Upper-class Housing Assignments
Housing Services manages housing assignments for all campus housing and Greek housing residents, as well as the room change process, housing applications, Room Selection, and most cancellation requests. If you have a question about your housing assignment, please email Room Assignments.
Cancellations
Housing cancellations are granted only in cases where the resident is leaving the university due for one of the following reasons: Leave of Absence (medical, personal, or academic), Withdrawing or Transferring from the university, Studying Abroad, Graduating (and no longer enrolled as a CMU student), Academic or Financial Suspension, or for Exchange Students returning home after one semester. Cancellations to move off-campus (or for reasons not listed above) are not granted once a Housing Contract is signed and a space is selected or confirmed.
Incoming first-year students are required to live in campus housing for one full academic year, and will only be released from their Housing Contract for the enrollment reasons listed above. Upper-class students who apply for on-campus housing after Room Selection via the non-guaranteed Waitlist Application are bound to their contract at the moment that a space is confirmed by signing the Housing Contract.
Residents who need to cancel their campus housing (for the approved reasons listed above) are responsible for notifying Housing Services as soon as they are aware of their change in plans. For any approved cancellation (including for academic reasons), a cancellation fee will apply. Refunds are typically based on the date that the student completely vacates their housing space AND notifiies Housing Services, whichever is later. Failure to notify Housing Services could result in a smaller refund amount. Refunds for students who choose to move off-campus after signing their Housing Contract (regardless of whether or not they have ever occupied their space) are not provided, and such students are responsible for the full cost of their Academic Year Housing Contract.
Housing cancellations that occur due to a change in enrollment status (such as withdrawal, leaving of absence, etc.) or for other approved reasons, are subject to a room rate refund only after the room has been completely vacated and key access has been turned into Housing Services. Approved cancellations will receive a pro-rated refund based on the date that keys are returned and the room is vacated and left in good condition.
There is no open cancellation period immediately following Room Selection. Students who wish to live off-campus should not participate in Room Selection, and can apply at a later date if off-campus plans fall through.
Cancellations are only granted for approved reasons. Students released for such an approved reason will still be charged a $400 cancellation fee for cancelling the full academic year contract, or $200 cancellation fee for students cancelling the Spring portion of their contract only. This administrative fee applies to all residents, regardless of reason, including students who are graduating, exchange students returning home, students academically suspended, etc..
Residents are responsible for emailing Room Assignments if they need to cancel their housing assignment for an approved reason.
If you need to cancel your housing for the spring semester due to studying abroad, graduating in December (and will not be enrolled for the upcoming spring semester in any way), etc., please visit the Winter Break Spring Cancellations page for instructions.
Looking for information on Spring semester cancellations?
If you are graduating in December (and will not be an enrolled CMU student for the Spring semester), withdrawing from the university, taking a leave of absence, or studying abroad for the Spring semester, click here to read more about Spring semester cancellations and to access the Spring Cancellation Request form.
Room Changes
Students may place their names on the waitlists for multiple buildings by ranking each building that they are interested in moving to. Room change offers are made to the next person on the waitlist for that particular building and room type. There is typically limited availability on campus, particularly early in the fall semester; please be aware that room change offers will come slowly. There is a room change freeze during the first two weeks of each semester. First-year residents may request room changes in first-year buildings; upper-class residents may request room changes in upper-class buildings. The waitlist for a single room is typically very long and often a student waiting for a single room may never receive a single room change offer.
Process:
- When a space opens up, an offer email is sent to the next resident on the waitlist for that building and room type (please do not put your name on the waitlist for a building that you are not interested in relocating to)
- The resident is given 72 hours to either accept or decline the room change (if you decline the room change, you remain assigned to your current space)
- Notification is then sent out to the current roommate of the space; residents must wait 24 hours after the notification is sent before starting their move
- Residents will then confirm a move start date; typically the Friday/weekend of the week that the room change offer was made
- Access to both rooms will be granted for 72 hours to allow time to transition to the new space
See the "Frequently Asked Questions" section below for more information.
Room Swaps
Room swaps are a great way for residents to coordinate assignment changes themselves. Upper-class residents may request room swaps during the summer months and both upper-class and first-year students may request room swaps during the academic year at any time except during the first two weeks of the fall and spring semesters, during which time there is a room change/room swap "freeze."
We make every attempt to accommodate requests for swaps, but during the month of August, the first two weeks of each semester, and during Room Selection we are not able to process swaps due to limited staff resources.
Interested residents who have already discussed/arranged to switch rooms with another resident should email Room Assignments to officially make the request. Send only one email for each swap and copy (cc) all individuals involved in the swap, including any/all affected roommates, and your RA/CA staff member for your floor/building.
Residents should not swap rooms until receiving approval from Housing Services. Moving without approval will result in a denial of the swap and residents will be notified to return to their original assignments. Failure to do so may result in fines.
Room swaps involving singles are not permitted due to high demand for singles and long wait lists from room changes into single rooms. An exception may apply to singles in the Oakland apartments where residents are swapping between a double and single room within the apartment.
Room swaps are generally approved but processing times may vary. If approved, you will be notified via email once your room change paperwork is ready. At that time, residents swapping rooms should come to Housing Services to sign their paperwork and update their ID cards or swap hard keys.