Vanderbilt Hall

Contact Information
leasing@harvard.edu

For questions regarding community programs: graduatecommons@harvard.edu

INCLUDED FURNITURE

Each room is furnished with:

• One single bed (36" × 80")
• One bureau
• One desk and desk chair
• One bookcase

NOT INCLUDED

The rooms do not contain the following items, and students should bring their own:

• Desk lamp/Floor lamps
• Mirror
• Linens (including: bed sheets, pillowcases, pillows, blankets, towels, etc.)
• Personal toiletries

Getting Started

Download these helpful PDFs before you arrive:

• Safety first

Activate your Harvard ID Card

• Harvard affiliates living at Vanderbilt Hall must have their Harvard ID cards activated by our office. New Harvard affiliates must return the temporary swipe card issued by our office before we can activate newly issued Harvard ID cards.

Stay Informed

• Email is our primary method of contacting residents and their emergency contacts so be sure the email addresses we have on file are current and checked frequently. 
• You can change your email address in the Resident Portal. Please email leasing@harvard.edu to update emergency contact information.
• International Students, consider "unlocking" your phone prior to leaving your home country. To learn more, visit the Harvard International Office website.
• All Harvard affiliates are asked to sign up for the University's Emergency Notification System, messageme.

Policies and Procedures

• Residents are expected to comply with the terms of their lease and the Housing Policies and Procedures for Harvard University Housing Tenants sent as part of the lease documents package.

• Please contact your Property Management Office at least two business days in advance of your planned move-in to make key pick-up arrangements and ask questions related to your move-in plans. That time is required to coordinate keys and communicate back to the tenant.

Visit the Arrivals and Moving page for more information

Access to the HMS Computer Network

There is full Wi-Fi coverage throughout Vanderbilt Hall, managed by HMS. To provide optimal and robust wireless connectivity, HMS-managed wireless access points are spaced in hallways in approximately every other room. The network jack in these rooms is configured to work only with the HMS-managed access points and will not work with any other device (such as your computer, printer, or any other electronic device you may have).

More information, including how to connect, is found on the Information Technology website: https://it.hms.harvard.edu/service/wi-fi-and-wired-connections

MAILING ADDRESS

Mail and packages may only be received by current residents and must be addressed as follows:

[Resident First Name, Last Name]
107 Avenue Louis Pasteur
#[Assigned Mailbox Number]
Boston, MA 02115-5750

*IMPORTANT: Mail and packages must be addressed to the assigned mailbox number and not the resident room number. 

PACKAGES & DELIVERIES

• Packages, large parcels, and deliveries that require a signature are delivered to the Vanderbilt Mailroom, which is located on the lower level in room 043 (opposite the laundry room).
• Students are expected to pick up their delivery the day it arrives.
• Due to space constraints, unclaimed items may be returned to sender after 10 business days.

• Residents may not leave food cooking unattended in the common kitchens at any time.
   
• Shared kitchens are available in the building for meal preparation at times. Please be mindful and respectful to other residents in the building, and remember that this is a shared facility and not any resident’s personal space. Responsibility for these kitchens lies with the Residents and Resident Advisors. 
   
• Shared kitchens may be closed intermittently to accommodate the custodial staff cleaning schedule. 
   

• Most hallway bathrooms are designated “women” or “men.” There are also four all-gender bathrooms located on various floors.
   
• If residents leave personal articles in the bathrooms, the cleaning crew will remove them as part of their regular maintenance in order to properly clean the facility. 

• There are multiple Common Areas in the building:
   
  • The Perry Culver Lounge is located above the Deanery, on the second floor. It has a large screen TV and lounge seating.  This room is non-reservable and remains open for use by all residents of Vanderbilt. No large groups (more than 10) can use this space. Because the Culver Lounge is located within the living space, quiet hours must be strictly observed. 
     
  • The Deanery Lounge and Patio (located at entry I) is equipped with a large-screen TV. There is also a small kitchen, and a large outdoor patio.
    • Starting on July 1, 2025, the space can be reserved for private functions by visiting the Graduate Commons site. All policies and procedures must be followed. 
       
  • Joseph B. Martin Student Lounge is an amenity of Harvard Medical School. For more information on use for functions, please visit the HMS Room Scheduling site.
     
  • The Library is an amenity of Harvard Medical School. For more information on use for functions, please visit the HMS Room Scheduling site.

There are multiple study rooms throughout the property available for quiet study.

• A coin and credit card–operated laundry facility is located in the basement in room 044.
   
• Take the elevator at E entry to the lower level. This laundry room is open 24 hours a day.

• Laundry facilities are provided as a courtesy to building residents, and HUH is not liable for any damages or loss that may occur by using the machines.
   
• Machines may not be able to accommodate certain items. Machines should be used only during posted hours to avoid disturbing adjacent residents.
   
• Please be courteous and remove your laundry from machines promptly when washing or drying is complete so that other residents may use the machines; items should never be left overnight in machines. Please empty the lint screen of the clothes dryer after every use and place dryer lint in a closed bag or other disposal object to prevent fire.
   
