4 students, 2 male and 2 female, walking in the REV tunnel

First-Year and Transfer Students

Living in residence means becoming part of a great community with support to make your transition to Waterloo as smooth as possible.

As an incoming first-year, external transfer, or joint academic partnership student, you can live in one of Campus Housing’s 6 residences or at Renison University College, United College, or St. Jerome's University as part of Waterloo's residence guarantee. Learn more about the 100% residence guarantee

Important Dates for Residence Guarantee

Date

Action

Monday, February 9, 2026

 First-Year Guarantee Residence application opens. Apply by June 8, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. ET to guarantee your space in residence!

March 2026

 Visit us during March Open House for prospective students. Learn more about the event at uwaterloo.ca/future-students/tours-events

May 2026

 Students who have received an Offer of Admission are invited to join us for You @ Waterloo day! Details about this event will be available at a later date.

June 8, 2026

First-Year Guarantee Residence application and $500 deposit due by 11:59 p.m. EDT.

If you have a documented need that requires Accessible Housing Supports, submit the Accessible Housing application form by 11:59 p.m. ET on June 8, 2026 at uwaterloo.ca/accessible-housing/

June 9, 2026

 Missed the first-year guarantee deadline? Check uwaterloo.ca/campus-housing for next steps.

Beginning Mid June 

You’re in! Check your email to find out if you’ve been placed in Campus Housing (a) or one of the University College residences (b).

a) You’re invited to complete the second step of the New Student Residence Application. This is your chance to indicate your preferred room style (e.g., suite or traditional, single or double) and request a roommate.

b) If you are placed in a University College, you will receive a residence offer directly from the university college in your email account. All future residence correspondence will come directly from your university college.

Late June

 It’s time to set up your official University email account and be sure to check it regularly. uwaterloo.ca/office-365/#accessaccount Until you are able to set up your uwaterloo account in late June we will send all communication to the email you applied with!

July

 Confirm your residence contract so you don't lose your spot! Room assignments begin and offers will be sent out from now until mid-August. Check your Waterloo email regularly to confirm your contract and secure your room in residence. 

Move-in Day!

 Move into residence by early September. Check your Waterloo email in early August for move-in dates and detailed instructions

Jump to: Important Dates | Get Guaranteed | Share your preferences | Accept your room assignment | FAQs

Get Guaranteed!

Between February 9 and June 8, 2026  apply to the New Student Residence Application to join the residence guarantee and ensure you have a supportive living environment and easy access to your classes, libraries, and recreational facilities. 

Who is eligible for the residence guarantee? 

  • New first-year, external transfer students, and joint academic partnership students who accept your academic Offer of Admission to Waterloo by the deadline (June 1, 2026 for most students), and apply to the New Student Residence Application and pay the $500 non-refundable deposit by 11:59 p.m. ET on the June 8, 2026 deadline.

Student definitions:

  • New first-year students are students who are studying at college or university for the first time.This includes students completing the Bridge to Academic Success in English (BASE) program.
  • External transfer students are students who have previously studied at another college or university and are beginning studies at Waterloo for the first time.
  • Joint academic partnership students are students who have previously completed 2–3 years of study at a university in another country and are starting at Waterloo to complete the second half of your degree in a partner program with your home institution.

What happens if you miss the June 8 guaranteed residence deadline or apply for a different time of year?

If you miss the deadline or are applying at a different time of year (e.g., applying in October for the January-April term), you can still apply to residence through our New Student Residence Application and rank your preferences for traditional/suite style and single/double rooms. We make offers on a rolling basis depending on availability and will regularly reach out with updates on anticipated spaces for the term you've applied for. 

3 students sitting in cmh double room.

Share your preferences

If placed with Campus Housing, we will email you to tell us your preferences in mid-June. 

You can: 

  • Rank your preferences for traditional- and suite-style residences as well as single or double rooms.
  • Submit a roommate request
    • New undergraduate students may request one roommate. To request a roommate, both students must request each other, be in the same application period (fall/winter or fall/spring) and have the same reported gender identity. 

Remember!

  • While you can rank your preferences, you are not guaranteed your top choices! You may be placed in any one of our residence communities - all will give you room to grow as you step out of your comfort zone and experience life at University - with support from our Campus Housing team.
  • If you require a specific room type or style due to accessibility or creed-based needs, please review the information on our housing accommodations website and submit an application form.

