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Residence Outbreak information
For the most up-to-date information on how we're handling the outbreak in residence please see our Residence Life Processes and Policies page.
Please note that due to COVID-19 we will not be allowing contract replacements for the 2020/21 and 2021/22 academic years.
Students that withdraw or cancel their residence contract can find another University of Waterloo student who meets Campus Housing eligibility criteria to serve as their contract replacement for financial relief. We encourage students that are still enrolled at the University but cancel their residence contract to utilize this option for financial relief from their contract.
If a first-year student cancels their housing contract during the academic year and is 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 student classifieds.
First-year Undergraduate replacements must meet the following criteria:
*Please note that exchange students can only be replacements for other exchange students on an exchange contract.
First-year students seeking a replacement during an academic year must complete the following steps:
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 moved out of residence and returned their residence keys to the residence front desk.
Find an eligible replacement and email the replacement’s name and WatID 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.
The eligible replacement must complete the first-year housing application for the terms 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 A replacement does not have to be assigned to the withdrawn/cancelled students assignment unless it is the only assignment available that matches the replacement (example: only space available is of a specific gender).
Occupancy and Marketing Services will send an offer to the replacement and once they accept, the student withdrawn/canceled from residence will be credited a prorated residence credit (less their $500 administration fee) in their Quest account. If the replacement does not accept the offer, the withdrawn/cancelled student has to 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: First-year, undergraduate student cancels their residence contract in August, but does not find a replacement until October. Withdrawn/cancelled first-year student will be credited a prorated amount from when the replacement starts their residence contract.
If an upper-year, undergraduate 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 student classifieds.
Upper-Year Undergraduate replacements must meet the following criteria:
*Please note that exchange students can only be replacements for other exchange students on an exchange contract.
Upper-year students seeking a replacement during an academic year must complete the following steps:
Occupancy and Marketing Services 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) in their Quest account.
If the replacement does not accept the offer, the withdrawn/cancelled student has to 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: Student cancels their residence contract in August, but does not find a replacement until October, student will be credited a prorated amount from when the replacement starts their residence contract.
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 student classifieds.
Graduate student replacements must meet the following criteria:
Graduate students seeking a replacement during an academic year must complete the following steps:
Occupancy and Marketing Services 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) in their Quest account.
If the replacement does not accept the offer, the withdrawn/cancelled student has to 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 until October. Graduate student will be credited a prorated amount from when the replacement starts their residence contract.
Students typically find a replacement before the contracted term(s) has started, though can find a replacement to take over their contract at any point during the contracted move-in and move-out dates. Students must withdraw/cancel their housing contract before engaging in the replacement process.
There is no final date to find a replacement by. Better chances of finding a replacement for a contract will be possible before the start of the contracted 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 10 business days of a replacement successfully confirming a contract, the student will receive a residence credit on their Quest account.
Waterloo Residences acknowledges that we live and work on the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishinaabeg, and Haudenosaunee peoples. The University of Waterloo is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land promised to the Six Nations that includes ten kilometers on each side of the Grand River.
The University of Waterloo acknowledges that much of our work takes place on the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishinaabeg and Haudenosaunee peoples. Our main campus is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land granted to the Six Nations that includes six miles on each side of the Grand River. Our active work toward reconciliation takes place across our campuses through research, learning, teaching, and community building, and is centralized within our Indigenous Initiatives Office.
