As outlined in the Campus Housing terms and conditions, a residence contract holds a student financially responsible for their residence fees unless the academic offer for a student has been revoked.
All decisions regarding reimbursement of residence fees will be made on behalf of the Residence Fees & Contract Appeals Committee.
Grounds for appeals
In certain circumstances, students may submit an appeal to be released from being financially responsible for their contract. The following are grounds in which a student may submit an appeal to the Residence Fees & Contract Appeals Committee:
- Exceptional circumstance, or
- Academically enrolled but cancelled their residence contract
All other reasons for a residence withdrawal do not have grounds for an appeal and students will be held financially responsible. Students who are academically withdrawing do not need to appeal. Financial relief will be processed once the student’s status changes on Quest.
Additionally, all deposits are non-refundable and not subject to an appeal.
The appeal process
Step 1:
Within ten business days of completing the Campus Housing Withdrawal/Cancelation form, a student must complete a written Notice of Appeal Form , letter of explanation and organize all other supporting documentation. Students must ensure that all their documentation is complete, correct, and legible. Supporting documents in a foreign language must be translated. If the proper documentation is not provided, the appeal will not be considered.
Step 2:
Step 2: The completed scanned PDF appeal package should be submitted by email to housing@uwaterloo.ca. We are not able to accept emails with appeal documents attached as photographs. Typically, students may deliver their appeal documentation to the Student Life Centre Department of Housing and Residence Office (SLC 0134).* Since our physical Office is closed due to the pandemic, we would like all submission packages emailed to housing@uwaterloo.ca.
Step 3:
The Residence Fees & Contract Appeals Committee meets twice a term; every second and fourth month. Students will be contacted once a decision has been made. An appeal can only be submitted once, and all decisions are final. If you have been granted relief from your contract, you will receive a credit minus a $500 administration fee. Learn more about the administration fee.
Note: If your appeal is approved and you decide to return to Campus Housing in the future, we want to support your transition. Please contact us once you have confirmed your contract and we will provide you with a $500 credit to off-set your administration fee. Learn more about the rebooking credit incentive.
Important dates
If you would like your appeal to be heard at a meeting, submit your appeal documents by 9 a.m. on the following dates:
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Fall 2020 - Spring 2021 and Fall 2021 - Spring 2022
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No appeal is required if you are leaving for reasons related to the pandemic or if you are transferring or withdrawing from the University.
If you are breaking your residence contract for reasons other than the pandemic or transferring/withdrawing from the University, you must submit an appeal. The appeals committee will be meeting on a limited basis due to the pandemic. If you are unsure if your reason for breaking your contract requires an appeal, please contact us at housing@uwaterloo.ca.
If you would like your appeal to be heard at a meeting, submit your appeal documents by 9 a.m. on the following dates:
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| Appeal Submission Deadline |
Appeals Committee Meeting |
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| Monday, October 18, 2021 |
Week of October 25, 2021 |
| Monday, November 22, 2021 |
Week of November 29, 2021 |
| Monday, February 14, 2022 |
Week of February 21, 2022 |
| Spring 2022/Fall 2022 Appeals |
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| Appeal Submission Deadline |
Appeals Committee Meeting |
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| Monday, January 11, 2021 |
Week of January 18, 2021 |
| Monday, July 26, 2021 |
Week of August 2, 2021 |
| Monday, November 22, 2021 |
Week of November 29, 2021 |
| Monday, February 14, 2022 |
Week of February 21, 2022 |
| Monday, July 25, 2022 |
Week of August 1, 2022 |
| Monday, November 21, 2022 |
Week of November 28, 2022 |
Information for appeals for the fall 2022 – spring 2023 academic year will be announced prior to the start of the fall 2022 term.
The opportunity to submit an appeal expires at the end of every academic year. The deadline to submit appeals for the 2019/2020 academic year has passed. The Committee will not consider any additional appeals for the 2019/2020 academic year.
Frequently asked questions
What is an appeal?
If you are looking for relief of your residence fees after withdrawing from residence, you can submit an appeal.
The following are grounds in which a student may submit an appeals to the Residence Fees and Contract Appeals Committee:
- Medical (Doctor’s note required to support the medical need to leave residence.)
- Exceptional circumstance (Proof of an unpredicted circumstance that occurred after signing the residence contract is required.)
- Academic (Proof of being required to withdrawal or repeat is needed. This does not include stream changes.)
All other reasons do not have ground to submit an appeal.
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.
All required documentation must be submitted to allow for the Residence Fees and Contract Appeals Committee to review the appeal. You can email your documentation to: housing@uwaterloo.ca or drop it off in person to the Admissions and Marketing office located in the Student Life Centre (SLC), room 0134.
Students will have one opportunity to submit an appeal. The decision of the committee will be final and no further appeals will be granted.
What are some examples of supporting documentation?
Examples of supporting documentation:
- Academic: Waterloo Residences will verify your academic standing through the Registrar’s Office. Supporting documentation will not be required if cancelling a residence contract due to an academic withdrawal.
- Exceptional Circumstance: many reasons fall under this category so make sure your documentation supports your reasoning. Please note that your documentation must prove that an unforeseen circumstance occurred after you signed your residence contract. If your circumstances are medically related, a letter from a medical professional which outlines your condition and why you must withdraw from residence must be submitted.
Decisions are based on the documentation submitted that creates a compelling argument for an appeal. Ensure that all your documentation is correct, legible and clearly outlines your reason(s) for appealing.
When does the committee meet?
Please see the schedule above for the submission deadlines and committee meeting times.
What are the possible outcomes?
There are two outcomes:
- Approved: if your appeal is approved this means you will be provided financial relief for the term(s) you have requested (less 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 or replacing yourself in order to be relieved of your financial responsibility.
Students have one opportunity to submit an appeal. The decision of the committee will be final and no further appeals will be granted.
When will I be notified of the results of my appeal?
Students will be notified by email within 1 - 2 weeks after the committee meets.
Who is on the Residence Fees and Contract Appeals Committee?
The committee consists of Campus Housing staff and student representation 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 has to be someone who 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 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. We want to support your transition back into residence – contact us once you’ve moved into residence and we will provide you with a $500 credit to make up for the administration fee you received.