Did you know that 63% of first-year students in Campus Housing live in traditional-style residence buildings and 50% of first-year students living with Campus Housing are in double rooms?

What’s your residence style?

Wondering if traditional or suite-style residence is a better fit for your first year at Waterloo?  

Can I tell you what specific building I want to live in?

No. New undergraduate students applying to Campus Housing rank by residence style (i.e., suite-style or traditional-style) and room style (i.e., single, interconnecting, or double). This allows us to take your main preferences into account and prioritize the overall experience you are looking for. All residence buildings offer a great experience to make connections, with traditional-style being the easiest to make friends and suite-style offering the most independence and privacy. 

Students from every faculty tend to have classes across the main campus and all Campus Housing buildings are within a 10-20 minute walk of the main campus academic buildings. 

If you require a specific room type or style due to accessibility or creed-based needs, please review the information on our housing accommodations website and submit an application form.

DO I HAVE TO GET A MEAL PLAN?

Meal plans are required for all students living in traditional (dorm style) residences and optional for those living in suite style residences.

The WatCard office can only make meal plan changes during the term for which the meal plan is purchased. Requests to change your meal plan can be submitted from 1 week prior to the start of each term until the end of the first month of the term using our meal plan change request form.

How does my gender identity affect my placement into residence?

We have a place for all students. We want two-spirit, trans, non-binary and gender non-conforming students to feel welcome and safe living in our residences. First-year students are placed in residence communities based on your reported gender on your OUAC application.

All individual first-year rooms and apartments are single gender; however, each floor or house may be single or mixed gender.If you indicated an unspecified gender, we will reach out to you in May or June to discuss our residence room types, building layouts, and roommate options and work with you to find a space where you feel most safe and at home. We will never ask you to specify your gender.

We encourage any students with questions or concerns about the residence placement process to reach out to us at housing@uwaterloo.ca.

Accept your assignment

In early to mid-July, check your Waterloo email address for your room offer and contracts!

  • All communications will be sent to the email that you used to apply with until your UWaterloo email address is active. Once your UWaterloo email inbox is active, please continue to check it for important information from the University (room offer, contracts and other updates, etc.) as important updates will be sent to your UWaterloo email address, not the email address you applied with. You will need your username@uwaterloo.ca, password and DUO (2FA) to access your UWaterloo inbox. 
  • For students who apply to the residence guarantee by June 8, 2026, you'll typically receive your offer by mid-July. Make sure you accept your offer before the deadline!
  • If you do not accept your residence offer by the deadline you will lose your $500 deposit and guaranteed residence.
  • We will be unable to change your room assignment once it has been offered out - all of our residences offer unique, supportive experiences. Even if you are not placed in your preferred residence, a great residence experience is just around the corner. Make sure to learn more about your new residence by clicking through our residences page!

Room Assignment FAQs

I DID NOT RECEIVE MY ROOM ASSIGNMENT OFFER. CAN YOU RE-SEND?

Your room assignment offer was sent to your @uwaterloo.ca email address. If you have not done so already, please set up your Waterloo email as soon as possible following these instructions: https://uwaterloo.ca/email

I AM UNHAPPY WITH MY ROOM ASSIGNMENT. CAN YOU MOVE ME TO SOMEWHERE ELSE?

Unfortunately, now that room assignments have gone out, we are unable to make any changes to your placement based on preferences. Asking for a room assignment change is asking us to move someone else out of their room, as all rooms have been booked. We understand this may not be the news you were hoping for; however we hope you can still have a positive experience regardless of your residence assignment! Once you’ve moved in, if you’re having trouble adjusting, we have supports in place (including your don on your floor, or Residence Life Coordinators) to help you with the transition into your new home. After you have moved in, please reach out to our Residence Life team for support. Hopefully with the help of our team, you can be able to still enjoy the residence you’ve been placed in!

I DID NOT GET PLACED WITH THE ROOMMATE I REQUESTED. CAN WE BE ROOMMATES?

Unfortunately, once room assignments have gone out, we are unable to make any changes to your assignment. We understand the benefits of living with a roommate (especially someone you know!), however residence is a very social environment, so you will have lots of opportunities to meet new people as you start your university journey. If you do have any concerns once you’ve moved into residence, you can work with a Residence Life Don, who is an upper year student that lives in residence to support you.

