Last updated January 13, 2025
The Housing Renewal Process is designed to guide rising sophomores, juniors and seniors as they reapply to live in Residential Life managed housing for the upcoming academic year.
The Housing Application opens at 9 a.m. Central Time, Tuesday, January 14.
Before Applying
- Thoroughly read and familiarize yourself with the presented Terms and Conditions. This Housing Application is a binding contract and the Terms and Conditions outline all rules and regulations of WashU Residential Life housing.
- Later when completing the Housing Application, you will be asked to agree to the Terms and Conditions outlined in the above document. Students who are under the age of 18 will be required to have their parent or guardian agree to the Terms and Conditions on their behalf.
Quick links
Use these quick links to move down the page.
Eligibility
All undergraduate students who plan to be enrolled full-time in courses at the university are eligible to apply for housing. Should a student’s enrollment status change before or during the academic year, they may no longer be eligible to live in Residential Life housing.
Students who plan to study abroad during any point of the academic year remain eligible to apply for housing, but they should be aware of the following information:
Students studying abroad for the fall semester should not apply for housing for the academic year. Students studying abroad for the fall semester should instead apply for housing for the Spring 2025 semester. The Spring 2025 Housing Application will open on the WashU Housing Portal on Friday, November 1.
Students studying abroad for the spring semester should apply for housing during the Housing Renewal period and submit a housing cancellation for their spring housing when prompted by WashU Residential Life later in the fall semester.
Important dates*
| Tuesday, January 14, 2025 | Housing Application Opens on WashU Housing Portal | Students can begin applying for WashU Residential Life Housing |
| Thursday, February 20, 2025 | Initial Grouping Window Closes | Students who create a roommate group by this date will be verified to advance and receive a timeslot for Room Self-Selection as availability allows. Groups that do not advance will be able to adjust their group size to match remaining availability during the Regrouping Period. |
| Monday, February 24, 2025 | Deadline for Students Who Want to Participate in Room Selection | Applications submitted beyond this date will still be accepted, but all students will be Administratively Assigned by Residential Life. |
| Monday, February 24 – Wednesday, March 5, 2025 | Regrouping Period | Groups that adjust their group size will be verified to advance and receive a timeslot for Room Self-Selection as remaining availability allows. Groups that do not advance will be administratively assigned during the Administrative Assignment Period. |
| March 24, 2025 – March 28, 2025 | Room Self-Selection Period | Students participating in Room Self-Selection will login to the WashU Housing Portal and select their room. |
| Monday, April 7, 2025 | Beginning of Administrative Assignment Period | Students who have a complete application that did not take part in the room self-selection process will receive a housing placement from Residential Life on a rolling basis. |
| Monday, April 14, 2025 | Administrative Assignment Waitlist Notification & Room Assignments Become Visible in the Housing Portal | Students who have not yet received a housing assignment are placed on a waitlist and will receive an assignment as spaces become available. Students placed on this waitlist will receive notice via email. Room Assignments can be seen in the WashU Housing Portal under Assignments. |
| Wednesday April 30, 2025 at 11:59PM | No Penalty Housing Cancellation Deadline | Final day to submit a Cancellation Request on the WashU Housing Portal for any reason without any penalty. All cancellations submitted after this date are subject to the $1000 Cancellation Fee. |
Housing options
Students have a variety of housing options including Suite-style, On-Campus and Off-Campus Apartments, and Special Interest Housing such as Living Learning Communities and Chapter Housing. You can find more information about your housing options at the link below.
Steps to applying for renewal
To access the Housing Application, you will need to log into the WashU Housing Portal. Then, select “Applications” from the Navigation menu.
- Complete bio and contact information.
- Select your housing preferences.
- Fill out the roommate questionnaire.
- Select your meal plan.
- Sign the Housing Contract Terms and Conditions.
- Optional: Register for GradGuard renter’s insurance.
- Optional: Search for and select roommates.
- Optional: Select your room.
Once you have signed and submitted your Housing Application, in Step 5 you will receive a confirmation from the Office of Residential Life. This confirmation will be sent to your WashU email.
Application processing will begin on February 24, 2025. Please note that applications will not be processed in the order they are received.
Housing accommodations
Housing Accommodations are determined by WashU Disability Resources. Approved accommodations are then implemented by Residential Life. Note, your housing placement will be assigned to fit the needs of your approved housing accommodation from WashU Disability Resources.
Students will receive notification of the decision regarding their Housing Accommodation from WashU Disability Resources through their WashU email, typically 2-6 weeks after submitting their request. Late requests will be placed in a space available as is.
Important rules for housing accommodations
- Students must still complete the Housing Application through their WashU Housing Portal to be considered for a placement in housing, even if they have already been approved for a housing accommodation.
- Being approved for a housing accommodation does not guarantee that you will be placed in your first-choice residential hall or with your preferred friends. WashU Disability Resources makes determinations regarding functional accommodations in housing. WashU Disability Resources is not involved in the process of assigning a student’s specific room or specific roommates/suitemates. This process is managed by WashU Residential Life and students will be notified of their specific room assignment separately.
