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Off-Campus Housing Near VCU
About Off-Campus Housing Near Virginia Commonwealth University
Virginia Commonwealth University spreads about 29,000 Rams across its Monroe Park Campus in Richmond, where campus and city blur together and the arts district basically starts at the edge of class. The Fan District wraps the campus in historic row houses and cafes, and Monroe Park is the green heart where everyone gathers. Carytown brings the local shops and restaurants, while Belle Isle and the James River, the only urban river in the country with Class III and IV rapids, sit right there for kayaking, hiking, or sunbathing on the rocks. First Fridays turns Broad Street's galleries into one of the biggest art walks in the nation every month. The free GRTC Pulse runs straight down Broad, so a car is more hassle than help here.
Virginia Commonwealth University Housing Requirements
Freshman Live-On Requirement
VCU does not require freshmen to live on campus, though it strongly recommends it and most first-years do, with more than 5,800 students in the halls. One catch worth knowing is that first-year residential students can't keep a car on campus without petitioning for an exemption.
Off-Campus Eligibility
With no mandate, students at VCU can move off campus whenever they choose, and plenty do by sophomore year into the Fan, Oregon Hill, or Carver. Richmond zoning caps single-family rentals at no more than three unrelated people, so count your roommates against that limit before you commit to a house.
Lease Timing
The city ordinance bans separate per-room leases and locks on individual bedroom doors in those houses, so the by-the-bed model common elsewhere is restricted, and you will often sign a joint lease with your group. Larger purpose-built student complexes can still offer individual leases. Read carefully and make sure the arrangement is actually legal before you sign.