Lease Properties

• To apply complete the lease application at Access.Caltech, select "My Housing," then "Grad Lease Application." This form is only available with a Caltech UID and access.

Due to the high demand for Caltech-owned lease properties, a waiting list procedure has been established. There is only one list regardless of desired property type; four-bedrooms, three-bedrooms, two-bedrooms, one-bedrooms, or studios. Applying for the waiting list does not guarantee housing. Applications are processed on the date they are received by the Caltech Housing Office and the list is based solely on the date of application.  Offers are made when units are available.

These properties are unfurnished, except for window coverings, carpeting, stove/oven, and refrigerator and are leased on a month-to-month basis. Caltech has water, trash, gas and electricity in our name, to not interrupt service. Do not attempt to change the utilities into your name. Water and trash are included in your rent, however your usage of gas and electricity is billed back through your Bursar's account. Residents are responsible for setting up telephone, television and internet services directly (optional). The lease is limited to five years for students with children and two years for all others.

• Available unit emails are sent out according to open spaces. In order to house students more quickly, everyone on the wait list will be sent an email simultaneously and have approximately three business days to respond.
• Priority is based on the date of your application and the date you would be able to move in (start paying rent).  
• Offers will only be made to individuals and leases will be under one name.
• The lease holder will be solely responsible for paying rent and utilities and the Caltech Housing Office will not split charges amongst multiple residents.
• If you express interest in the unit, but it is awarded to an applicant ahead of you, or you decline the unit, you will be given another opportunity for our next availability.
• If you are offered a unit, you must provide us with a calendar date to start the lease (no more than 30 calendar days from the date of offer).
• Changes to this date must be made at least 14-days before the lease is scheduled to begin.
  • If you inform us of a change to your lease date less than 14 days in advance, your lease will commence on the originally stated date.
• If you would like your name to be removed from the waiting list, please notify us immediately at gradforms@caltech.edu.

If you have the option to extend our office will reach out to your 90 days prior to end of your lease via email offering you this option to extend at the new rate. If you wish to accept your option to extend we will then send you an Adobe e-signature document that you can sign online.

The lease properties are rented only to registered Caltech graduate students.  Properties will not be rented to extended families, postdocs, or research fellows, etc. When a student graduates, terminates student status, or no longer is capable of fulfilling the minimum occupancy requirement, the student has 30 days to vacate the lease property, regardless if the lease period has terminated or not. New students who have accepted admission to Caltech may apply for a lease property once they are registered.

The Lease Properties Waiting List is subject to the Caltech Honor Code, which states, "No member of the community shall take unfair advantage of any other member of the community." If an applicant provides fraudulent information to the Caltech Housing Office, then the applicant will be reported to the Graduate Review Board (GRB) and other applicable parties. Appropriate action will also be taken by the Caltech Housing Office to guarantee fairness for all applicants.

Per the Caltech Pet Policy, no pets will be allowed. Please be aware that the Caltech Pet Policy does not include emotional support animals or service animals.  These animals must go through a different approval process through Caltech Accessibility Services for Students.

Visit our Emotional Support Animals page for more information.

If you are currently in a Caltech Housing lease and would like to re-apply for the waitlist, you may only submit another application when you have 90 days or fewer remaining in your current lease. In order to ensure that all graduate students have the opportunity to live in lease properties, first-time applicants will be placed above re-applicants on the waiting list, regardless of when the application is submitted.