• If you experience a problem with a machine provided in your apartment, please submit a work maintenance request to your Property Management Office.

If you experience problems with machines in common laundry rooms or need to request a refund for coins lost in CSC Service Works machines, please contact CSC Service Works: https://www.cscsw.com/one-csc/ or call 877-264-6622. Please also notify your Property Management Office, so they can investigate the problem and post signage on the machine that is out of service.

Contact the Property Management Office for details on how to check out typical household items (vacuum, broom/dustpan). The service is provided as a courtesy and HUH cannot guarantee the availability of all items at all times.

• Please help by returning shared items as soon as you are done using them.
• If you find that you are frequently borrowing a specific item, you may want to consider buying your own and storing it in your room.

Vanderbilt’s Athletic Facility is managed by Plus One Health Management, Inc.

The Vanderbilt Athletic Facility website is: https://hms.harvard.edu/departments/vanderbilt-hall/vanderbilt-hall-athletic-facility

For further information, contact the Plus One Athletic Director at 617-432-1942.

TRASH

• Trash closets are located throughout the building for recycling and trash disposal.
• There are also recycling, composting, and trash receptacles in the student kitchens. Residents are to dispose of recycling, composting, and trash in one of these designated locations.
• Residents may not leave trash in the hallways, elevators, stairways, or courtyard.

RECYCLING

In accordance with city municipal code, HUH is required to separate recyclable materials from trash. Eighty percent of what you throw out can be recycled, and our comprehensive Single Stream Recycling Program means you can collect all recyclable materials (paper, flattened cardboard, clean containers of aluminum, steel, plastics #1-7, and glass) together in your recycling bag. Please use a separate bin to collect household trash (food waste, Styrofoam, used tissues, etc.). Learn more about living sustainably at HUH.

Use the recycling setup in the trash room for your everyday recycling. To help maintain a clean and effective system, please:

• For smaller recyclables follow the instructions in the trash room.
• Remove the following from containers and boxes before recycling:
  • Food residue and liquids (to avoid odor issues).
  • Styrofoam and plastic wrappings/liners (not recyclable).
• Flatten items the best you can to maximize space.
• Do not use plastic bags to dispose of your recycling – they are not recyclable and contaminate the recycling.
• Small cardboard boxes can be flattened and left in the recycling area.

• Bicycles can only be locked to bicycle racks or stored in designated bicycle cages. 
   
• Bicycles found in hallways or attached to none designated areas (i.e. bicycle racks) may be removed without notice at owner’s expense.

Contact HMS Commuter Services and Parking Office for more information: hms.harvard.edu/bicycling or 617-432-1111

• Pets are not allowed at Vanderbilt Hall or in the Courtyard area.

HUH prohibits the use of grills at Vanderbilt Hall and the Vanderbilt Courtyard area.

• This includes charcoal, propane, liquefied petroleum gas, and electric grills, as well as smokers, hibachis, chimineas, etc. 

Smoke Detectors

• Your building is equipped with individual smoke detectors within each apartment as well as a common area fire alarm system. Apartment detectors will sound only in your apartment when activated. They will not silence until the source of the alarm is eliminated. Open windows to ventilate your apartment if food is burned. Do not open doors to hallways to ventilate.
• Common area detectors are linked throughout the building. The entire system will sound if one common area detector is activated. If this occurs, the building must be evacuated and the fire department will be called. The system will not be silenced until it is determined by the fire department that the occupants are not in danger.
• Do not remove or disable detectors. Deliberate triggering of false fire alarms and tampering with apartment or building fire safety equipment are more than a nuisance; they are subject to criminal penalties under Massachusetts law.
• All detectors and alarm systems are checked and maintained during annual fire safety inspections. Fire alarm testing can be loud and invasive. We make every effort to take academic activity into account when scheduling testing and to provide advance notification to residents. Please contact the Property Management Office for more information.

Sprinklers

• Units are equipped with sprinklers. The sprinkler head will be activated at temperatures of 165°F and above.
• Sprinkler systems that are not recessed are very sensitive and can be activated if they are banged or pulled. 
• Please do not hang anything from sprinklers or sprinkler pipes and refrain from stacking items close to them (a minimum of 18” of clearance underneath the sprinkler is required). 
• Residents are responsible for damages caused by activation due to improper use.

• It is your responsibility to insure any personal property. HUH and Harvard University do not cover the cost of replacing residents’ personal items (clothing, computers, furniture, stereos, books, etc.) that may be damaged or lost due to theft, fire, water, or vandalism. 
• Personal property insurance may be obtained by searching online for local insurance agents, National Student Services, Inc. (800-256-6774), or CSI Insurance Agency, Inc. (888-411-4911). 
• Full-time Harvard employees may also be able to obtain discounted insurance through MetLife (to obtain a quote, call Marsh@WorkSolutions at 866-228-3516). 
• Students may first want to check if they are covered under their parents’ homeowners policy, if applicable. Also, residents who live here and own a home elsewhere may want to add appropriate coverage to their home insurance policy for a small additional fee.