Planning a September start: when to book a nine-month room in Manhattan

The window nobody publishes

Offers and placements firm up through the spring. Housing follows a few weeks behind, which puts the real decision window somewhere between February and June for a September start.

By July the search is not a search any more. It is a list of what nobody took, and in Manhattan that list is short and expensive.

What each month actually looks like

Roughly, and allowing for the fact that every programme runs its own calendar.

• February to March — widest choice, rates as planned. The right time to hold a room, even on approximate dates.
• April to May — the entry-rate rooms thin out first. Choice narrows to the en-suite rates.
• June — still workable, but you are choosing from a smaller set and competing with everyone whose programme confirmed late.
• July to August — the most expensive month of the year to be arranging anything in New York, and the month with the least left.

Why the cheapest rooms go first, every year

Fifteen of the sixty-one rooms here are Deluxe at $525 a week — the entry rate, and the one a student budget is usually built around. Twenty-five Studio Basic and nine King Studio make up the rest.

The en-suite rooms hold availability longer simply because fewer people are shopping at that rate. A February enquiry usually gets a choice; a July enquiry usually gets whichever room is free.

Nine months is the shape of an academic year

The minimum stay is nine months, which maps almost exactly onto September to May. That is the reason this building suits students better than it suits most people — the commitment is the same length as the thing you are here for.

It also means a single semester or a summer term is below the floor. If you need four months, this is the wrong building, and it is better to find that out in February than in August.

What the year costs, and what is inside it

Rent is billed weekly. Electricity, gas, heat, water, sewer, trash, air conditioning, Wi-Fi and weekly housekeeping are all in the rate — no separate accounts, no deposit to a power company, no internet contract of your own.

• Deluxe Room — $525 a week, shared bathroom, full bed
• Studio Basic — $650 a week, en-suite, queen bed
• King Studio — $745 a week, en-suite, largest room, shareable as a twin

What to have ready when you enquire

Less than an apartment application wants. There is no co-signer requirement and no joint liability with other residents, so what actually moves things along is knowing your dates and which rate you are budgeting for.

Approximate dates in February are worth more than exact dates in July. Send what you have.