Off-Campus Housing Near SFC
Off-Campus Housing Near SFC
About Off-Campus Housing Near St. Francis College
St. Francis College is a small private Franciscan college in Downtown Brooklyn. After nearly 60 years on Remsen Street in Brooklyn Heights, it moved in 2022 to a modern vertical campus at 179 Livingston Street, in the middle of one of the busiest transit hubs in the city. St. Francis has always been a commuter-heavy school, with most students living at home across Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, and beyond. For students who want to live nearby, the college's official housing partner is FOUND Study Brooklyn Heights, a furnished residence hall at 119 Columbia Heights, a walk from campus and Brooklyn Bridge Park. Everyone else is in the private market, and Downtown Brooklyn and the surrounding neighborhoods are among the most expensive places to rent in New York City. The good news is transit. Just about every subway line in Brooklyn passes within a few blocks of campus, including the 2, 3, 4, 5, A, C, F, R, B, Q, and G, so you can live much farther out, where rents are lower, and still have a straightforward commute. New York City renter protections apply here, including the FARE Act rules on broker fees.
St. Francis College Housing Requirements
Freshman Live-On Requirement
There's no requirement to live in college housing. St. Francis is primarily a commuter college, and most first-years live at home. Students who want to live near campus can apply to the college's partner residence hall in Brooklyn Heights, which requires full-time, in-person enrollment, a deposit, good academic and financial standing, and a completed housing application.
Off-Campus Eligibility
Any student can live off campus, and most do. If you're renting on your own, you can live anywhere with an easy subway ride to Borough Hall, Jay Street-MetroTech, or DeKalb Avenue. Brooklyn's subway map is your best friend here, so pick neighborhoods by train line, not just distance.
Lease Timing
NYC leases usually run 12 months and can start any month, with more student demand in summer. New York State caps security deposits at one month's rent and application or screening fees at $20. Under the FARE Act, in effect since June 11, 2025, if the landlord hired the broker, the landlord pays the broker fee, not you. Be wary of anyone asking for money before you've seen a place in person, which is a common scam in NYC.
Housing policies change frequently. Always verify current requirements directly with St. Francis College before signing a lease.
When to Start Looking for Housing Near St. Francis College
Early Searchers
If you want the partner residence hall, apply as early as the college allows, since space is limited and deposits are rolling. For private apartments, start looking about 60 days before your move date. NYC listings rarely stay up long, so earlier than that usually means watching the market rather than signing. Use the early weeks to learn the neighborhoods, compare commute times, and figure out your budget.
Peak Demand Window
June through August is the most competitive stretch in Brooklyn, as students and new grads all move at once. Good rooms and apartments can rent within a day or two. Have your ID, proof of income or a guarantor, and your deposit ready before you tour. Many landlords want to see yearly income of about 40 times the monthly rent, so plan on a guarantor if you're a student.
Last-Minute Options
Because leases start every month, something is always available, but last-minute usually means rooms in shared apartments or sublets. Search along the subway lines that run to Downtown Brooklyn, in neighborhoods like Crown Heights, Bed-Stuy, Sunset Park, or Bay Ridge, for better prices. Short-term furnished rooms can also bridge you until a better lease comes along. Be flexible on move-in dates, since landlords with an empty unit may negotiate.
Neighborhoods Near St. Francis College
Downtown Brooklyn
The area around campus is full of new high-rise rental buildings with amenities, and rents to match. You can walk to class and to more subway lines than almost anywhere in the city.
Brooklyn Heights and Cobble Hill
The historic brownstone neighborhoods just west of campus, where the partner residence hall is, are quiet, leafy, and walkable. Rentals are mostly apartments in brownstones and prewar buildings, and they're pricey. It's worth it if you want to walk to class and the waterfront.
Crown Heights and Bedford-Stuyvesant
Farther east, these neighborhoods have lots of brownstones and walk-ups, more rooms for rent, and lower prices than the areas around campus. The A, C, 2, 3, 4, and 5 trains make the commute easy. Bed-Stuy and Crown Heights are also home to a lot of students from other Brooklyn colleges.
Frequently Asked Questions: Off-Campus Housing Near St. Francis College
Common questions from students searching for housing.
Downtown Brooklyn is expensive. A room in a shared apartment usually runs about $1,200 to $1,900 a month, and a one-bedroom near campus is often $3,200 or more, with lower prices farther out along the subway.
No. St. Francis is mainly a commuter college, and there's no live-on requirement. Students can apply to the college's partner residence hall in Brooklyn Heights.
Most live at home across Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island. Students who rent often pick neighborhoods along the subway, like Crown Heights or Bed-Stuy, to save money.
No. Just about every Brooklyn subway line stops near campus, and parking downtown is expensive and hard to find.
About 60 days before you want to move. NYC listings move fast, especially in summer.
Most are 12 months and can start any month. Deposits are capped at one month's rent, application fees at $20, and under the FARE Act you don't pay the broker fee when the landlord hired the broker.
Downtown Brooklyn and Brooklyn Heights are busy and well traveled. In any neighborhood, check your walk from the subway at night and ask people who live there.
Many older buildings include heat and hot water, while electricity, gas, and internet are usually on you. Newer buildings may bill for more, so ask before signing.
Try classmates, campus groups, and shared-apartment listings. Sublets are common in Brooklyn, especially in summer.
It's a commuter college in one of NYC's best-connected spots, so the smart move is often living farther out along a subway line rather than near campus.
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