Housing in Washington, D.C.

We highly encourage our AmeriCorps members to secure housing and move prior to the first day of service to allow you to focus on building relationships with your teammates, immersing yourself in training and adjusting to your new neighborhood before the school year begins.

When to start looking

• Your lease should be signed from July/August – June (depending on which month our first day of service lands on). Your Service Year Adviser will notify you as soon the date is set.

• You should start looking for apartments in late spring/early summer and have a lease signed by July at the latest.

Deciding where to live

• There are over 20 neighborhoods within Washington, D.C. and surrounding areas – be sure to check out the neighborhoods of our partner schools to find the most centralized areas when securing your housing,
• More affordable neighborhoods are:
  • Columbia Heights
  • Petworth
  • Fort Totten
  • Brookland
  • Brightwood
  • Silver Spring, Maryland

Finding roommates

• Washington, D.C. can be a bit pricy, so we recommend at least one roommate but preferably two to three.
• Rent can vary from $1,100 per month to $3,000 per month for two to four-bedroom apartments.

Budgeting for housing

Members find housing through online posting sites, word of mouth and sometimes on the City Year Facebook group (current members advertising their apartments). Postings should outline who to contact to learn more about the property, costs and lease terms.

When renting an apartment, ask about the following fees as they frequently apply.

• Broker’s fee – typically one month’s rent or a percentage or the annual lease
• Security deposit – typically one month’s rent, returned at the end of the lease if the property’s condition is maintained
• First month’s rent – typically due upon signing of the lease agreement
• Last month’s rent – may be requested upon signing of the lease agreement

Some utilities are included in the price of rent, so be sure to ask your landlord. When viewing apartments, most landlords or current tenants will gladly tell you the average price of utilities, so don’t be afraid to ask. It is also helpful to ask what utilities the house uses, such as gas or electric heat. Some units and buildings include laundry, for free or a cost, while others are located near laundromats.