If you do not plan to live in University housing, you will want to contact the Yale Housing Office, which maintains a database of available apartments and rooms for rent. After you hit enter you will be prompted for a user name. You will then be prompted for a password. This should give you access to the database. As it may be difficult to make arrangements for off-campus housing before you arrive in New Haven, you should plan on arriving in New Haven a couple of weeks before the beginning of classes.
Housing can be difficult to find and can be expensive.
It is always advisable to make hotel reservations in advance of your arrival. This means that you are legally responsible for all rent payments for that period whether or not you live there, unless some alternative arrangement is made with the landlord. It is occasionally possible to sublet, which means that the person renting the room or apartment in turn rents the unit to another person. Such an arrangement must be carefully investigated before agreeing to it either as a renter or sublet. This amount will be returned by the landlord, in whole or in part, when the contract is Before signing a lease, read it carefully and understand all of its obligations.