Contract Appeals

CONTRACT APPEALS

Campus Housing residents can appeal for financial relief from residence fees after canceling a confirmed contract for exceptional circumstances or medical grounds. 

Who Does Not Need To Appeal

Academically revoked, Graduating, or Withdrawn from the University

If you've been academically revoked, graduated, or withdrawn from the university, submit the Confirmed Contract Cancellation Form. Once your status is verified in Quest, we will process your residence fee relief, minus a $500 administrative fee that covers the non-refundable deposit paid at the time of acceptance. 

Things to Consider Before Appealing

Review the common appeal reasons below to see if an appeal is the right step for you or if alternative options are more appropriate. 
 

Accessible Housing Supports

  • It is recommended that a medical grounds appeal should only be submitted after confirming that living in residence is not possible, even with accessible housing supports and assistance from Residence Life. 

  • Students with significant changes to their medical needs may choose to appeal without pursuing accessible housing supports first. This decision is at the discretion of the student and their health/support team.  

Change in Academic Schedule/Stream Change

  • If your academic or co-op schedule changes, contact Campus Housing first—they can adjust most contract types (Fall/Winter, Fall-Spring, Winter, Spring Only). 

  •  Campus Housing cannot switch you to a “Fall Only” contract or roll over your contract to another academic year. If that is what you need, you will have to submit an exceptional circumstances appeal. 

Financial Reasons

Residence/Roommate Issues

Appeal Reasons and Submission Process

A student can submit an appeal for one of two reasons:

Exceptional Circumstances Appeals Process

Criteria:

Unforeseen or unavoidable circumstances that impact the ability to fulfill the residence contract and cannot be resolved with a change in residence contract terms or through a room change. This also includes changes in academic programs or co-ops that do not align with the contract terms.

Submission Process:

Step 1: Submit the Confirmed Contract Cancellation Form. If you are living in residence for the term(s) being cancelled, move out and return the keys to the front desk.  

Step 2:  Prepare a single PDF with: 

  • Residence Contract Notice of Appeal Form

    • Letter of Explanation which includes: 

    • A timeline of what changed between when the contract was accepted and cancelled.  

    • What actions were taken to address the concerns or adapt to the situation. 

    • Explain how moving off-campus will help your academic and/or personal success. 

  • Documentation supporting the written timeline which can include and is not limited to: 

    • Emails from academic advisors about program changes 

    • Housing communications (e.g. room changes, roommate issues, facility concerns) 

    • Financial updates (e.g. OSAP changes, bursary or grant letters) 

    • Co-op confirmations 

    • Proof of job loss or inability to secure employment or co-op. 

Step 3: Email your appeal to housing@uwaterloo.ca or drop it off at the Housing Office (REV South Quad, Room 110). 

  • Please combine all documents into a single PDF. We do not accept emailed appeals with multiple attachments or photos of appeal documents. 

  • Medical documentation cannot be included. 

Step 4: The Committee will review your appeal and notify you by email. 

Medical Grounds Appeals Process

Criteria:

Medical grounds appeals apply when a condition or disability cannot be reasonably accommodated through the Accessible Housing process and receiving an accommodation plan. It is strongly advised that students complete the Accessible Housing process first, since Campus Housing and partners can often provide effective solutions. 
 
We understand that medical needs can change unexpectedly, and some students may need to leave residence without completing the Accessible Housing process. While we advise following this process, if it is not possible, your registered health professional (qualified to diagnose) must clearly explain in the Housing Disability Verification Form – Contract Appeals why accessible housing accommodations cannot meet the student’s needs. Incomplete forms will require revision and resubmission for further review. 

Submission Process

Step 1: Submit the Confirmed Contract Cancellation Form. If you are living in residence for the term(s) being cancelled, move out and return the keys to the front desk.  

Step 2: Have a registered health professional (qualified to diagnose) complete the Housing Disability Verification Form – Contract Appeals explaining why your functional limitations and disability-related symptoms cannot be supported in residence with an accessible housing accommodation plan (i.e., accessible washroom, close to campus, etc.)  

Step 3: Submit the Residence Contract Notice of Appeal Form and a Letter of Explanation with a timeline of what changed between when the contract was accepted and the confirmed cancellation as well as how living off campus would support your academic and/or personal success. Please do not include any medical documentation. 

Step 4: Upload the Verification Form to Accessible Housing. When the recommendation is available, we will add it to the appeal or notify you if it is incomplete. Processing takes 10–15 business days. 

Step 5: The Committee will review your appeal and notify you by email. 

All other non-academic reasons for a residence contract do not have reasons for an appeal, and students will be held financially responsible for their contract.

