Contract Replacement

If an undergraduate student cancels their housing contract during the academic year and is still enrolled as a student at the University of Waterloo, they will need to find their own replacement.  Students typically find replacement candidates through friends, classmates, and and our off-campus housing website.

Undergraduate replacements must meet the following eligibility criteria:

• They must match as the same student type (first year/upper year) undergraduate students
• Not a part of the first-year guarantee process
• Not on contract with Campus Housing or the University College Residences
• A current housing applicant
• Match your contract type (fall/winter or fall/spring)

*Please note that exchange students can only be replacements for other exchange students on an exchange contract.

Undergraduates seeking a replacement during an academic year must complete the following steps:

1. Submit a withdrawal/cancellation form. A replacement can only occur after a Withdrawal/Cancellation form has been processed. The form is processed after the withdrawing/cancelling student has fully moved out of residence and returned their residence keys to the residence front desk. 
2. Find an eligible replacement and email with your details as well as your replacement’s details (full name, 8-digit Waterloo ID number) to housing@uwaterloo.ca. We only permit one replacement name to be sent at a time. We will verify if the replacement is eligible and notify you via email. If the student is not eligible, you will have to find another replacement that meets the criteria. 
3. The eligible replacement must complete the applicable housing application for the terms they are fulfilling for the cancelled student. Please note: A replacement does not have to be assigned to the withdrawn/cancelled student’s specific room (example: only space available is of a specific gender). 
4. A room assignment offer will be sent to the replacement and once they accept the contract, a prorated residence credit (less their $500 administration fee) will be issued in the Quest account of the withdrawing/cancelling student 
5.  If the replacement does not accept the offer, the withdrawn/cancelled student must start the process again until an eligible replacement accepts their offer, which will result in receiving a prorated amount of their residence credit.

Example: First-year, undergraduate student cancels their residence contract in August, but does not find a similar replacement to accept the contract until October. The withdrawn/cancelled first-year student will be credited a prorated amount from when the replacement starts their residence contract in October. 

If a graduate student cancels their housing contract during the academic year and is enrolled as a student at the University of Waterloo, they will need to attain their own replacement. Students typically find replacement candidates through friends, classmates, and our off-campus housing website.

Graduate student replacements must meet the following criteria:

• Graduate student
• Not on contract with Campus Housing or the University College Residences
• A current housing applicant

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

1. Submit a withdrawal/cancellation form.
2. Find an eligible replacement and email with your details as well as your replacement’s details (full name, 8-digit Waterloo ID number) to housing@uwaterloo.ca. We only permit one replacement name to be sent to housing at a time. We will verify if the replacement is eligible and notify you via email. If the student is not eligible, you will have to find another replacement that meets the criteria.
3. The eligible replacement must complete the Single Graduate Housing application for the term they are fulfilling for the cancelled student. A replacement does not have to be assigned to the withdrawn/cancelled students' assignment unless it is the only assignment available that matches the replacement (example only space available of a specific gender).
4. A member of our Occupancy team will send an offer to the replacement and once they accept, the student withdrawn/canceled from residence will be credited a prorated residence credit (less their $500 administration fee) to their Quest account. If the replacement does not accept the offer, the withdrawn/cancelled student must start the process again until an eligible replacement accepts their offer. Depending on when the withdrawn or cancelled student finds an eligible replacement, they may only receive a prorated amount of their residence credit.

Example: Graduate student cancels their residence contract in August but does not find a replacement to accept the contract until October. The cancelling graduate student will be credited a prorated amount from when the replacement starts their residence contract in October. 

Students typically find a replacement before the contracted term(s) has started, 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.