Fordham off-campus housing: a guide for Rose Hill students

Dorm or apartment: what it costs

A 2023 article in The Fordham Ram, the student newspaper, put on-campus housing at about $1,900 to $2,200 per student a month and found that many students move off campus starting their sophomore or junior year. The Ram's 2025 off-campus guide reported that students pay about $900 to $1,200 a month on average for an apartment in Belmont.

Right now Foroom's open apartments work out to $1,150 to $1,500 per bedroom a month when rent is split evenly. Every listing shows both the full rent and the per-bedroom number, so your group can compare quickly.

Budget for move-in costs too. Fordham's housing guidance for students looking off campus says to expect to pay at least the equivalent of three months' rent to move in, covering the first month, a security deposit and fees.

When to start looking

1. Fall: settle who you want to live with and a budget per person. Group size decides which apartments fit.
2. Winter: start touring. Searches for Fordham off-campus housing rise in February.
3. February to April: the busiest search months. Good apartments for the next school year go during this window.
4. Spring room selection: Fordham's room selection happens in spring, and keeping an on-campus spot requires taking part and paying a housing deposit. Decide on your apartment before that deadline.
5. Before you sign: confirm the move-in date and lease length.

What happens to your dorm spot

Fordham guarantees on-campus housing for four consecutive years to undergraduates admitted with housing, but only if they never leave it. If you move off campus, you give up that guarantee. That makes it worth choosing an apartment you can renew rather than one you will want to leave after a year.

Where Fordham students live off campus

Most students who leave the dorms stay in Belmont, the neighborhood directly south of the Rose Hill campus across Fordham Road. The Fordham Ram describes the student population as concentrated in the area between Third Avenue, Crescent Avenue and Cambreleng Avenue. Foroom's 36 apartments are on four streets in that part of Belmont: Hoffman Street, Cambreleng Avenue, Lorillard Place and Hughes Avenue, about 7 to 13 minutes on foot from campus. Read the Belmont neighborhood guide

Checklist before you sign a lease

• Tour the actual apartment in person, not a similar one.
• Ask what rent includes: heat, hot water, electricity, internet.
• Ask where laundry is and whether the apartment is furnished.
• Get every cost due at signing in writing.
• Confirm the lease start date, length and renewal options.
• Ask whether you need a guarantor and whether a parent can co-sign.
• Make sure everyone in your group is named on the lease.
• Ask how repairs are reported and who handles them.

Renting with Foroom

Foroom owns its buildings and handles leasing and management with its own team, so the people who show you the apartment are the people who look after it. Send a tour request from any apartment page and we reply within 24 hours, or call (929) 500-4007.