I did my research before moving in, now I pass my knowledge along to you: CONS: - The internet signal is spotty, depending on where you are in the building - While you can forward your mail in, you can't forward it out. - Cannot use the kitchen after 10 PM - No candles, irons, hot plates, rice cookers, space heaters, or microwaves allowed in your room - No alcohol allowed on the premises - Although they have coin-operated washing machines in the basement, there are no dryers - You are not allowed to leave your cooking unattended, so don't even think about preheating the oven and then going to the bathroom! - Monthly room checks to make sure you aren't breaking the rules - No men above the lobby - but you can entertain guests on the first floor PROS: - Great location, only a 2-3 minute walk from the Kenmore T stop - Very quiet - Affordable - Other lodgers are mostly kind and friendly - Full use of the three kitchens, including stove/oven, microwave, refrigerator, and toaster oven - Although the entrance doesn't seem to be handicap accessible, there are two elevators inside - Entrance monitored at all times and locked at night - security cameras, too. - Huge closets - Furnished - More private than your typical house share/roommate situation - Bathroom is cleaned twice a day by cleaning staff - No evidence of bedbugs or vermin of any kind I haven't had any problems with administration - everyone has been friendly, kind, helpful, and polite. I am super nice to them all, just in case! Mr. Guy is an absolute doll and will go out of his way to get you what you need, even without being asked. Yes, there are often a lot of annoying signs posted around, admonishing ladies for not cleaning up their messes, parking in front of the building, etc. If they don't apply to you, ignore them. Sometimes they are useful, like warning about parking bans, room inspections, or "anti-terrorist training exercises" happening nearby. The bottom line is, we're lucky that places like OLGH still exist, and I wish there were more of them. Are you sick and need to be close to your doctors in Boston? OLGH is there for you. Are you escaping an abusive relationship? OLGH is there. Are you a student but you're on a waiting list for a dorm? OLGH is the answer. You can sign a lease quickly and move in the next day if you need to. Don't expect to live in the lap of luxury, but do expect a roof over your head, a bed to sleep in, a kitchen to use, and running water. (I have had no issues with water temperatures as of yet.) OTHER TIPS: - Bring toilet paper and carry it with you to the bathroom; it is not supplied - You can have a mini fridge in your room, if you're worried about your food being stolen from the community fridge, which can happen. - Although space heaters are prohibited, the lease DOES NOT prohibit electric blankets, curling irons, or flat (hair) irons. - If you bring your own A/C (or rent one from the building) you'll have to pay extra for electric every month. If you buy your own fan/window fan, you don't. I'll update this sporadically if I think of anything else. read more

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You get for what you pay for- it's an affordable living space. Honestly, the house is really old and worn down. Recently a girl fell threw a glass pane near the hallway doors and had to go to the hospital. The glass here is old and isn't shatter proof so she impaled herself with glass. There's probably various health and safety violations due to the house being so old and ill kept. The rooms are private but pretty gross- when I moved in there was chipped paint, dirt everywhere, and a suspiciously stained carpet. A lot of girls I know had rooms with broken furniture and blinds. The house has free WiFi but it rarely works, if you want a reliable connection to the internet you'll either have to get a hot spot or a router. If you ask the landlord she'll hook you up with Xfinity and they'll deliver a router to you that you can plug up to the coax cable in your room. It gets really hot in the summer. You can either rent of buy your own window A/C unit and the maintained guy will install it for you. The bathrooms are communal like in a dorm. Toilet paper isn't provided, so unless you make a pact with your neighbor you'll have to remember to bring it in with you each time you need to go. Kitchens are communal as well- there's one on the 1st, 4th, 5th and maybe 6th floor. The largest is one the first and the others are kind of small. They all can get super crowded during meal time and if you leave things out in the kitchen or communal areas it will probably get stolen. Fridge space is very limited- you can ask the landlord if they have one for you to use but they rarely have them so you're better off buying your own mini fridge and putting it in your room. The communal areas are professionally cleaned, but honestly pretty much all the staff here don't care much for the tenant's comfort and are just phoning it in. Some of them are friendly, but others are incredibly rude and unprofessional. They have street parking behind the building if you have a car, you'll need to get a Fenway/kenmore resident parking permit to use it though. This is not an ideal place if you want to keep a car though- there's lots of parking rules about which side of the street you can park on and at which times. It's really easy to rack up parking tickets- also space is super limited. It's possible but I wouldn't recommend it. The no guests rule is annoying but it does keep it quiet and not a party house. The community of girls that live here are really nice- it's a great way to meet people who are new to Boston. I've meet a lot of friends through the house. Most tenants are early 20s students to young professionals or interns- most are also international. There are some older women who live here too, some are really sweet but others are mentally ill and kind of unhinged. Over all the positives are that it's a safe place to live in a really great location in the city for a great price- it's really close to the Fenway T stop and Newbury street. The rooms are pretty private as well and the community of other tenants that live here are really friendly. The negatives are just everything else. read more

