Incoming Transfer Housing FAQ

Incoming transfer students should complete the online Transfer Student Housing Application.

After you submit your enrollment deposit, it sometimes takes 2-3 business days before you appear as a matriculated student in our system and can log into the housing application portal. Please note that you have until June 1 to complete the housing application and there is no advantage to completing it early. We appreciate your patience!

Students transferring to UVA for the fall semester should submit the housing application after May 1 and before June 1. Students transferring for the spring semester should submit the housing application as soon as they enroll at UVA.

Please follow the application dates and deadlines for the best opportunity to be assigned housing. Housing is not guaranteed.

The reasons students share with us for choosing to remain in on-Grounds housing include:

• Location: Closer to classes, libraries, bus stops, and dining locations.
• Flexibility: You can change rooms, if necessary: a luxury you won't have off-Grounds.
• Complimentary Services: Maintenance staff are ready to take care of problems and are available 24/7 for emergency repairs. Our housekeeping staff clean common areas. Resident Staff members are available to support your continued personal and academic success.
• Safety and Security: You live exclusively with other students in an environment where your safety is a priority. Lock and access card systems govern access to the buildings. Lock cores are changed whenever keys are lost. University housing meets high standards for fire safety, with annual inspections by the State Fire Marshal's Office.

Due to the wide variety of options both on- and off-Grounds, it is hard to say definitively which one is less expensive. When comparing on-Grounds to off-Grounds housing there are a few things to keep in mind that will often show on-Grounds housing to be the better value:

• On-Grounds contracts are for 9 months, meaning you only have a contract for the time you are in school. Off-Grounds contracts are almost always for 12 months, so more than likely you will pay for 3 months you don't need or have to deal with the sublet process in a difficult market.
• On-Grounds housing includes all utilities except telephone and cable TV, so you don't have a separate bill for electricity, water, heat, Internet, etc. Some off-Grounds accommodations require the tenant to pay some or all utilities; this can drastically increase your cost.
• On-Grounds housing requires no damage deposit. Some off-Grounds locations may charge as much as one month's rent as a deposit.
• All on-Grounds apartments have fully furnished living rooms and bedrooms, whereas most off-Grounds accommodations come unfurnished.

A random computer-generated selection process held after the application deadline determines your order of assignment, which is then generated based on availability and your order of preference for each of the residential areas.

Housing is not guaranteed, but assignments will be made as space is available. If one of your preferred housing types is available, we will offer that space to you. If none of your housing preferences is available, we will offer you the next available space.

You can write in a roommate request in the "Special Requests" step on your housing application. Roommate requests must be mutual in order to be honored. We try to place requested roommates together, but this may not be possible due to limited space availability.

Housing & Residence Life (HRL) welcomes students of all genders at UVA, with a goal of providing housing accommodations that are conducive to individual academic success. HRL offers an inclusive housing option, known as open housing, to students who wish to request roommates regardless of their sex or gender identity.  We also offer individual assistance for students who wish to explore on-Grounds housing options that accommodate their gender identity or gender expression.

To learn more, please visit our Open Housing page.

Please see our Special Housing Accommodations page for information.

Please see our Service and Assistance Animals page for information.

Students transferring for the fall semester: housing offers will begin to be made in early June and continue throughout the summer as additional space becomes available.

Students transferring for the spring semester: housing offers will begin to be made during the week of Thanksgiving, and will continue as applications are received and space is available.

Please see our pages regarding Fire Prevention, Decoration Policies, and Prohibited Items for specific information. You may also want to check out our What to Bring FAQ.