Housing at BU - tips on finding an apartment or room at BU

My daughter will be joining BU this fall as a grad student in BME. She is going to visit later this month to look for a place to live. I am told housing in the area is a serious challenge.

Any tips on areas to focus on, neighborhoods to avoid, chances of finding on campus housing this late in the year will be deeply appreciated. Her budget is to stay under $1300 a month, preferably more like $1000 a month in rent. Safety and proximity are priorities as well. Any input on what her options are and resources for finding potential roommates would be super helpful! Thank you

There are a bunch of Boston housing facebook groups, and there’s a Housing facebook group for students with a bu.edu e-mail. You can also go on craigslist. I like the facebook groups because they’re typically students who are looking for people to take on their lease. Your D can probably find a room (but with housemates) from $700-$1k in Allston and $800-$1k in Brookline/south campus.

Thanks so much! Do most people sign a year’s lease?

My D is also on the waiting list for an apartment at 580 Commonwealth Avenue which they have told her has no guarantees. If it does become available, she would prefer this but this option seems completely unpredictable. Just wondering what most people do. Is signing a month to month lease an option at all with the off campus housing and is it worth the headache to wait for the Commonwealth Avenue place? Thanks in advance for any help/information!