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The University of Louisville brings about 22,200 Cardinals to its Belknap Campus, a 274-acre stretch south of downtown Louisville, home to a famous cast of Rodin's The Thinker. Just north sits Old Louisville, one of the country's largest historic preservation districts, where Victorian mansions line walkable, tree-shaded streets and students fill century-old homes. Game days roar at Cardinal Stadium, and basketball is a civic religion here. The Highlands runs along Bardstown Road as the go-to corridor for music, shops, and nightlife, while Cherokee Park's scenic loop and the riverfront Waterfront Park give green space across town. Louisville lives for the Kentucky Derby every May, when the whole city turns out. Students walk Belknap and ride city buses.
Louisville runs a genuine live-on requirement, so all first-year students must live on campus their first year. Second-years are required to live on campus or in a UofL-affiliated property.
A handful of nearby private complexes hold contracts with the school and count toward the requirement, giving sophomores an off-campus-style option that still satisfies the rule. By junior year you are free to rent anywhere, and most students spread into Old Louisville. The rental process is standard, with applications, a security deposit, and often a guarantor if you lack income or credit history.
Leases typically run 12 months, and because many places target the student cycle, expect terms tied to the late-summer turnover even if you only need the school year. Old Louisville is full of subdivided historic houses, so confirm the legal occupancy and who covers utilities before signing. Watch for quirks like odd room layouts, older heating, and street-only parking.
Housing policies change frequently. Always verify current requirements directly with University of Louisville before signing a lease.
Louisville's student rental cycle leans on the late-summer move-in but starts well before it. Returning students begin locking in Old Louisville houses and nearby apartments through the winter and spring, so the closest walk-to-campus spots get claimed months ahead. If you want a prime place, tour in spring for a summer or August move-in. Most students at UofL who need a close-in spot start touring early in the year.
The closest walk-to-campus spots get claimed through the winter and spring. Affiliated properties that count toward the sophomore requirement fill especially early, so sort that out as soon as you know you need it. Most leases start in late summer to line up with fall classes. Typically the best-located and best-maintained units go first.
Late searchers still find options into summer, since Old Louisville's many subdivided houses turn over steadily. The trade-off is that the best-located and best-maintained units go first. For spring starts or short stays, look at sublets that surface through campus housing boards and local groups. These show up especially when students leave for co-ops, study abroad, or summer trips home.
Directly north of Belknap Campus, the classic student choice, a walkable historic district of Victorian homes carved into student rentals.
Runs along Bardstown Road with the city's best nightlife, music, and shops, livelier and a short drive or bus ride out.
Offers tree-lined streets and a quieter, often easier-on-the-wallet feel a bit farther north.
Common questions from students searching for housing.
A shared room or per-person rate in an Old Louisville house near campus usually runs about $500-$850/month. Splitting a subdivided historic house lands at the lower end, while newer apartments and Highlands units sit higher. Studios and one-bedrooms run more, often $800-$1,200/month. Budget another $50-$150/month for utilities, more in older houses with dated heating.