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On-campus housing
Live on campus with other UW Tacoma students! Our housing is apartment-style, with full kitchens, bathrooms, and en-suite washer/dryers. There is fun programming and UW Tacoma Resident Assistants who live on-site. The on-campus housing is located directly on the UW Tacoma campus and also features a 12-month lease term so international students are able to live in the on-campus housing over the winter, spring and summer breaks.
On-campus housing is popular and fills up very quickly so be sure to visit the Residential Life and Housing website to learn more and apply early!
Graduate Students – Living at Court 17 apartments on campus will allow you the same proximity all of our other students enjoy, and you don’t have to live with undergraduate students. Court 17 is offering unfurnished apartments on the first floor for graduate students. You could share a two-bedroom apartment with one other graduate student, or live in a studio or one-bedroom apartment by yourself. Married students are allowed to live in a Studio or One Bedroom. Furniture rental is easy to do, and you don’t have to worry about selling furniture when you are ready to leave the US.
Live with a roommate or without one. Call or email one of our friendly staff members to discuss this option – court17@uw.edu or 011.253.274.9000
Off-campus housing
If you are not planning to live in on-campus housing, or if on-campus housing is already full, there are many options for living off-campus.
Many students rent apartments on their own. You can find a roommate to share the apartment and cut down on costs, or you can rent your own apartment. A “studio” apartment is suitable for a single person and contains a living/sleeping area, bathroom, and kitchen. Contact the management company for the apartment building directly to set up your lease. For international students who do not have a social security number or a U.S. co-signer, normally you provide first and last month's rent plus a deposit and submit a copy of your I-20.
Some nearby apartment buildings are:
Ellis Apartments: Ellis Apartment is a brand-new apartment built in 2022, conveniently situated just a block away from UW Tacoma. Offering the ultimate in modern living with in-unit laundry, a full kitchen, and the luxury of air conditioning, starting at $1,199 per month for studio and one-bedroom options.
Koz on Market and Koz at the Dome: Koz is the most convenient option as Koz on Market is just across the street from the campus. They offer studio apartments at a relatively lower rate (around $800 - $1000). They have limited rooms available so contact them as soon as possible for more information.
Villaggio: This apartment building is just a block from campus and is quite new. There is parking on-site at an additional rate. Pets are also allowed at an additional rate.
More expensive but also very close are Thea's Landing waterfront apartments, which are right across the glass bridge from campus and on the water. The Henry is next door. The Harmon Lofts are right in the middle of the campus.
502 Estate is a house located in the Stadium district.
Tacoma Flats is a unique micro-apartment and co-living concept in downtown Tacoma.
The Lex Tacoma is an apartment building in downtown Tacoma with studios up to two bedroom units.
Some Rental Listing Sites:
- Apartments.com
- Apartment List
- Apartment Search
- Craigslist
- ForRentUniverity
- Furnished Finder
- HotPads
- RentCafe.com
- Point2 Homes
- Trulia
- Zillow
Renters Insurance:
When renting an apartment, it's a good idea to purchase a renter's insurance. Insurance policy which landlords have will NOT cover loss or damage to renter's property and belongings. So protect yourself!
You may search the keyword, "Renters Insurance" online to compare policies and rates. ConsumerAffairs.com has provided a list. To access the list, please visit this website.
Disclaimer: International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) does not endorse any off-campus entities. ISSS is not responsible for the contents of any linked sites or services provided by off-campus entities.
If you do not have furniture, you can rent furniture through CORT. Student packages are available, and the furniture rental service can even deliver your furniture to your apartment and set it up before you arrive. This is a flyer with pricing (valid until 10/1/2022)
You can also buy your furniture; there are many stores in the area. One suggestion is to buy furniture from IKEA; the closest store is 18 miles from campus, and you can have the furniture delivered (and even assembled!) for an extra fee.
Husky2Husky (H2H) is an innovative home-sharing program that offers affordable housing to UW Tacoma students by utilizing spare rooms in Tacoma residents' homes in exchange of rendered services. To learn more, visit the H2H website.
Hotels
You may want to consider booking a hotel for yourself or your family. Here are a few recommendations near campus:
- Holiday Inn Express Downtown Tacoma (across the street from campus): A double bed room is $129.50/night including, tax, free parking, and free breakfast (rate last checked on 12/11/18).
- Courtyard Marriott Hotel (one block from campus): Rooms are approximately $138/night.
- Hotel Murano (two blocks from campus): Rooms are approximately $189/night.
Yammer Communities
Yammer is an online community where students can make posts. Students may find these housing related communities helpful:
- UW Tacoma Roommate Finder
- UW Tacoma Housing: Room Swap Message Board
- UW Tacoma Online Garage Sale
To access, log in using your UW NetID and password. https://web.yammer.com/main/org/cloud.washington.edu/discover-groups/recommended
Disclaimer: International Student Services and Scholar (ISSS) does not endorse any off-campus entities. ISSS is not responsible for the contents of any linked sites or services provided by off-campus entities.