Appeal Submission Deadlines and Committee Meetings

Submit appeals by 9:00 a.m. ET on the dates below.

Appeal Submission Deadline Appeals Committee Meeting
Spring 2026 & Fall 2026
Monday, July 20, 2026 Week of July 27, 2026
Fall 2026, Winter 2027 & Spring 2027
Tuesday, October 6, 2026 Week of October 12, 2026
Tuesday, November 17, 2026 Week of November 23, 2026
Tuesday, January 19, 2027 Week of January 25, 2027
Tuesday, February 16, 2027 Week of February 22, 2027
Tuesday, April 6, 2027 Week of April 12, 2027
Spring 2027 & Fall 2027
Tuesday, May 11, 2027 Week of May 17, 2027
Tuesday, July 20, 2027

Week of July 26, 2027

Appeals for the 2025/26 academic year must be submitted by July 20, 2026. 

Appeals for the 2026/27 academic year must be submitted by July 20, 2027. 

Please review the Terms and Conditions for additional appeals information.

Important notes:

  • Students have one opportunity to appeal per academic year. 

  • $500 deposits are non-refundable and not appealable. 

  • All documentation must be complete, correct, and in some cases translated if in a foreign language. Missing or incomplete documents may result in your appeal not being reviewed. 

  • Students who submit an appeal will get a decision within 1 week after the committee meets. 

  • All decisions are final. 

Frequently asked questions

Possible outcomes when filing an appeal

Possible Outcomes

  • Approved: if your appeal is approved this means you will be provided financial relief for the term(s) you have requested minus a $500 administration fee.
  • Declined: If your appeal is declined, this means you are still financially responsible for your full fees as your appeal was not granted. You can consider finding a replacement for your contract, withdrawing your cancellation returning to residence. If it is determined that a room change can support you, we will be in touch with the next steps.
  • Requiring More Information: There is a request for additional documentation from the Committee or Accessible Housing. We will inform you of what is missing and how to resubmit your documentation or appeal.

Replacement Option

Students can find a replacement for their contract to avoid financial responsibility, subject to certain conditions.

Re-applying for residence after a Residence Cancellation

Students who withdraw from residence but later wish to return can reapply, offsetting the administration fee with a $500 credit after confirming their new contract and moving into residence when their new contract begins.

Residence Cancellation

A residence cancellation is considered successful when the canceling student has moved out of their room, returned their keys and the cancellation has been processed by Campus Housing. We cannot review an appeal unless the residence cancellation has been processed.

For specific questions or assistance, students can contact housing@uwaterloo.ca with their full name and Waterloo ID number.

When do I need to submit my appeal documentation by?

Please see the important dates calendar above to find out the submission date for supporting and relevant documentation. 

For contract appeals, all required documentation must be submitted by the deadline to allow for the Residence Fees and Contract Appeals Committee to review. For exceptional circumstance appeals, you can email your documentation to: housing@uwaterloo.ca or drop it off in person to the Campus Housing main office located in Ron Eydt Village South – S110.

If you are appealing on medical grounds, the “Housing Disability Verification Form – Contract Appeals ” can be uploaded at any time throughout the term to be considered, as medical documents reviewed by Accessability Services are  on a rolling basis.

Students will have one opportunity to submit an appeal. The decision of the committee will be final, and no further appeals will be granted.

Who is on the Residence Fees and Contract Appeals Committee?

The committee consists of Campus Housing staff and a student volunteer and meets two times per term to review the submitted documentation for each appeal. The committee will determine if a student will be relieved of their financial responsibility.

I found a replacement and submitted an appeal. What do I do now?

A successful replacement must be someone who matches your student type and is not on a current contract or part of the first-year guarantee. If your replacement meets the criteria and accepts the offer, you will be relieved of the residence fees less the $500 administrative fee. We are not able to guarantee that the replacement will receive your exact residence assignment.

You are still responsible for any fees incurred before your replacement moves into residence, but you will not need to continue through the appeals process.

I withdrew from residence and my cancellation was processed. However, now I want to live in residence.

If you decide you want to live in residence after your withdrawal form has been processed, you can replace yourself (i.e. re-apply for residence and submit a new $500 non-refundable deposit). This means that once you sign your new contract, you would be relieved of your financial responsibility from your previous contract (minus a $500 administration fee) and only held financially responsible for your new contract. If you wish to follow this route, email us via housing@uwaterloo.ca with your full name and 8-digit Waterloo ID number asking to re-apply, our staff will revive your application and provide next steps. Contact us once you have moved into residence and we will provide you with a $500 credit to make up for the administration fee you received.