Off-Campus Housing Near Wagner
Off-Campus Housing Near Wagner
email me if my perfect place pops up
Nothing here fits that. We'll reach out the second something does.
Nothing here fits that. Leave your email and we'll reach out the second something does.
About Off-Campus Housing Near Wagner College
Wagner College sits on top of Grymes Hill on Staten Island's North Shore, with a view straight across New York Harbor to the Manhattan skyline. It's a private college of roughly 2,000 students, well known for theater, nursing, and business, and it feels more like a leafy hilltop campus than a city school. Most undergrads live on campus, thanks to a three-year residency requirement, so off-campus renting is mostly an upperclass and grad-student thing. Staten Island is part of New York City, which matters for your wallet: rent is generally lower than in Manhattan or most of Brooklyn, and NYC's broker-fee rules apply here. Getting around, most students use the free Staten Island Ferry from St. George to reach Manhattan, plus local buses and the Staten Island Railway. Many residents drive, and parking is easier than in the rest of the city, so a car is more common here than at most NYC schools. The North Shore mixes quiet residential streets, older two-family homes, and apartment buildings near the ferry. If you're renting off campus, you'll be choosing between a short trip up the hill and easy ferry access in St. George.
Wagner College Housing Requirements
Freshman Live-On Requirement
Wagner has a three-year residency requirement for students who enter the college as residential students, so first-years, sophomores, and juniors who start as residents live on campus. Students who enter as commuters, usually living at home, aren't bound by the requirement and can become residents later if they want.
Off-Campus Eligibility
If you started as a resident, you're free to move off campus for senior year. Before that, you can request a release through Residential Education if you have a permanent residence within 25 miles, medical needs the halls can't meet, financial hardship, non-traditional student status, or you're married. Releases aren't guaranteed, you'll need documentation and good standing, and a $1,000 fee can apply, so sort it out before you sign a lease. Campus housing isn't guaranteed once you're past the requirement, so seniors who want to stay on should apply early.
Lease Timing
Staten Island leases usually run 12 months, and they don't all turn over on one date the way a college town does. New York State caps security deposits at one month's rent and application fees at $20. Because Staten Island is in NYC, the FARE Act applies: if the landlord hired the broker, the landlord pays the broker fee, not you. Heat and hot water are often included in larger buildings but not in two-family houses.
Housing policies change frequently. Always verify current requirements directly with Wagner College before signing a lease.
When to Start Looking for Housing Near Wagner College
Early Searchers
If you're a rising senior planning to move off campus, start watching listings in the spring. The Staten Island market runs year-round, so there's no single rush, but the best-priced units near Grymes Hill and the ferry get snapped up quickly by whoever is ready first. Line up roommates and have documents ready, like proof of income or a guarantor. Remember that many NYC landlords ask for income of about 40 times the monthly rent, so a guarantor is common for students.
Peak Demand Window
Summer is the busiest time across New York City, when leases turn over and new grads and families move. Expect more competition in June through August, especially for two- and three-bedroom units that work for groups. Landlords often want you to move within a few weeks of applying, so don't start touring too far ahead of your target date. Weigh the ferry commute against the walk up the hill when you compare places, since both add real time.
Last-Minute Options
If you're searching in late August, look at room rentals in shared houses and two-family homes, which are common on the North Shore. Widening your search to neighborhoods along a bus line or the Staten Island Railway opens up more options. Just double-check your commute to Grymes Hill, since the hill itself is steep and not always well served by transit.
Neighborhoods Near Wagner College
Grymes Hill and Silver Lake
The streets right around campus are residential and hilly, with single-family homes, two-family houses, and some apartment buildings. Living here keeps you close to class and away from the busier parts of the North Shore. Expect fewer listings and some competition.
St. George and Tompkinsville
Down by the water, St. George has the ferry terminal, the Staten Island Railway, restaurants, and the most apartment buildings on the island. It's the best pick if you'll be heading into Manhattan often. Tompkinsville next door tends to be a bit cheaper.
West Brighton and Port Richmond
A little west of campus, these neighborhoods offer more room for the money, often in older two-family homes. They work well for groups and for students with a car, though you'll want to check bus access to the hill if you don't drive.
Frequently Asked Questions: Off-Campus Housing Near Wagner College
Common questions from students searching for housing.
Staten Island is one of NYC's more affordable boroughs. A one-bedroom near the North Shore often runs roughly $1,700 to $2,300 a month, and renting a room in a shared house can be cheaper.
If you enter Wagner as a residential student, yes. Wagner's three-year residency requirement applies to students who start as residents. Students who enter as commuters aren't bound by it.
On campus, at least for the first three years if they enter as residents. Those who move off usually stay on the North Shore near Grymes Hill or St. George.
Not necessarily, but it's more useful here than at most NYC schools. The ferry and buses get you around, and parking on Staten Island is much easier than in Manhattan or Brooklyn.
Start watching in spring, but plan to apply about 30 to 60 days before you want to move in. NYC landlords rarely hold units for months.
Not if the landlord hired the broker. Under NYC's FARE Act, the party who hires the broker pays the fee, and that applies on Staten Island too.
Grymes Hill and the surrounding residential streets are generally quiet. Like anywhere in the city, check blocks at night and look for well-lit routes to the ferry or bus.
In apartment buildings, heat and hot water are sometimes included. In two-family homes, you'll often pay your own gas and electric, so ask up front.
Yes. Many North Shore rentals are rooms or units in shared houses. Get any sublet approved by the landlord in writing.
You get a hilltop campus with a skyline view, while still being part of NYC. The three-year residency rule means most students don't rent until senior year.
More Housing Near Wagner College
Search by Room Type
Search by Lifestyle
Other Universities in Staten Island
Other universities in Staten Island share a similar off-campus housing market.
CUNY College of Staten Island
The College of Staten Island is CUNY's only senior college on Staten Island, and it has one of the biggest campuses in New York City: more than 200 acres off Victory Boulevard in Willowbrook, with lawns and parking lots that feel more suburban than anything in Manhattan. About 12,800 students are enrolled, and the…
View housing near CSISee how students rate the places near Wagner on social life, management, and quality before you tour.
Read student housing reviews near Wagner →