Frequently Asked Questions

Students are not guaranteed housing for all four years at UD.

Only newly admitted first-year students are required to live on campus and, therefore, guaranteed housing for the academic year of admittance. Transfer students admitted as freshmen are not required to live on campus but are guaranteed housing for the academic year of admittance, if they apply.

All other students are not automatically guaranteed housing but can apply for a space on campus. Housing guarantees are based on the number of spaces available and the number of students applying. In recent years, all applicants have been guaranteed. When looking at returning students in housing beyond their freshman year, just under half of rising sophomores apply to return to campus with fewer rising juniors and seniors applying.

First-year students are housed in traditional (70%) or suite-style (30%) buildings. Upper-division students (any other undergraduate student who is not a newly admitted freshman or freshman transfer) are housed in traditional (35%), suite (35%) and apartment-style (30%) buildings.

For more details about our residence halls and types of rooms available:

Explore Our Residence Halls

All residential students have access to in-hall staff to help them connect to their community and resolve conflicts in the halls.

All traditional and suite-style housing have lounges for studying or socializing, as well as kitchens and laundry rooms available to all students in the building. Apartments feature a semi-private living area, kitchen and laundry in the unit.

In all areas of campus, students have access to secure wi-fi, fitness centers, turf fields, student centers and dining centers. It is the same distance walk from either Laird or East Campus to the academic buildings on the central part of campus.

The availability of air conditioning and elevators varies by building.

Explore Our Residence Halls

All housing applications will be found in the My Housing portal. Application processes and timeframes vary depending on whether the student is a current UD student or when they are starting at UD.

Housing Application Information

Students can only apply for a space on campus; they cannot apply for a specific building or room type. Students have the option to list interests within their application, however, interests are never guaranteed. Final assignments will depend on a variety of factors including available space.

Most returning students want to live in apartment-style housing. Apartments only make up about 30% of our room inventory, so, due to the high demand, students are encouraged to find apartment-style housing off campus.

Students have the option to request another eligible student(s) as a roommate during the application process if they know someone who they would like to live with, but requesting a roommate is not required.

Learn more about roommate requests and relationships:

Requesting a Roommate

Living With a Roommate

Students are provided an opportunity to change rooms during the fall and spring semesters after the 10th day of classes, based on space availability. Room changes are usually not available prior to the start of the year or between semesters. Moves are not guaranteed, and students are responsible for any difference in cost if they move to a different room type.

Students interested in a room change must meet with their Residence Hall/Apartment Coordinator to discuss the concerns with the current assignment and attempt to resolve issues within the space. If a resolution is not possible, then the student can proceed with the room change process.

Students can cancel the housing contract before becoming legally and financially bound (binding date) with no further financial obligation beyond a cancellation fee. A student’s binding date depends on the type of student and which application process they are completing. Once bound, students can no longer cancel the contract and must instead complete a Request for Release from the contract to be reviewed by our staff. Release is not guaranteed, and if approved, usually comes with additional financial penalties that are explained in the housing contract.

Instructions and deadlines are communicated often to students during each process.

Students planning to withdraw or take a leave of absence should review the University Registrar website for instructions on how to submit paperwork to the appropriate office. Residence Life & Housing will be notified by the Registrar’s office once processed, and will update the student’s on-campus housing accordingly.

Students planning to take a semester away for study abroad, student teaching, military duty, etc. can complete a form within the My Housing portal to either defer housing or request release from their contract for the term they will be away.

Details about how each of these circumstances are handled for housing can be found in the housing contract.

Residence Hall Policies

In traditional and suite-style housing, students use their university ID card (ONEcard) to access the building and a physical key to access the room. In the University Courtyard Apartments, students use a pre-programmed fob to access the apartment and bedroom.

Students only have access to enter their assigned residence hall area.

Lost Key, Fob or ONEcard

Move-Out Information

Seasonal specifics will be emailed to students, shared by in-hall staff and updated on this page.

Housing is available for eligible students during Thanksgiving, December and spring breaks as well as Winter and Summer Sessions.

Learn More about Breaks and Special Session Housing

Resident Assistants (RAs) and Apartment Assistants (AAs) are trained undergraduate student leaders who live in the residence halls alongside students. RAs/AAs serve as a mentor, resource and role model for the students on their floor or in their building.  They host events to help students connect with one another and the campus and also help enforce hall policies and provide support in case of an emergency.

Residence Hall Coordinators and Apartment Coordinators are masters-level professional staff who supervise the RAs/AAs and provide a second layer of support for students.  Coordinators are available to assist residents when RAs/AAs aren’t able to fully address their concerns.

Students can get involved in their residence hall community by attending events that will be offered either for their floor or the whole building community.  During the first six weeks of the semester, there will be an event offered weekly. Residents can also work with in-hall staff to develop their own events for their floor communities called Student Initiated Programs.

Learn More about Getting Involved

RLH sends all communication to the student's UD email address, so it’s important students check this account year-round.

Throughout the academic year, in-hall staff will regularly send newsletters to on-campus residents outlining events occurring in the hall and providing important updates on housing processes.