The College owns a number of apartments and houses which are available for rental to non-tenured members of the faculty and certain administrative personnel. You should note, however, that housing is the individual's and not the College's responsibility. The management of the College's rental housing program is combined with Smith and Amherst Colleges and is administered by the Rental Property Department at Amherst College. Their office will make known the College housing that is available but does not assume the responsibility of finding places for all new appointees to live.
Eligibility
Regular full-time and part-time faculty members with the rank of Professor, Associate Professor, Assistant Professor, or Instructor are eligible for College-owned rental housing and have renewal privileges while in non-tenured status (See section on Procedures for priority guidelines).
Lecturers and visiting faculty may be eligible for rental housing, depending on the recommendation of the President or the Dean of Faculty, who will also classify the appointee's rank for housing purposes (See section on Procedures for priority guidelines).
Professional librarians who have faculty status in accordance with College regulations are eligible for rental housing.
Faculty members are given priority for rental housing. However, to the extent that housing is available, eligibility for rental housing may be extended to staff members at the time of their initial hire as a means of facilitating their relocation to this area. Eligibility for housing for staff will be determined on a case-by-case basis in consultation with the senior administrative officer of the division and the Human Resources Department. Since rental housing for staff is not intended to be a long-term housing solution, but is intended to aid in a staff member’s transition and relocation upon hire, staff may remain in housing for a maximum of two years, or to June 30 following the fiscal year in which they take up residence in College housing, whichever is less.
A faculty member who owns a house in the general vicinity of the College is not eligible for rental housing, although exceptions may be made for transitional situations.
Policy does not permit moving from one unit to another unit, but in individual cases exceptions have been made if a family has outgrown the unit originally assigned. If in any fiscal year, after all appointments have been made, College housing units are still available, other non-tenured faculty and staff not residing in College housing may apply for a short-term lease through June 30 of that fiscal year. Any remaining units not rented to College personnel may then be offered to individuals not connected with the College for a short-term lease through June 30 of that fiscal year.
A faculty member who receives tenure may remain in College housing for a maximum period of one additional academic year beyond that in which the tenure decision was made. New faculty who arrive with tenure and professional librarians may remain in College housing for a maximum period of three years.
Procedures
Application forms and a full explanation of rental housing procedures, types of rental facilities, and other aspects of the College's housing policy are available from the Rental Property Department, Amherst College, 212 Northampton Road, Amherst, MA 01002, (telephone: 413-542-8506 / email: rhd@amherst.edu) to which all inquiries should be addressed.
Explore the MHC Social Universe >