University of Delaware - Office for International Students & Scholars

Temporary Housing

The Office for International Students and Scholars will assist in providing a host family who will provide housing for two or three days upon your arrival. Students must request this service prior to arrival at UD.
Undergraduate students can check-in early by contacting Housing Assignment Services (http://www.udel.edu/has/movein/moveinday.html).
The INNternationale House at 153 Courtney Street, Newark, Delaware 19711 is very close to campus and provides both temporary and long-term housing. For more information and online registration you can visit: www.TheInnternationale.orgThe INNternational House is not a subsidiary of the University of Delaware, and its inclusion in this publication does not represent an endorsement by the University.

Permanent Housing

For information about University residence hall, please contact Housing Assignment Services via email at ud-housing@udel.edu or call 302-831-3676. Space is limited for graduate students wishing to live on campus. Many single graduate students choose to rent rooms or apartments off-campus. Rooms are normally furnished, with or without kitchen facilities, and the cost is between $350/600 per month. Apartments are unfurnished and the cost is $600 or more per month for one bedroom.

There are several places that list apartments for rent:

The University of Delaware Office of Housing and Residence Life, 5 Courtney Street, Newark, Delaware 19711 keeps lists of apartments for rent. The list includes private apartments, apartments to share (which usually includes cooking facilities), and rooms for rent in private homes (http://www.udel.edu/has/offcampus/main.html)
Department offices have bulletin boards which sometimes include advertisements of rooms for rent.
The University of Delaware (Classifieds) lists apartments and rooms for rent.
Newspapers, such as The News Journal, list apartments for rent.

WARNING: Do not sign a lease until you arrive and see the room or apartment.

Signing a Housing Agreement

Once you have found a suitable apartment, you'll be asked to sign a lease, a legal agreement committing you to live in a place for a certain period of time at a certain price per month. You may also be asked to pay a security deposit which is often equal to one month's rent. Here are a few things to remember:

Be sure that you understand the terms of the lease before you sign it.
Most area apartments require a year-long lease.
You must pay rent for the entire amount of time that you agree to live in the apartment. Most leases state that the tenant may not vacate the apartment until the lease expires. If you vacate the apartment and are unable to find someone to rent your apartment, the law requires that you still have to pay the rent. You may not just vacate one apartment because you find another one that you like better.
For a copy of the landlord-tenant law is the link below: http://attorneygeneral.delaware.gov/consumers/protection/brochure/landten.pdf
Some landlords may ask for a "reference" before allowing you to rent their quarters. You may use Mr. Younes Haboussi, OISS Immigration Services Coordinator, as a reference.
If there is something you do not understand in the lease, please contact OISS before you sign it.

Setting up Your Apartment

Good but used furniture may be purchased at reasonable prices at second-hand stores. The University Classifieds website (https://primus.nss.udel.edu/classifieds) is also a good source of second-hand items.
Electric: It is your responsibility to have the electric connected when renting an apartment. The location of your apartment will determine which electric company provides the service. If the apartment is in the City of Newark, go to the Newark Municipal Building, 220 Elkton Road, Newark, Delaware, where the Utility Billing Office is located on the 1st floor (Phone: 302-366-7085). A minimum $75 deposit is required for electric heat, and a $50 deposit is required for gas or oil heat. If the apartment is located outside the City of Newark, contact Delmarva Power (Phone: 302-454-0313). Delmarva Power does not require a deposit. Check with your rental office to find out which utility will provide your power.
Telephone: For a land line, contact Bell Atlantic Telephone (1-800-633-4330). You will have to purchase your own phone available at many stores. There are many cell phone companies so it would be helpful to ask friends or colleagues which plans are most advantageous for your calling destination. Most companies require you to sign a 1-2 year contact, especially if you want a free/inexpensive phone, and a US social security number may be required. If you don't want to sign a contract, you can purchase "pre-paid" phone plans and pay more for the phone. Local phone calls from a public pay phone cost $0.5 cents and accept U.S. coins (quarters, dimes, and nickels). It might be wise for you to get change (get U.S. coins) or buy phone card as soon as possible in the U.S. in the airport in case there are no stores open that can make change for you late at night. You can purchase a domestic calling card at grocery stores, drug stores, etc. There is usually a basic fee for telephone and different long distance calling plans. For emergencies in the U.S. the emergency assistance number is 911. Directory assistance the U.S. can be reached by calling 411. There is a charge for directory assistance.