Contract Replacement

Replacements must meet the following eligibility criteria:  

• They must be a full-time, enrolled University of Waterloo student. 
• They must be able to replace terms within the contract you are cancelling (fall/winter, fall/spring, winter only, etc.).
• They must be the same student type as you (exchange, graduate, first-year incoming, graduate incoming, undergraduate, or upper-year incoming). 
• Must be a current housing applicant for the terms they wish to replace.
• Not be on a current contract with Campus Housing or the University College Residences.  
• Fall replacements: must not be a part of the first-year guaranteed process.  

*Please note: Contract replacements do not necessarily replace the exact room assignment, but rather the contract itself. This process is based on filling an available vacancy rather than the specific room.

Enrolled students seeking a replacement during the academic year must complete the following steps:  

Step 1: Submit a Cancel Housing Contract Form found on the Housing Hub main page.

• If you already have a contract replacement candidate, include your replacement details (full name, 8-digit Waterloo ID number) in the notes section of the cancellation form. Contract replacements found after the cancellation form is submitted must be emailed to housing@uwaterloo.ca with a subject line of “Contract Replacement”.
• Only one replacement can be submitted at a time.
• If canceling during the academic year, the form is only processed after the cancelling student has fully moved out of residence and returned their residence keys to the residence front desk.   

Step 2: Campus Housing will verify student replacement eligibility. 

• If the student is not eligible, you will have to find another replacement that meets the criteria. Results of the eligibility check will be shared with you.   
• The eligible replacement must complete the applicable housing application for the terms they are fulfilling for the cancelled student. 

Step 3: Assignment Process

• Exchange, graduate, graduate incoming, and undergraduate contract replacements will select an available room through their Campus Housing Application.
   
• First-Year and Upper-Year incoming students will receive a housing offer from Campus Housing.
• If they accept the contract and pay their $500 non-refundable housing deposit, Campus Housing will notify you via email. If they do not accept the offer, the withdrawn/cancelled student must start the process again until an eligible replacement accepts their offer. 
• The residence fees will be credited to the Quest account with approximately 5 business days*, minus a $500 administrative fee. The credit amount may be prorated based on when the eligible replacement begins their contract. 
• Depending on when the withdrawn or cancelled student finds an eligible replacement, they may only receive a prorated amount of their residence credit.   
  • Example: A student cancels their residence contract in August but does not find a replacement to accept the contract until October. The cancelling student will be credited a prorated amount from when the replacement starts their residence contract in October.   

*If contract replacement is confirmed during financial services inaction periods, the financial relief may take longer to appear in Quest.

Students typically find a replacement before the contracted term(s) has started for the maximum residence fees credit, though they can find a replacement to take over their contract even once it has begun. Students must withdraw/cancel their housing contract before engaging in the replacement process. Students who are successful in the process will receive a prorated amount based on the date the replacement starts their residence contract, less a $500 administration fee.  

A contract replacement can start a contract up to 30 days prior to the end of the term, after that the student must be held financially responsible for the full term.  

Once the replacement accepts, the withdrawn /cancelled student from residence will receive a residence credit. The credit is prorated to reflect the $500 administration fee and daily residence charge for the time between when the contract began and when the replacement started the residence contract.   

Within approximately 5 business days of a replacement successfully confirming a contract, the student will receive a residence credit on their Quest account.  If contract replacement is confirmed during financial services inaction periods, the financial relief may take longer to appear in Quest.

Since this process is based on filling a vacancy rather than the specific room, the replacement will not necessarily receive an offer for the same room.

Exchange, graduate, graduate incoming, and undergraduate contract replacements will select an available room through their Campus Housing Application.

First-Year and Upper-Year incoming students will receive a housing offer from Campus Housing.