Please don't rent temporarily here, you are just adding to the homeless population you will see living in the Kenmore area. I could not be more disappointed and embarrassed for the "Daughters of Mary of the Immaculate Conception." "Over a dozen older women are facing eviction from Our Lady Guild House (OLGH), a rooming house in the Fenway. OLGH is owned by an order of Catholic nuns called Daughters of Mary of the Immaculate Conception. It was originally part of the order's mission to create homes for single women, especially mature women. About 5 years ago, the mission apparently changed. Older women were told they had to get out. 1. SIGN THE PETITION in solidarity w/the renters: http://www.clvu.org/fenway_rooming_house_petition 2. SHOW UP on Sat., 8/25 at 10am! In the last year, no-fault evictions began and move-out deadlines were given. The OLGH management company, Marc Roos Realty, started advertising on their website that they only want to rent to women age 18 to 50 years old. In response to the evictions and the apparently clear age discrimination, residents are organized and defending themselves in court. Two of the women face forcible removal in the first week of September. Another is in the middle of an eviction case. Five or more women expect a court summons at any moment. City Life/Vida Urbana and Fenway CDC are pledging resistance." read more

There's a reason it's so cheap... Much to complain about! The toilets don't work and they don't provide toilet paper so you can be caught with your pants down! The kitchenettes on each floor are disgusting, outdated and possible fire hazards. The wifi is non existent, it's misleading that they advertise having wifi! The chair and blinds in my room were broken and the window was not even close to soundproofed. I also couldn't have guests up to my room. The security people were very unprofessional and rude. The maintenance man was terrible! He was so mean and passive aggressive, he was extremely unprofessional and made me anxious. He would sometimes leave passive aggressive notes on people's doors! The broker who I worked with to rent my room was also unprofessional, unreliable and misinformed about the building. This place may be the most negative and unwelcoming convent! The (lengthy) rules they gave us said to live in "peace and harmony" but that was NOT found at Lady's Guild! read more

It's shockingly inexcusable for the area, nothing fancy inside but for the cost of rent it's a steal, no regrets!!!

I was communicating with them and was terribly misinformed about the apartment they were trying to rent to me. The place was MUCH smaller than it looked in the pictures. They did not tell me about the very extensive and ridiculous rule list until AFTER I had send them money!!! Also I had received some unwanted sexual comments about how "beautiful and sexy" I was from sending my passport picture&school ID! The rule list involved no guests whatsoever, candles or alcohol of any kind! After over a month of not getting my money refunded, I had to get a lawyer involved. Someone I know says they almost rented here, and had inquired about mental health rules and said even with a mental health condition that required family check-ins, they still wouldn't allow guests!! Absolutely insane. DO NOT RENT FROM THEM. read more

