I was surprised as to how easy ti was to find affordable housing near Stanford. There are tons of options ranging from rooms, to apartments, to houses as available options to students. Rents ranged anywhere from $400 to $600 a month per person assuming your going to live with a roommate. In my experience the landlords are easy to get along with as long as your not the partying type of student renter. Don't give them any trouble and they won't bother you.