Why Durham leases nine months early
There are only so many houses within walking distance of UNH, and the same houses turn over year after year. Owners re-list as soon as current tenants decide whether they're staying — which happens in early fall. Demand shows up at the same time: groups come back from summer, compare notes, and start touring. The result is a market where most walkable houses for the 2027–2028 year sign between September and December 2026.
The month-by-month timeline
September – October: groups form, pre-leasing opens
This is the real start line. Lock in your group (who you'll actually live with, not just your friend list), agree on a budget per person, and start touring. Owners — including us — open pre-leasing for the following school year now. Our current pre-lease list is here.
November – December: the best houses go
Whole houses with parking inside a 10-minute walk are the first to disappear. If you want a specific property, this is when you commit. Signing before winter break is the single best predictor of getting your first choice.
January – February: solid options, fewer of them
Still a real market — apartments, larger group houses, and places in Madbury or Newmarket (5–15 minutes out, often better value — see the cost math). But you're now choosing from what's left, not from everything.
March – April: the scramble
Late-forming groups split up and fill individual rooms, sublets appear, and per-person options matter more than whole houses. Call owners directly — cancellations happen, and the aggregator sites won't show them.
May onward: sublets and studios
Summer is mostly sublets, studio turnover, and lease take-overs. Studios in particular come open year-round on their own cycles — ours in Newmarket do exactly that.
What to have ready before you tour
- Your group, confirmed. Every person touring should be ready to sign.
- A per-person budget that includes utilities, not just rent.
- Guarantor conversations done. Most first leases need a parent or guardian co-signer — ask before you find the house, not after. (First-lease guide.)
- Your questions written down. Parking, laundry, what's included, snow plowing, lease dates.
If you're reading this late
Don't panic — inventory never actually hits zero. Widen the search to Madbury and Newmarket, consider per-person leases, and talk to owners directly about what's coming back. Tell us your group size and move-in month and we'll flat-out tell you what we have and what we don't.