Housing for International Graduate Students

Finding Suitable Housing

Note: Undergraduate students are required to live on campus until senior year, at which time they are eligible to move off campus.

Although graduate students are not eligible to live in campus residence halls, there is an abundance of rental housing in Winston-Salem. While many local apartment complexes are not within a comfortable walking distance of the Reynolda Campus, Wake Forest University does own houses just outside the confines of campus which are available for graduate students to rent. For more information on the Wake Forest University Properties, please visit Wake Forest University Housing.

Locating Housing

You are strongly encouraged to secure housing prior to your arrival if you find something online you think you like. In particular, the housing provided by WFU Properties (mentioned above) is extremely popular and fills up quickly. If you would like to live in one of the WFU-owned houses, you will want to make these arrangements as far in advance as possible.

BE AWARE that housing contracts are binding documents! If you arrive and find the housing option unsuitable, you may not be able to get out of your contract and move to a new location unless you pay a hefty fee.

Some international students wait until after they arrive in Winston-Salem to make a housing commitment. This allows for the opportunity to find housing that is suitable for their personal wants and needs. If you will be using this approach, you will need to plan for a 2-3 day stay in a local hotel. This will give you time to tour and compare several different properties, as well as give the complex time to prepare and clean the apartment prior to your scheduled move-in date.

To the right are links to both the Wake Forest University Housing options as well as local area apartment complex options. This list is by no means comprehensive in terms of all available rental housing in the immediate Winston-Salem area, but hopefully it will provide you with an idea of the prevailing housing situation. Please keep in mind that the rental rates listed may have changed. All of the properties listed on the page are located in areas of the city that are considered to be safe by local standards. Students interested in the complexes listed on the website should contact the apartment management office directly.

Important Housing Tips

Please keep the following tips in mind when looking for an apartment and and/or signing a lease:

1. A contract is a legally binding agreement between you and the owner/management. Once you sign a contract and take possession of the apartment, you are bound by the rules of that contract. If you decide to move prior to the end date listed on the contract, you will most likely have to pay a heavy fine and forfeit your deposit.
2. Most apartment contracts are for a 12-month period. On ocassion a complex will allow you to sign a 5-6 month lease.
3. Most apartment complexes require a deposit. The amount of the deposit is often equal to one month’s rent.
4. The vast majority of apartments in Winston-Salem are unfurnished and you will be responsible for furnishing the apartment.
5. You get what you pay for! The amount of rent you pay is usually a good reflection of the overall quality of the apartment. If the rent is cheap, the apartment may not offer some of the amenities that are found in the more expensive complexes.
6. Your personal safety should be your highest priority in looking for an apartment. If you have doubts about the overall safety of a certain property, please contact ISS prior to signing a lease.
7. If you damage the apartment or leave it in a dirty state when you move out, you will be charged a repair/cleaning fee.
8. You should not hesitate to call the management office if you have a problem with your apartment, such as noisy neighbors, leaky faucet, etc.
9. When you look at an apartment, make sure that you ask the management about any rent specials that they might have. Many local complexes run specials throughout the year. Even if they don’t have any advertised specials, a discount might be available f you ask.
10. Most apartments charge extra rent and/or deposit money for pets.