I CANNOT AFFORD THE MEAL PLAN AND DO NOT WANT TO PURCHASE IT. CAN THIS BE REMOVED FROM MY FEES?

After confirming your residence contract, you can add or change your meal plan until the meal plan change deadline. If you would like to change your meal plan after the term has started, please visit WatCard Frequently Asked Questions for details and deadlines. If you are placed in a traditional-style residence, a meal plan is mandatory as you do not have a kitchen to cook your own meals.

I AM NOT COMFORTABLE SHARING A ROOM AND NEED TO HAVE A SINGLE ROOM. CAN YOU MOVE ME TO A SINGLE ROOM?

Unfortunately, now that room assignments have gone out, we are unable to make any changes to your placement. Asking for a room assignment change is asking us to move someone out of their room, as all rooms have been assigned. We understand living with someone you have never met before can be daunting, however we hope you will give your roommate a chance. Living in residence is all about meeting new people and having new experiences. With a roommate, you have someone to share a meal with and explore campus as you familiarize yourself with your new home. If you’re having trouble adjusting, we have supports in place (including your don on your floor, or Residence Life Coordinators) to help you with the transition into your new home.

IS THERE A WAITLIST FOR STUDENTS THAT DON’T LIKE THEIR ROOM ASSIGNMENT?

We do not have a waitlist to swap students into specific room styles that they are interested in if they do not like their initial room placement. We recommend you accept your contract before it expires. However, if you are still worried about your room placement, please let us know of your specific concerns and we would be happy to discuss them with you to get you more excited about your residence experience!

I WANT TO DECLINE MY OFFER.

We understand any concerns or hesitations you may have about your room assignment.

If you have been sent a residence contract and no longer would like to live with us, simply decline your contract offer. If you have not accepted your offer and decline, you will not be financially responsible for the full length of your contract.

If you have accepted your contract and decide you would now like to cancel, please be mindful of our cancellation policy.

Anytime a student cancels, your $500 deposit remains non-refundable. In addition, you will see a $500 administrative fee applied to your Quest financial account. The administrative fee is applied to your account to offset your $500 deposit credit, to ensure Campus Housing retains the non-refundable deposit. For more information, please see our withdrawals and cancellations page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are there all-gender washrooms in residence?

We have a place for you. We want two-spirit, trans, non-binary and gender non-conforming students to feel welcome and safe living in our residences. All-gender washrooms are spaces that individuals can access and use, regardless of their gender identity. Unlike gender-specific washrooms which are designated as being for either women or men, all-gender washrooms are available for use by anyone. 

Each first-year residence building has at least one all-gender washroom in our central complex area to use when studying and hanging out with friends, dining at an eatery or visiting a front desk.  If you are living in Claudette Millar Hall, each floor has all-gender washrooms. Our other first-year residence communities (dorm-style and suite-style) are organized by gender, where students who identify as female live together, and students who identify as male live together.  Washrooms in Ron Edyt Village and Village 1 are designated as being for either women or men. In suite-style residences (UWP, CLV and MKV), room assignments are based on gender and the washrooms are shared by the roommates within the suite. If you wish to not disclose your gender, we will never ask you to.   

If you would like to speak with someone before completing the First-Year Guarantee Residence Application, please email us at housing@uwaterloo.ca and we will connect you with our Residence Life team who are ready to support you and will find you the space in residence that works best for you. 

Can another person (e.g., a family member) receive emails that Campus Housing sends to me?

We will send all emails to your UWaterloo email account once it is active. The most efficient way to have another person also receive emails sent to you from Campus Housing is to set up email forwarding within your UWaterloo email account.  Follow the instructions on how to set up email forwarding 

Note: If you want only certain emails forwarded to another person (instead of every email), you can use the rules function to only have emails from specific accounts forwarded.

These are Campus Housing accounts that will be regularly emailing you if you want to create forwarding rules for different types of emails: 

  • Main Campus Housing account: housing@uwaterloo.ca 
    • This account will send you messages about move-in/move-out, processes and applications, and important community-wide updates. 
  • Campus Housing maintenance: the maintenance account for your residence building
    • This account will send you updates on repairs and other facility updates (e.g., fire alarm testing) happening in your community. 
  • Campus Housing front desk: housdsmt@uwaterloo.ca 
    • This account will send you messages about packages and borrowed items.
  • Campus Housing Finance: housingfinance@uwaterloo.ca 
    • This account will send you messages about finance-related issues or inquiries.