FAQs | Student Apartments in Ithaca, New York
Catherine Commons is a collection of three top-quality Ithaca apartment communities designed especially with Cornell students in mind. The communities are comprised of Catherine Commons, 238 Linden and College Townhouse, which feature a variety of furnished apartments.
The Catherine Commons communities are privately owned and professionally managed communities. Click here for more information about the management and ownership.
You can select your roommate(s), or you can apply on your own and we can match you with other students. Applicants answer a short list of lifestyle questions to help in the matching process.
Instead of requiring all roommates to sign a joint lease, each person at the Catherine Commons communities has their own individual contract, with one person per bedroom space. This means you are only responsible for paying for yourself — not your roommates. Even if a roommate moves out or other bedrooms in your apartment are empty, you only pay the rate for your bedroom.
Each resident at the Catherine Commons communities pays a flat rate that includes furnishings and high-speed Wi-Fi, as well as community features like fitness centers and study spaces.
The spacious accommodations at the Catherine Commons communities include studio, 1, 2 and 3-bedroom apartments in a variety of floorplan arrangements.
Yes, all residences at the Catherine Commons communities have a furniture package that includes a full-size bed, dresser, and desk and chair in each bedroom. The living area includes a sofa, coffee table, dining room table, and chairs. Furniture packages vary based on apartment size and orientation.
To see a sample of the furniture and other finishes, please visit our model residence at Catherine Commons.
Three standard terms are available to choose from: June 2, 2026 through May 27, 2027; July 2, 2026 through June 30, 2027; and August 18, 2026 through July 30, 2027. Under each option, payments are made in 12 equal installments. Limited alternate dates are available; please inquire with our staff.
Within 7 days after a Housing Agreement is signed, each resident is required to provide a qualifying guarantor (often a parent). In limited cases, we may also waive the guarantor requirement if a resident has sufficient income of their own.
Yes. Residents can pay online 24 hours per day, by credit card or ACH electronic checking. Catherin Commons Communities offers automatic payment by either credit card or checking account — just fill out one page, one time and payments will be made automatically. Convenience fees apply for credit card and debit card payments.
Your living costs at the Catherine Commons communities can be covered by financial aid, just like on-campus housing. Any available financial aid funds, after university charges are satisfied, are released to the student for non-institutional expenses, such as off-campus housing. These funds can be used to pay charges at Catherine Commons, 238 Linden or College Townhouse. Normal payment deadlines will continue to apply.
Nearly all the residents at the Catherine Commons communities are students at Cornell University and the per-person contracts are also designed with students in mind. Catherine Commons is an Equal Opportunity housing provider and welcomes applications from non-students and residents with children, at no extra cost other than regular charges for each bedroom space selected by the resident. In order to match roommates in shared apartments with college students, roommate consent is required for any occupant who is not a college student.
Each of the Catherine Commons communities has a monitored fire-sprinkler system, along with electronic locks for building access, plus individually locking bedroom doors. Additionally, 238 Linden has a video intercom system. Management staff can be reached by a 24-hour phone number.
238 Linden and College Townhouse are no-pets communities. Catherine Commons (main) is a pet-friendly community, subject to limits on animals and breeds. All communities are smoke-free in all indoor and adjacent spaces. Guests are welcome at all times, subject to the consent of roommates and security considerations. Overnight guests are welcome, with limits on the number of days and guests.
Catherine Commons offers plenty of parking available at 312 College Avenue for Catherine Commons residents, for an additional cost.
The Catherine Commons communities are each a 7 to 10-minute walk from Cornell University. First year students also ride free on the TCAT buses with a student ID, with two bus stops just steps from the front doors of Catherine Commons and 238 Linden, running every 20 minutes. Post-first year Cornell students ride free after 6pm on weekdays and anytime on weekends.
Yes. Please request an appointment for a personal tour or just stop by to see us and we’ll be happy to show you the community.
