLS dorms, or finding a roommate situation where rent and housing expenses are shared with at least one other person.

  • How Much Rent is Too Much Rent?
  • On-Campus Housing (Residence Halls and HLS Apartments)
  • Harvard University Housing
  • Off-Campus Housing
  • Special Considerations (Start-up Costs and Summer Rent)
  • Resources

In general, HLS students find that housing takes up the single largest part of their living budget. As a very general rule, we recommend that students plan to commit about 50% of their living expense budget to housing. In a recent budget survey, this was the average amount spent by HLS student respondents. Students should be wary of committing more than 60% of their personal expense budgets to housing costs, especially if they do not have access to any other resources except the student budget.

To break it down a bit further, a student who spends 60% of the Room/Board/Personal allowances budget on housing has about $41/day remaining to cover all other living expenses. This $41/day must cover not only food and outside utilities (internet, cell phone, data plan, etc.), but laundry, wardrobe, entertainment, personal costs, start up costs to establish a new household (security deposit, furniture, appliances, etc.) or other household costs, local travel expenses (public transit and/or automobile expenses), enrollment in the University Dental Blue plan (which is optional), any personal loan or credit card payments, and anything else not expressly covered by rent payments.

Some students do not realize until it is too late that they have allocated too much of their budget to housing and too little remains to cover other expenses. If you have questions or concerns about budgeting, please contact your financial aid officer. Budgeting is a learnable skill, and we can provide you with some tools to help you get started.

On-Campus Housing (Residence Halls and HLS Apartments)

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On-Campus housing offers several conveniences: proximity, fully-furnished dorm rooms, rent inclusive of utility bills, and no deposit/broker’s fees. The two types of on-campus housing are:

  • RESIDENCE HALLS:
  • The on-campus residence halls consist of the Gropius Complex, Hastings Hall, and North Hall.
  • The range of rents runs from $7, to $17,910 per student for the 9-month 2021-22 academic year.

Please note, the rent prices are not necessarily set with the HLS Room/Board/Personal allowance in mind. It is each student’s responsibility to determine whether the rent will be affordable. If you need help determining this, SFS is always glad to help. Please contact your financial aid officer with any questions.

For more details about on-campus housing options, please refer to the page on Harvard Law School On-Campus Housing. Please contact the HLS Housing Office with questions by calling 617-495-1880 or emailing , .

Harvard University Housing (HUH)

Students who prefer apartment-style living have the option of applying to live in Harvard University Housing. These apartments also offer convenience of proximity to campus, rent inclusive of utilities, and no broker’s fees or other standard fees except for a refundable security deposit.

Harvard University Housing charges market rates for its rental units and are not subsidized in any way. These rates are determined independently of the HLS (or any other Harvard school’s) student expense budget so it is imperative for each student’s to personally determine whether the rent will be affordable.

The rent charges for a two-bedroom apartment currently range from $2,400/month to $3,952/month, with rents split evenly among roommates. Generally speaking, students planning to live in Harvard University Housing should plan to have a roommate. Studio and one-bedroom HUH apartments are priced above a rate that is manageable under the HLS student expense budget. You are able to review the HUH properties and their rates on their website. Back to top

Off-Campus Housing

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The HLS Housing Office hosts a comprehensive discussion on the many considerations of off-campus housing here. Costs/factors to consider when deciding where to live include, but are not limited to, rent, utilities, start-up costs, location, roommates, realtors/brokers fees, and summer subletting options (see next section). Generally speaking, students planning to live in off-campus housing should plan to have a roommate. Studio and one-bedroom off-campus apartments are typically priced above a rate that is manageable under the HLS student expense budget.

Special Considerations (Start Up Costs, Summer Rent)

SFS receives a number of housing-related funding questions from 1Ls and Transfer students who are relocating, and from current students who are making summer preparations. These are the most common areas of concern:

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