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:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 Please note: A replacement does not have to be assigned to the withdrawn/cancelled student’s specific room (example: only space available is of a specific gender).
- 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
- If the replacement does not accept the offer, the withdrawn/cancelled student must start the process again until an eligible replacement accepts their offer, which will result in receiving a prorated amount of their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.