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Bentley University is a business-focused school of about 5,200 students perched on a hill in Waltham, Massachusetts, just west of Boston along the Charles River. Waltham is an old mill city turned walkable college town, and its heartbeat is Moody Street, a long strip of shops, the public library, and year-round events students treat as a second campus. The Charles winds through town with riverside trails and parks, and Prospect Hill Park climbs to skyline views of Boston. On campus, Bentley leans into its Falcons spirit, with a packed arena and the dome-topped library as a landmark. The MBTA Commuter Rail and buses connect Waltham to downtown Boston, while most students walk the hill or grab a shuttle to Moody Street.
Bentley is unusual in that it does not have a residency requirement, so undergraduates can choose on-campus housing, off-campus housing, or commuting from any class year. That said, the vast majority of first-years live on campus, housed in traditional residence halls like Miller and Slade. First-years are assigned a meal plan for the year.
Students who do go off campus tend to do so junior or senior year once they have built a roommate group, though no rule requires waiting. The local rental process is standard Massachusetts, with most groups signing together. Confirm the unit's legal occupancy, since older Waltham multifamily homes have limits.
Expect a twelve-month lease, and landlords commonly ask for first month, last month, a security deposit, and sometimes a broker fee, which adds up fast. Check the lease for who handles heat and snow removal before you commit. Have your documents ready before the good places vanish in the September 1 turnover.
Housing policies change frequently. Always verify current requirements directly with Bentley University before signing a lease.
Greater Boston's leasing cycle is early and unforgiving, and Waltham follows it closely. A big share of leases turn over on September 1, so the search for those units starts the previous winter and peaks from February through April. If you want a place near Moody Street or within walking distance of the Bentley hill, start looking in late winter of the year before. The strongest units get claimed months out.
Demand peaks from February through April ahead of the September 1 turnover. Classes begin in late August, right as the September 1 turnover lands, making move-in week hectic across the city. The strongest units near Moody Street and the hill go first. Groups that searched in late winter dominate this window.
If you miss the spring window, keep checking through summer for units that did not fill and watch for January openings from students heading abroad. Summer subletting is common around campus, so a short-term room is usually findable even after the fall market thins out. The Commuter Rail and buses connect Waltham to Boston, so a unit farther out stays reachable. Acting fast on a late vacancy helps.
Right around campus, it blends student life with quiet residential streets, near Leary Field and Prospect Hill Park.
Just below the Charles, it mixes historic and multifamily homes with short walks to Moody Street and draws plenty of students.
Banks Square, where Main and Moody meet, is compact and among the most walkable spots in town, while Downtown Waltham along Moody Street has the most going on day and night.
Common questions from students searching for housing.
A room in a shared apartment or house near campus usually runs about $800-$1,200/month per person. Quieter spots further from Moody Street and in the Highlands sit at the lower end, while newer units and anything walkable to downtown Waltham run higher. Splitting a multifamily home with more roommates is the standard way to bring your share down.
Other universities in Waltham share a similar off-campus housing market.
Brandeis University sets about 5,400 students on a hilly campus in Waltham, Massachusetts, just upriver from Boston along the Charles. Waltham is an old mill city grown into a walkable college town, and the center of gravity is Moody Street, a long strip of shops, the public library, and year-round events. The Charles…
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