A room in a shared house or apartment near campus typically runs $1,200-$1,800/month per person, with prime Georgetown and Burleith blocks at the top. Splitting a rowhouse with several roommates lowers the per-person number, while studios and one-bedrooms in Foggy Bottom or Rosslyn often top $2,000/month.

Yes, and then some. Georgetown requires undergrads to live in university housing for their first three years, so freshmen, sophomores, and juniors all live on campus unless they get a limited exemption. Most students only move off campus as seniors.

Seniors and grad students cluster in Georgetown and Burleith right by campus, then spread to Glover Park, Foggy Bottom, and across the river in Rosslyn. The closer-in rowhouse blocks fill first and command the highest rents.

Skip the car. Georgetown itself has no Metro stop, so students walk, bike the canal towpath, and use buses, the GUTS shuttle, and the Foggy Bottom and Rosslyn Metro stations nearby. Parking is scarce and expensive, and the rest of DC is easy to reach by transit.

Early. Rising seniors often lock in houses by late fall or winter for the next August, and prime blocks go about a year ahead. If you want a good Georgetown or Burleith place, be searching by November or December rather than summer.

Expect 12-month leases. Landlords usually want strong credit or a guarantor and a security deposit. DC has solid tenant protections and rules on group houses, so confirm the unit is licensed as a legal rental and read the occupancy terms before signing.

Georgetown, Burleith, and Glover Park are generally quiet, residential, and well-trafficked. Foggy Bottom and Rosslyn are busier urban areas. As in any city, check the specific block, use main streets at night, and lean on the campus shuttle when you're out late.

Often not in older rowhouses, where you'll add roughly $100-$200/month for electric, gas, internet, and water split among roommates. Some newer apartment buildings bundle water and trash, so ask line by line what's covered before you commit.

Yes. The campus off-campus listings site and student groups are full of roommate posts and summer sublets, especially from students leaving for internships or study abroad. Subletting is a common bridge for grad students arriving mid-cycle.

The three-year residency requirement is the reason. Georgetown keeps freshmen, sophomores, and juniors in university housing unless they qualify for one of about 50 yearly exemptions, so the off-campus market is mostly seniors and grad students competing for a limited set of rowhouses.