- Students with an approved accommodation can have no more than 3 roommates. However, they can also apply as an individual. Applying as an individual does not guarantee a single room placement.
- Students who submit requests or appeals after the posted deadline may need to be placed as an individual, instead of with chosen roommates. Additionally, students who submit requests or appeals after the posted deadline may be placed on a waiting list for the next available room that meets their accommodation.
For questions to Disability Resources, please contact their office at 314-935-5970 or by email. They are located on the ground floor of Gregg House on the South 40. Their office hours are Monday – Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
How to request housing accommodations
Please visit the WashU Disability Resources for instructions on how to request accommodations.
Student Requesting a Renewal of Housing Accommodations: Students who currently have housing accommodations and are seeking to renew their accommodations should reach out to Disability Resources via email disabilityresources@wustl.edu to communicate their intention of remaining/residing in University owned housing for the upcoming academic year.
Please note: Regardless of eligibility for housing accommodations, students must follow all WashU Residential Life housing processes and procedures to secure campus-owned housing. Housing spaces are limited and assigned on a first come, first served basis. Neither the presence of a disability nor eligibility for a housing accommodation guarantees campus-owned housing, a specific location, or roommate.
Is it necessary to request housing accommodations?
- For dietary restrictions > No. WashU Dining Services works to support students with special dietary needs, this includes those with medically restricted diets and those with food allergies and intolerances. Dining Services is generally able to meet the needs of students requesting specialized meal plans so all students with special dietary needs are encouraged to work with dining services to make dining on campus enjoyable and safe. The process for requesting dietary accommodations is outlined on the Dining Services website.
- For transportation and Proximity to Academic Buildings > No. All on-campus residential buildings are considered to be within close proximity to academic buildings and other campus facilities. Students whose disabilities may limit their ability to walk and/or carry a heavy backpack for long distances are encouraged to utilize the Campus Circulator and/or Medical Escort Service when traveling across campus. More information about these options can be found on the WashU Parking and Transportation Services website.
- For Environmental Allergens > No. The university has conducted tests of environmental allergen levels throughout the Residential Life buildings. The results of these tests found that there is not a significant difference in allergen level between the various building types. To reduce exposure to environmental allergens, students are encouraged to follow the guidelines of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology by bringing allergen-proof fabric covers for bedding, a dehumidifier, and/or HEPA filter air purifier for use in their residence hall rooms.
- For distraction-Reduced Study Space > No. By nature, residential housing is not a distraction-reduced environment. Students are encouraged to explore the many study spaces throughout campus to find a quiet study location and are welcome to contact Disability Resources for recommendations.
Cancellation policy
For an in-depth understanding of the Cancellation Policy, please review the Terms and Conditions within the Housing Agreement that will be linked at the top of this page.
For the 2025 – 2026 Academic Year Application, students can cancel at no penalty anytime on or before April 30, 2025. After April 30, 2025, students are subject to the $1,000 Cancellation Fee.
Finding roommates and forming groups
- One of the members of your group will need to click the “Create Group” button below. This person will automatically be assigned the Group Leader role.
- The Group Leader will set the group’s name, password, desired group size, and choose which selection process the group is taking part in. All of these aspects of the group can be changed by clicking “Edit Group”.
- Once the group has been created, the Group Leader can click the link to “Search for Roommates by Username” to find and invite their roommates to join the group. Alternatively, their roommates can click the “Join Group” link and join the group by entering the group’s name and password.
- It is not necessary to create a group right away. Instead, you can click on the “Suggested Roommates” link or “Search for Roommates by Preferences” to find students that match well with your preferences.
- Once you’ve identified a student you would like to invite to group with, you will be able to request to join their group or invite them to join your group. If you have not created a group at this point, you will be taken to the group creation screen before an invite is sent.
- Click “Create Group”, and set your group’s name, password, desired group size (make sure this is set to 1), and choose which selection process you are taking part in.
- That’s it! Keep in mind that while this process is easy, not many students will be able to select a single occupancy space. We *highly* recommend students consider searching for and inviting potential roommates to their group before committing themselves to being a group of one. You can change your desired group size back to one at any point before the grouping period ends if no students join your group, since the date your group is created has no bearing on what order you’re considered for a space.
Important notes
You can only be a member of one group. This means you can only participate in **one selection process**, either the Suite selection process or the Apartment selection process.
The selection process you are a part of is determined by the Group Leader when they form the group. They will select one process or the other. Double check to ensure you are participating in your desired selection process. The Group Leader can change this at any time by selecting “Edit Group”.
Roommate finding and matching events
Find potential roommates to group with through our Roommate Matching events. We are here to help you all get to know one another and answer any questions you may have!
We also have the Roommate Finder feature via your WashU Housing Portal. Attend our Roommate Matching events for support on how to use the Roommate Finder to complete your group.
Roommate Matching Events
| Monday, February 3 | 2 – 4 p.m. | Lopata Multipurpose Room |
| Tuesday, February 11 | 6 – 8 p.m. | Ursa’s Fireside |
| Saturday, March 1 | 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. | Ursa’s Fireside |
Complete your group on the Housing Portal
Complete your Group on the Housing Portal prior to the deadline listed under Important Dates. To complete your Group, please follow these steps:
- Identify a group leader within your planned group.