I spent two years living there. Personally, I think it's a good place if u don't want spend thousands on rent and also looking for a good location and there it is. Yes it has many rules, if you are a very social person, always have friends stay over, I'm sorry to tell you this might not be the place for you. The sound proof is not so good, sometimes my neighbor dropped things on the floor it would scared me and I also could feel the wall vibrate if someone hit the wall.and I was living on the street side so it's quite loud at anytime and also the light from the street is bright. The kitchen is not very convenient, there are totally 6 floors but only two kitchens you can cook, if you cook a lot you might need cook earlier or later to avoid the crowd. And also the internet is not stable, there are some certain spots in the hall way you can get on line, I would encourage you to have your own internet. But I was just looking for a safe place to spend my night, cause I spent most of time at school, and yes it is very close to my school and great location 5 mins walking to green line B and all the utility is included in your rent so if I go to Boston again, I still gonna choose this place. read more

The facilities here have been undergoing renovations under the new administration, which brings a new look and more convenience to living in this 19th century building. Internet works well in some rooms but not in others. It is in a convenient and accessible location, which is great for women looking to rent a low-priced room (with furnishing) that is in the heart of Boston. There is also cleaning staff, who clean the kitchen and bathrooms daily, which is great because both of these are communal. However, the staff here can be patronizing and unfriendly. This is a big reason that has ruined it for me because you will see them everyday. There is also a subpopulation of older ladies that live in the building that can be agist towards the younger residents. Many of them will not hesitate to judge you and assume things about you based on a mere two second encounter. In addition, no guests are allowed and there are strict rules to using the kitchen as well as what you can use in your room. Overall, this building is a good choice for those looking to rent cheap in the city and can keep to themselves. However, the atmosphere in the building and person-to-person interactions can be very bizarre that I wouldn't recommend living here to anyone. read more

To all those people who do not like this place, well, they have rules. You know about the rules when you move in. The rules keep the building in order, and peaceful, it is a 6 story building! As long as you don't have an attitude, are patient, clean, respectful and follow the rules this is an amazing place. I lived there for many years and was so sad when I had to move. I still reminisce on living there. There is a good community of women there. You share space but at the same time have your own private space. You can be as social as you want, or keep to yourself. It is in a great location, it is kept VERY clean, you have maid service, 24 hr security, maintenance is on site and so is admin. It really is the best you will get in an apartment building especially in the city. The staff treated me with respect, they even helped me move while I was pregnant. This building is there for single woman, keeping rent within reason (well, still high but you are living in the heart of the city), to help out women. I am pretty proud of the Catholic church for keeping this building open and beautifully maintaining it. They have helped out so many women for decades. One thing I like about this building is, it does not depend on income. So all walks of life live there. The retired, the elderly, the working woman, and women in college, medical residency, at the music school, foreigner, and local, the wealthy, the poor. It makes for a beautiful dynamic of shared experiences, backgrounds, and religions. Guy, Cathy, and all the staff are the best! Love, Fatima I forgot to add, their are multiple kitchens in the building. They are cleaned daily, but as usual people are expected to clean up after themselves after using the facilities. This is common sense... Some people don't do this, thus the signs left temporarily after some time passes from the same person or people who keep leaving messes. Or someone is going to volunteer to clean the fridge, they leave a sign to notify people first. This is perfectly acceptable, their has to be a way of communication to people who might not be aware of how they are affecting others especially when everyone has different schedules. No matter where you live or with whom, you are expected to treat others with respect and care about how you affect the environment. The cleaning staff are not "maids" they clean the building, but are not nanny's picking up after people or touching other peoples stuff. This was not an issue normally and most people pitched in without hesitation. I also was glad they did not allow cooking in the studios upstairs, who wants to smell food in the hall or creeping into your room? Also, it helps prevent pests from becoming a problem. Many people are not clean, so this was nice. I hope they keep this building open, it costs the church quite a bit to run this place, but it is an excellent home for women. read more

