FAQ | Billing for Faculty, Staff & Postdocs

Your first rent statement may take some time to be created. You will likely receive it the month after you move in. At the end of that month your rent statement will include all charges to date, which will include the month you moved in (on a prorated basis) as well as rent charges for the following month.

• For example, if you moved in mid-August your first rent statement may not come until late September. It will reflect all and rent due since the day your moved through October 31 and will be due October 1. 

Thereafter you will receive a monthly billing statement due on the first of each month.

Depending on when you moved in you may see a few charges in your first rent statement. Retro Rent is typically any unbilled rent after the initial move-in month through the current month. At times this charge could be more than the current month due.

Rent Initial tends to represent the prorated unbilled rent from your initial move-in month. 

• For example, if you moved in mid-August your rent initial will be the prorated rent for August; rent retro will be the rent for September; rent will be the rent for October – and your bill will be due October 1.

Rent payments are made by mail in the form of a personal check, money order, traveler's check, or bank check. The Office of the Controller does not accept direct deposits, wire transfers (ACH payments) or credit/debit cards payments.

PRO TIP: You may review the Office of the Controller’s “Paying your rent” section for additional information.

Currently the Office of the Controller does not offer the option for online payments – all rent payments must be mailed in.

PRO-TIP: You may reach out to your own bank to set up online banking (and not wait for physical checks) in case they can send in a payment via check from your account directly on a monthly basis. You may use the billing information contained on your rent statement.

Yes! If you know your rent amount and have your account number you can still mail in your rent payment, even if you do not have your paper rent statement. Rent payments can be sent to:

Columbia University 

P.O. Box 1381 

New York, New York 10008-1381 

PRO-TIP: Don’t forget to have your rent account number included on your check’s memo line to make sure your payment is processed properly!

Unfortunately rent payments cannot be paid in person at the Columbia Residential office.

However, if you must pay rent in person, you may be able to schedule an in-person appointment with the Office of the Controller. Please email the office directly at [email protected] for more information. 

PRO-TIP: The most expedient way to pay your rent is to mail payment to the PO Box address!

Good question! If you know your rent amount and have your account number, you can mail in your rent payment without a paper rent statement to submit your rent payments on time.

PRO-TIP: You may also email the Office of the Controller directly at [email protected] to obtain a soft copy (duplicate invoice) of your rent statement if you plan to mail the payment while away.

There’s typically a small grace period, after which late fees may apply in accordance with your housing agreement.

We recommend residents submit their payment as soon as they can to keep their account in good standing.

We understand that there may be extenuating circumstances that make submitting rent payments in a timely manner difficult. You may reach out to the Office of the Controller directly via email at [email protected] to check for available options for payment plans.

Depending on when your payment was mailed in it is possible the payment was received, but not processed yet. To confirm if a payment has been received you may reach out to the Office of the Controller directly at [email protected].

In general rent statements are delivered by the United States Postal Service directly to your apartment mailbox and mailed the last week of the month. 

If it’s been over a month since you moved in or you have otherwise not received your rent statement, you may reach out to the Office of the Controller directly at [email protected] to confirm the delay or obtain a duplicate invoice of your rent statement.

Rent statements for Faculty, Staff and Postdocs are typically created ahead of time and often not prorated. You may reach out to the Office of the Controller directly at [email protected] to find your outstanding balance.

For all residents a rent increase (between two and five percent) goes into effect annually when your lease is renewed. The new rent amount is noted on your agreement renewal and updates in your monthly rent statements.

Arrears letters may be issued as reminders of payment due, and typically your account will remain in good standing once a payment is received. In other cases, an arrears letter may indicate a different process.

You may reach out to the Office of the Controller directly at 212-854-1009 or via email at [email protected] for additional information about your case. 

PRO TIP: You may review the Office of the Controller’s “Delinquency Procedures” section for additional information.