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SUNY Cortland is a public comprehensive university in Cortland, NY, enrolling about 6,500 students and known for its education, physical education, and sport management programs. The campus sits in a small city of roughly 18,000 people in central New York, making off-campus housing plentiful and affordable. Students enjoy a tight-knit college-town atmosphere with most rentals within walking distance of campus.
SUNY Cortland requires all first-year students to live in university residence halls for their first year. Exceptions are granted only for students commuting from a parent or guardian's home within a defined radius.
Sophomores and upperclassmen are free to live off campus and make up the majority of the private rental market in Cortland. Many students move off campus after freshman year to take advantage of lower rents in the surrounding neighborhoods.
Most Cortland landlords list properties for the following academic year starting in November and December. Students who wait until spring often find the best options already taken, so beginning your search in late fall is strongly advised.
Housing policies change frequently. Always verify current requirements directly with SUNY Cortland before signing a lease.
Students who start looking in October and November secure the widest selection of off-campus rentals. Cortland's rental market is active but not enormous, so early movers get the best locations and pricing. Contacting landlords directly before listings go public is a common strategy among upperclassmen.
December through February is when most lease signings happen for the following August move-in. During this window, competition for well-located two- and three-bedroom apartments near campus is at its highest. Waiting until March or April significantly narrows your choices.
Students who search in late spring or summer can still find housing, but inventory is limited and less desirable units remain. Sublets and roommate replacements sometimes open up over the summer as plans change. Joining SUNY Cortland off-campus housing Facebook groups is a useful way to find late-breaking opportunities.
On the north side of the city along Tompkins Street, Groton Avenue, and Maple Avenue, lined with older single-family and multi-unit houses serving the student population.
About a mile from campus, with a few apartments above storefronts, within biking distance.
Quieter, more family-oriented streets farther from campus, with lower rents for students willing to drive or bike.
Common questions from students searching for housing.
Yes, SUNY Cortland requires all first-year students to reside in university housing. Exceptions are limited to students who commute from a parent or guardian's home within an approved distance from campus.