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Molloy University is a Catholic school of about 5,100 students founded by the Dominican Sisters in Rockville Centre, New York, a walkable Long Island village. Molloy grew up as a commuter campus, and while it now has three residence halls clustered around McGovern Plaza, a garden courtyard with picnic tables and artwork, most students live nearby or commute. The village is the draw: a compact downtown of shops and civic life, the towering St. Agnes Cathedral, and Rockville Centre's many parks and ballfields. On campus, the Lions fill the athletic facilities and the Madison Theatre brings in performances. The Long Island Rail Road runs straight to Penn Station in Manhattan, with a campus shuttle linking the train and town.
Molloy does not require freshmen to live on campus, which fits its commuter roots, so first-year students can live in a residence hall, rent nearby, or commute from a family home on Long Island. On-campus beds are limited, housing only a small share of undergraduates across Bogner, Fitzgerald, and Maria Regina Halls. Off-campus and commuting are the norm rather than the exception.
Students who rent locally usually do so in Rockville Centre and the surrounding villages, often working with local agents, with no residency rule to clear first. The rental process is standard New York suburban, and Long Island landlords screen carefully. Watch for occupancy rules and any village requirements on rentals.
Expect a twelve-month lease, a security deposit, and proof of income or a guarantor. Confirm whether parking is included, and read the lease for who covers heat and utilities. Sign as a group if you are splitting a house, and line up your paperwork early.
Housing policies change frequently. Always verify current requirements directly with Molloy College before signing a lease.
Because Molloy runs as a commuter-friendly campus, there is no single frantic leasing stampede the way you would see in a big college town, but Long Island's rental market is tight, so timing still matters. The most common cycle ties to leases turning over in late summer before the fall semester, so the strongest local rentals get listed in spring and early summer. If you want a place close to campus or near the Rockville Centre train station, start looking a few months ahead, around late spring. Do not expect a deep pool of student-specific listings.
Demand concentrates in spring and early summer as leases turn over for the fall. Classes start in late August, so aim to have a place locked by midsummer. Most stock is regular village apartments and houses rather than student complexes, so good units near the train station go quickly. Starting by late spring keeps you ahead of the turnover.
If you are searching late, commuting from home or renting a room is a common fallback. Rooms turn over year-round more flexibly than whole units, so a single room is often easier to find than a full house in a pinch. The Long Island Rail Road and campus shuttle keep a farther unit workable. Checking listings steadily turns up late openings.
The heart of it, a walkable village of shops and civic life right by the LIRR station, easy for getting into the city.
These blocks put you closest to campus and the shuttle.
Lynbrook and Baldwin sit a stop or two away on the train with quieter streets and a bit more room, while Oceanside offers more suburban space and a calmer feel toward the water.
Common questions from students searching for housing.
A room in a shared house or apartment around Rockville Centre typically runs about $900-$1,500/month per person. Spots in neighboring villages like Lynbrook or Baldwin and further from the train sit at the lower end, while units in walkable downtown Rockville Centre near the station run higher. Long Island isn't cheap, so splitting a house with roommates is the usual way to keep your share manageable.