Incoming First-Years & Transfers

We understand you may have a group of friends you want to live with as you begin your journey together as Warriors. While we wish we could offer the option to select more than one roommate, our system is set up to provide you with the opportunity to submit one roommate request. We are dedicated to providing equal opportunity to all students who have applied to residence to have a chance to live in any of our residence types.

Unfortunately, our system only allows roommate pairs. Your group of 3 will need to discuss whether to pair off or not to select a roommate. We understand living with someone you know will ease some anxiety with your transition to University; however, residence is a highly social environment. We encourage you to take this opportunity to meet new people. All of our residences offer a great experience, and even if you do not all live together, you can visit each other and get to know the other residences! If you have any concerns once you’ve moved into residence, you can work with a Residence Life Don, an upper-year student living in residence, to support you. 

The Campus Housing Preference Form is designed for us to get to know you better. We understand that the 4 of you may want to live together. We recommend that the 4 of you pair off and accept each other as pairs of two, and all select the same residence as your top choice. While this does not guarantee the 4 of you will end up together, you have a higher chance of living with at least one of your friends. As a reminder, while your preferences are taken into consideration, we cannot guarantee you will be placed in your top choice of residence or with your selected roommate.

No, you and your requested roommate must have the same reported gender. If you have listed "U" gender on your profile, you will not be able to make a roommate group with others that are "M'' or "F". If this is a mistake, please complete the Gender Update Form and contact the Registrar’s Office to have your reported gender changed.

We understand you may have heard from older siblings or alumni that they were able to select or specifically request multiple people as roommates. Our system changed a few years ago, and you are now only able to select one roommate.

No – exceptions cannot be made. Our system is set up to only allow one roommate selection. If you call or email  , we’re happy to answer any questions you have however we are unable to make exceptions and allow you to pick more than one roommate. 

No – exceptions cannot be made. Our system is set up to only allow one roommate selection. If you call or email, we’re happy to answer any questions you have; however, we are unable to make exceptions and allow you to pick more than one roommate.

No, if you and your friend are in different study terms, you will be unable to select each other as roommates.  Learn more about the compatibility of streams and sequences. 

As part of the LLC, you are unable to select your roommate – your floor will consist of many students who are in the same program and faculty as you. If you have any questions about the Living Learning Communities, please email living.learning@uwaterloo.ca 

Unfortunately, since your friend missed the First-Year Guarantee deadline, an assignment in residence is not guaranteed. Your friend will receive communications throughout the summer on spaces available; however, should you be placed in a double room, you will be placed with someone who has also completed the First-Year Guarantee Application by the deadline.

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

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 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!

Unfortunately, now that 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.

Campus Housing bases your meal plan on your Campus Housing Preference Form and cannot make any adjustments. If you would like to change your meal plan, 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 in your room to cook your own meals.

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.

We do not have a waitlist to swap students into specific rooms 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!

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

Remember that you can have classes in any building, not just those associated with your faculty - so it's hard to say! In general, walking across campus generally takes about 15 minutes. Check out a campus map to see for yourself.

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. 

All individual first-year rooms and apartments are single gender; however, each floor or house may be single or mixed gender. Washrooms are always single-gender. 

Living in residence means all-inclusive living - no worries during your time with us! You also won't have to worry about signing a lease, landlords, or subletting your room while you're away from school.

Residence fees include:

• a fully-furnished room
• all utilities
• 24-hour security and Front Desk assistance
• high-speed, unlimited Internet (ResNet) in your room
• cable TV in common areas
• on-site laundry
• eateries in the traditional dorms
• residence life programming (including tutoring and a counsellor in residence)
• on-call maintenance
• housekeeping services (varies by residence)
• access to all amenities in any of our residence facilities - gyms, music rooms, multi-faith rooms etc.

Each residence has many services and experiences to offer students and no two students are completely alike. Some residences offer more independence while others offer more convenience; some offer more social interaction, while others offer more privacy.

Differences aside, all of our residences offer a strong sense of community, support for academic pursuits, full-time professional staff, and many amenities to make it feel like home.

Yes. If you are unable to submit your residence contract, someone else may submit it on your behalf. This person is not responsible for any contract infringements that may occur. If someone else submits your contract for you, you will be responsible for any problems. Please refer to your terms and conditions.

If you live in a traditional-style residence, you must purchase a meal plan for every term you are living in residence. You will not have cooking facilities in your room and are expected to eat most of your meals in the residence eateries and food service outlets. 

If you live in a suite-style residence, meal plans are optional. You may wish to purchase one if you plan on eating some of your meals in the food services outlets on campus. 

Your dietary needs can be met for both traditional and suite-style meal plans! If you have food allergies or a restricted diet for religious reasons, the residence eateries will probably be able to accommodate you. Vegetarian and halal food is available in both Campus Housing cafeterias, and the Village 1 cafeteria opens 2 hours before dawn during Ramadan. For more information contact UW Food Services.

No. The residence guarantee only guarantees you a room in residence. Many students select the same room type and/or residence community, and there are only so many rooms in each residence. Therefore, it is not possible to guarantee every student their first choice. Our process ensures that the maximum number of incoming students are assigned to one of their top choices.

 If you’re an incoming transfer student we guarantee a spot for you in residence if you apply by June 1, 2023 and if you meet certain conditions. 

1. Accept your offer of admission online at www.ouac.on.ca.
2. Meet any conditions outlined on your Offer of Admission.
3. Apply online for two terms in residence (either fall/winter or fall/spring) using the upper-year undergraduate application - students transferring from another university please send an email to housing@uwaterloo before you apply.

No. This is not a first-come, first-served process. Everyone who submits these forms on time has an equal chance of getting their first choice.

Absolutely! Campus Housing reserves spaces for upper-year students each term. Upper-years are also placed into their communities, not mixed with first-year residents. You can still request roommates, and unlike first-years, upper-years may also choose to live in mixed-gender apartments. We offer contracts tailored to academic streams - you only have to sign a contract for the terms you are on campus. We even have spaces available for students who are working locally on a co-op work term.

Yes – you can apply to our Vacancy Application to be next in line for available rooms. Learn more about the vacancy process.