- Once identified, the group leader will do the following:
- Log into the Housing Portal.
- Click on Applications from the menu options.
- Select Fall 2025-2026 from the drop-down menu.
- Select the application for the upcoming academic year.
- Create a group within the housing application. This will include a group name and password.
- During group creation, the group creator will indicate if the group is being made for the On-Campus Suite Selection Process or the On and Off-Campus Apartment Selection Process. More information about what types of housing is available in each of these processes is listed below.
- After group creation, anticipated group members must do the following to add themselves to the group:
- Log into the Housing Portal via your WebSTAC account.
- Click on Applications from the menu options.
- Select Academic Year Application for Continuing Students from the drop-down menu.
- Select the application for the upcoming academic year.
- Add yourself to the group using the group name and password set by your group leader.
- After group creation, group leaders can also add group members.
- Students can group with any student who has submitted their housing application prior to the priority deadline listed under Important Dates. However, we recommend forming your group with individuals that share your class year.
Students can group with any student who has submitted their housing application prior to the priority deadline listed under Important Dates. However, we recommend forming your group with individuals that share your class year.
There are no gender restrictions placed on the forming of groups.
Groups who receive a timeslot will be able to select from all available housing options for their group size within their chosen process during their timeslot. For example, if your group has two members, you will only see two person units. You will not see any units larger or smaller than two person units.
Suite selection process
Students who wish to register for the On-Campus Suite room selection process should be aware of the following availability information:
The Suite Selection Process gives priority based on class year. Sophomores are given the highest level of priority. Mixed groups have the lowest priority.
Students are highly encouraged to form groups of 4.
There are very limited 2, 3, and 8 person options available.
There are NO 1-person Suite options available.
| The Suite Selection process gives sophomores priority. Typically, juniors and seniors do not participate in this process. | |
| Students are highly encouraged to form groups of 4. | |
| There are very limited 3-person and 2-person options. |
Apartment selection process
Students who wish to register for the On and Off-Campus Apartment room selection process should be aware of the following availability information:
The Apartment Selection Process gives priority based on class year. Seniors are given the highest level of priority, then juniors, then sophomores.
Students are encouraged to form groups of 3. A majority of the 3 person units are in the off-campus apartment areas.
- There are 4 and 5 person options available. All of these units are on-campus.
- There are limited 6, 7, and 8 person options available. All of these units are on-campus.
- There are very limited 1 and 2 person options available.
Mixing class standing within a group
We know there are students who wish to group with a mix of class years.
Rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors can group with any class level or gender of their choosing. Groups with mixed class will impact the priority level of your group. As a reminder:
- Sophomores are given priority in the Suite Selection process.
- Seniors are given priority in the Apartment Selection process.
- Groups will be prioritized in the Apartment Selection process in the following order:
- All seniors
- Seniors and juniors
- All Juniors
- Any group that includes a sophomore
- Groups will be prioritized in the Apartment Selection process in the following order:
Forming a group of one
Individuals who wish to participate in the process as an individual are able to form a group of one. Students who receive a timeslot will be able to make their selection during the selection period.
Failure to form a group will automatically move you into the administrative assignments process.
Select
Timeslots
A timeslot is the date and time when the group leader is able to select a Residential Life unit/room for their group.
For example, if your timeslot is March 30, 2025 at 10 a.m., your group leader is able to log onto the WashU Housing Portal to select housing and assign group members to bed spaces at or after the time slot. If there are doubles within your unit, your group leader will place each individual. Be sure to have conversations and agree upon which individuals will be in which rooms with your group prior to your timeslot.
Groups who receive a timeslot will be able to select from all available housing options for their group size within their chosen process during their timeslot. For example, if your group has two members, you will only see two person units. You will not see any units larger or smaller than two person units.
| If you are in the Suites Selection process, you will not see any apartment options, regardless of group size. | |
| If you are in the Apartment Selection process, you will not see suites as an option, regardless of group size. |
Timeslot notifications will be sent out to students by the dates listed in the Important Dates section. Please note that not all notifications will be sent out on one day. Some groups may receive their timeslot before the deadline. All groups will receive their timeslots by the times and dates listed above.
There are a certain number of spaces available among each room type. If the number of groups interested in a particular room type exceeds what is available, you may not receive a timeslot.
All groups who do not receive a timeslot during the initial sorting process will be notified and will be given the opportunity to regroup during the regrouping period. You will be told at this time what size units are still available so you can change the size of your group. In addition, your group’s leader will be able to switch from Apartment to Suites (or Suites to Apartment) Selection, if you’d like.
The same priority based on class year that was used during the first grouping process will apply again to the new grouping. If you regroup or do not regroup to a size with available spaces, you will be moved to the administrative assignments process.
As a note, you are able to cancel your housing contract at no penalty any time prior to the first cancellation deadline. Our Cancellation Policy is detailed within our terms and conditions.
Non-Residential Life housing options
Quadrangle Housing
- 314-935-9511
Apartment Referral Service
- 314-935-5092
Social media
WashU ResLife is on Instagram. Follow us for more information.