Be aware that the administrative staff insists that forwarding mail isn't one of its duties, but that the USPS says that it is, and will therefore refuse to forward or even hold your mail after you move from this god-forsaken place. You may even receive an oddly worded letter from USPS informing you of same (citing DMM 507 2.1.5) when, prior to moving in to the building, you inform them that your new address is 20 Charlesgate West. After living here for a few months and observing the way that the staff hangs around the lobby chatting it up as if they haven't a care in the world, you'll wonder exactly what duties, if any, they consider to be included in their job descriptions. If you visit the post office at 11 Deerfield St. to inquire as to why the USPS's online mail forwarding request form won't allow you to submit it, any of the workers familiar with Our Lady's Guild House will tell you that, yes, the place is misclassified as a business instead of a residence, and has been for 17 YEARS. The postal worker with whom I spoke laughed as she told me this. "The women who come in here and tell me about that place fall in to one of two categories," she continued. "They either love it or hate it. The ones who hate it tell me that the other tenants are mostly crazy." It was my turn to laugh, because I belonged to the latter category. Some of the tenants who would wander in to the bathroom when I was in there appeared to have stepped out of an earlier decade. The woman who lived in the room next to mine wore open-toed, terrycloth bedroom slippers. As I vacuumed, dusted, and cleaned the windows of a room that clearly had not been cleaned before it was turned over to me following the previous tenant's departure, despite the fact that it had been vacant for at least a month, I found myself wondering if the genetic material of women who'd been friends with Sylvia Plath remained embedded in the carpet, or -- more likely -- lay deposited between the pipes of a dusty radiator. Prior to visiting the post office to see if anyone there could help ensure that I'd receive that piece of mail that I was expecting, I had very politely and with the sweetest tone that I could muster asked one of the women who supposedly monitor the security desk whether she'd do me the favor of forwarding my mail if I wrote my new address on a piece of paper and gave it to her. (Another disadvantage to living here is that management does nothing via email, including process maintenance requests, and doesn't accept rent payments made in any form other than paper check. I once paid with cash to avoid having to purchase checks, but later noticed that rent payments paid in cash are on the long list of prohibitions that I'd been asked to sign off on but hadn't been given time to read. The administrator writes letters filled with the kind of spelling, punctuation, and grammar mistakes that one might suppose someone lacking an elementary school education would make, and proceeds to deposit a paper copy in each tenants' mailbox as if she were Pope Francis sharing his latest, um, bull.) The woman's response was to inform me, in a snide tone of voice, that they don't do that. (That's the only tone with which they inform tenants of anything. You'd think we were all in here doing time for some sort of crime if you observed the way that the staff addresses the tenants or read the letters written to them by the administrator -- all of which I saved, with the intention of writing an exposé about this place.) Because of these people's ill will toward the very souls whose rent payments give them a place to get paid to hang out all day, the letter I was concerned about fell in to some dead-letter-office-like black hole, along with those much-needed funds. I plan to post one more installment in my review of Our Lady's Guild House, complete with photos that I took of it when I lived there. And finally, look for a review of Marc Roos Realty, a realty agency not above lying to prospective tenants in order to rent rooms in this alternate dimension. J.C. Gallego, the agent who handled my rental, volunteered that fact that I could have a microwave in my room, even though they turned out to be listed as prohibited in the document that I had to initial when I signed my lease -- and wasn't given the opportunity to read prior to that. (Alcoholic beverages are also forbidden.) Beware, beware, beware. read more

Here are some cons: They don't allow guests in rooms. You can bring them in the lobby but until 11pm (this is NEW). All the kitchens closes at 10pm. No alcohol and the wifi is not that great, especially at night. read more

