- Open on the Bricks and Beyond housing portal Monday, November 27, 2023 through Wednesday, January 10, 2024 at 12:00noon.
- Rising juniors and seniors may block in groups ranging in size from one to eight.
- Students wanting to live with groups of people larger than eight should create more than one lottery application.
- Similar to the on-campus lottery, seniors will be given priority.
- If more than the 150 cap of students enter the lottery, each group will be assigned a random number and the 150 cap number of spots will be allotted to the groups with the best lottery numbers.
- On or before January 12, 2024, all students who entered the lottery will be notified of the results.
- Students who are not allotted a spot through this process should plan to enter the on-campus housing lottery in April. These students will automatically be placed on a waitlist and notified if space becomes available.
- Students who are allotted an off-campus housing spot through this process may sign a one-year lease.
- Lottery results do not obligate a student to live off campus, completing Step 2 does that.
Policy and Process
Students who wish to live off campus must meet all of the qualifying criteria and follow the two-step process in order to receive approval to live off campus. The Off-Campus Lottery app will be open November 27, 2023 through January 10, 2024 on the Bricks and Beyond housing portal.
Important note: Juniors and seniors interested in living off campus in private rentals must enter the Off-Campus Housing Lottery to seek approval to be released from their on-campus living requirement. The ability to live off-campus is a privilege, not a right, and approval is not guaranteed. Therefore, students should refrain from signing leases until after they receive written approval to live off campus from the Office of Residential Life. The Office of Residential Life and Office of the Dean of Students will review all lottery names and may deny anyone for whom living off campus may not be the best option for the student or for the local-area community.
Off-Campus Housing Agreement and Commitments
If a student receives permission to live off campus, the student will be required to submit to the Office of Residential Life a signed and completed Off-Campus Housing Contract. The contract will include the following acknowledgements:
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Living off campus is a privilege and not a right.
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Permission to live off campus can be revoked by the Office of Residential Life or the Office of the Dean of Students at any time.
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Permission to live off campus will be revoked by the Office of Residential Life should the student not complete all of the prerequisites listed below. If permission is revoked for failure to comply, students will be assigned on-campus housing over the summer.
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The College will not be held responsible for any financial commitments or losses related to a student’s off-campus rental.
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The student will abide by all applicable laws (local, state, and federal), especially those regarding noise and alcohol, and by the Bowdoin College Academic Honor Code and Social Code, which holds students accountable for their behavior on and off College premises.
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The student will attend all mandatory meetings sponsored by the College and/or law enforcement agencies regarding living off campus.
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If the student’s off-campus location changes, the student must, in a timely manner, notify the director of housing operations in the Office of Residential Life.
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By choosing to live off campus it is understood that Bowdoin Safety and Security, or other campus officials, will not respond to off-campus residences unless requested to do so by the Brunswick Police Department. In the case of an emergency, students must call 9-1-1.
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In choosing to live off campus the student acknowledges that the College has no responsibility for the condition or safety of their off-campus dwelling or for any other conditions or events occurring at their off-campus dwelling. The student explicitly assumes any and all risks associated with living off campus.