International Student Services Office

The Housing Page

You should have received housing information from the admissions office in your initial 'Welcome' packet. Please complete the form and return it to Butler's residence life office as soon as possible.

Freshman, sophomores and juniors MUST live on campus. Seniors are able to live on or off campus.

On Campus Housing

There are several housing options on Butler's campus.

Dormitories:

Ross Hall is predominately for the incoming male and female freshman students.

Schwitzer Hall is predominately for the incoming female freshman students.

Residential College (ResCo) is predominately a sophomore building, and it is popular with the international exchange students. Residential College has one of the two dining facilities on campus.

Storage

If you are going home for the summer and do not want to take all your things with you there are storage facilities in some of the dormitories:

"Storage facilities are extremely limited, available on a first-come, first-served basis to students returning to the residence halls and available only to students who live outside Indiana and the surrounding states and is limited to four enclosed boxes or plastic totes.  No student may store anything without the approval of the Residence Life Coordinator.  Carpets, televisions, stereos, refrigerator, or appliances cannot be stored.  Butler University does not assume liability for any items stored throughout the academic year or during the summer months." -Butler Student Handbook

Student Apartments:

Apartment Village apartments are for upper classmen (juniors and seniors) ONLY.

University Terrace apartments houses junior and sophomore students.

Greek Housing:

The greek houses line the South side of Hampton Drive. If you choose to become a member of a fraternity or sorority, you have the option in your sophomore year to live in your fraternity or sorority's house on campus instead of in the dormitories.

Visit the Residence Life website for more details on what to expect from on-campus living.

Dining Facilities On Campus

Atherton Union has:

  • A Cafeteria called The Market Place at Atherton,
  • A Convenience Store where you can buy sandwiches, juice, hummus, hamburgers and more! 
  • A Starbucks (the first Starbucks in Indianapolis!)

Residential College (ResCo) has the second cafeteria on campus.

The Health and Recreation Complex (HRC) has Zia Juice, the smoothie and juice bar on campus

The Apartment Village has a convenience store, open during the school year where limited groceries can be purchased.

For locations, menus, hours, and more, visit our food service website.

 Off Campus Housing

Seniors and Graduate students have the option of living off campus.

There are many sites online that can help you find the right apartment for you:

  • rent.com
  • hotpads.com
  • apartments.com
  • forrent.com
  • Craigslist.org - be careful when using Craigslist to find a roommate or housing. Anybody can post listings on this site.

Some things to keep in mind while searching for a house or apartment to rent:

  • Visit the neighborhood at different times of the day really get a sense of the environment. Find out where the nearest laundry, grocery store, and hospital are located.
  • Verify that the building is secured by locks on the entrance door. If you are curious about the safety of the neighborhood, contact the Indianapolis Police Department or BUPD and ask about the crime in the area.
  • Make sure the commute to Butler is acceptable for you. If you choose to ride the bus to campus, make sure that you feel comfortable riding the bus and walking around the neighborhood at night.
  • Beware of false or deceptive advertising. Never rely on the apartment description. Make sure that you verify the details yourself. Do NOT take someone else's word for it.
  • Make sure that you are planning ahead. Finding the right apartment for you may take some time, do not stress yourself out by waiting until the last minute. With that said, most apartment managers do not know their availability until about one month before.

Once you have found your apartment, you will be required to sign a lease agreement, a document that outlines the tenant's responsibility and specifies dates of occupancy. The lease can be anywhere from 3 months to 2 years. Make sure you are know how long you want to rent the apartment and that the lease agreement reflects that. It's better to have a lease that is less time than you want to rent rather than more time; you can always renew your lease (if you're a good tenant), but if you need to 'break' your lease, there will be fees attached to that.

Before you sign the lease

Ask the landlord to explain all the rules to you. You are legally responsible to observe everything in the lease, so be certain it is agreeable to you and that you understand everything in it. Before signing the lease, learn the answers to these questions:

  • How much is the rent?
  • Is there a deposit? How much? What are the terms to getting the deposit back at the end of the lease?
  • What does the rent include? Gas, electric, water, trash removal, internet?
  • What does the landlord maintain? What is your responsibility? Who mows the grass? Shovels the snow?
  • What, if any, furniture is included?
  • Who may visit? May you have overnight guests? May you have pets?
  • May you sublet? Under what conditions?
  • How much advance notice should you give before moving out?

Landlords expect tenants to:

  • Pay rent on time.
  • Respect property and keep the apartment in good condition.
  • Tell the landlord of needed repairs: give him/her time to make them (usually, no more than 1 week if minor).
  • Make changes only with permission (nail holes, painting, etc).
  • Be considerate of your neighbors in regards to noise, clutter, and cooking odors.