Off Campus Housing

Welcome to OCHO!
Cornell University’s Off-Campus Housing Office  

Ithaca is a small city with much charm, and there are many community organizations and other support-providing groups who can assist the individual who is new to this little community. Here, you will find contact information for many of those groups    

At some point your son or daughter will be exploring the option of living off campus.  There will many important questions to find answers to:  

• Where will they live?
• Who will they live with?
• Where can they get information about health and safety concerns?
• How do they negotiate a lease?  
  

OCHO provides guidance in answering these (and many other) questions students have, so their transition to off-campus housing and independent living is seamless, natural and as free of worry as is possible. 

How does OCHO accomplish this?   

• Lease review education (We will provide you valuable resources and education needed to read and understand a lease contract) 
  
• On-line housing database (We maintain a listing of local properties. Searching the database is a free service to the Cornell University community.)  
  
• Referrals to community services (We can direct students to the appropriate services they may need: security deposit returns, landlord complaints, dispute resolution mediation assistance, public transportation, etc.)  
  

OCHO is here and looks forward to providing support to your family through the process of searching for, choosing and settling into off campus housing in Ithaca.  

Off Campus Housing Office Crisis Protocol ........a little peace of mind for parents

Cornell University provides support to students in a variety of ways and for a variety of purposes. An important role of providing that support is to help students progress smoothly through the multitude of decisions they are confronted with academically and personally. On occasion, your student may be confronted with a housing situation that can result in a crisis. Just as the University provides support to help with personal and academic needs, there is also support for those who are confronted with an off campus housing challenge.  Many times your student may not feel comfortable confronting a situation alone, our office is here to provide guidance and assistance to those in need of additional support in a housing-related crisis

Students are welcome to walk in, call or email the Off Campus Housing Office at any time, no appointment is necessary.
Office hours are Monday-Friday 12noon-5pm.
401 Willard Straight Hall
607.254.8718
ocho@cornell.edu

If you are faced with a housing-related crisis situation (after hours) please contact the Cornell Police ~ 607.255.111
They will review the situation, make necessary referrals, and contact the appropriate offices/services where the student will find additional support. In rare cases, temporary housing needs to be secured, the Off Campus Housing Office in conjunction with Campus Life (on campus housing) will assist you in case this is necessary.