I'm going to start right from how it began. I found this place on Craigslist in November of 2012 listed as a studio. The listed price was 750. Everything sounded really reasonable and great, I was told there was a live in manager, there was security that was a must for me. I had lived in some really unfortunate rooming houses and the last I needed was another noisy, messy, dirty place. Well, from day one when I had to come back twice with the realtor because everything had changed. The price went to 775 and it wasn't a studio. At this point I had relocated my job location, and was in such a bad rooming house before I took the realtors word for it. Well, things were okay for 2.5 months, then slowly the true colors of this place showed. TAKE CLEAR NOTE*** YOU WILL NOT GET MUCH SLEEP HERE. If you complain or file a scrappy form out to have a mediation, nothing ever changes but wasting more energy and time. I worked and did volunteering at the MSPCA to avoid being there. Not only this once I began to complain about things and lost tremendous hours on my job, I spoke and always was honest about my situation, Connie the manager who allegedly lived here, does not, changed her whole professionalism. If she's having a bad day, it's like walking on egg shells to even say hello to her. Rents go up on short noticr, furniture is broken, but most importantly the bathrooms and kitchens are 80% of the time unhabitable. If you tell Connie or complain you will be seen as a problem, she says she will talk to them but even if she ever does nothing changes. The noise problem is a whole level of another issue. This place can be considered a dorm house out of control, I at one point called the police and that did nothing that only made my life worse. As you can see there is the deception right when you walk in the door, DO YOURSELF A FAVOR STAY AWAY. I wish there had been reviews on this place when I went to finalize my moving in. Another note to take in is you will only be able to sign a 3 month lease, at the end of that lease it's 150 to re new and as we all know business is business and they all get a percentage. Bless all those who live here who just want to work go to school and have a safe quiet clean place to live and sleep. This place is anything but that. read more

It is safe, clean and affordable. Warm and homey feel to the whole place. Well managed. Caring staff. Obviously there are downsides to sharing kitchen and baths but Ive never had any negative experiences and sharing spaces gave me the opportunity to meet interesting intelligent women from all over the world. Mostly foreign medical students mixed with older professional working women. No regrets renting here and would do it again. My room was a top floor corner unit with amazing views of the Pru and Fenway Park but there was a lot of street noise from the Mass Pike. Laundry in basement has plenty of washers and dryers. read more

our lady's guild house seems to be a nice and safe place for female to live, but in fact when you get into the building and trying to get alone well with the stuffs working in that building, you will find that most of the faculties are rude and unfriendly (except the Guy,yes that man's name is Guy,he is very friendly and laid back). The old fat woman, Connie, who is the Administrator is very strict and mean to the young girls living in that building and will insult you if you don't please her like a baby doll ( She will pretend to be very professional and nice the first time you guys meet). And this building is rented by Marc Roose Reality and trust me, they will treat you like a piece of shit once you paid for the room. They will describe the room with some unreal information trying to make the place sounds fancy, but you will find out the truth after you move in. There are rules that you must follow even it sounds quiet unreasonable. Even though they hire several rude women to clean the kitchen and bathroom everyday ( as they promised), you have to clean the stove and table like you never use it by yourself. Even though the rent includes all utilities, you still have to pay for electric monthly if you use air conditioner ( and you buy the air conditioner on your own), and you are not allow to use heater ( not even the smallest one) or even rice cooker in your room and have to stay in that room with low temperature during winter ( their heating radiator doesn't works well).Even though the room is furnished, the furniture looks really shabby and some of them even broke! The drawers in the bureau cannot be pulled out and you are not allowed to put any small nails or hook racks on the wall because they spent "a huge amount of money on the wall" according to the broker...( and the wall looks like nobody ever taken care of ) the public area also sucks, about 60 people share only 2 kitchens, imagine what's it looks like during dinner and lunch. And they even make rules about the time people can use kitchen! that means when you wake up in the midnight and trying to have a bottle of water in the refrigerator, you can't. Because the kitchen is closed after 10pm and even closed between 9:30 am and 10:30 am! It is just like a convent but renting to normal people like me! I am moving out of this place and have found somewhere much more acceptable and I am happy to start a life without acting like a NUN! anyways, stay away from this place because this place is depress and extremely weird, and if you are a young girl whom is outgoing and optimistic and willing to keep your attitude for life, find somewhere else to live. a little fact: most of the girls once lived in this place cannot stay here for more than 3 months. read more