FAQ | Affiliation, Housing Agreement and Renewals

Absolutely!

IMPORTANT: An affiliation review request is approved or denied by your respective School. You may submit a request to have this date updated, via the Housing Portal.

• Please contact the Housing Liaison for questions about your program. 

Wondering where to go? Log into the Housing Portal, click on the Tenant Profile, and submit the request in the Affiliation tab by selecting the “reason for the change request” and new anticipated end-date, then click Update Affiliation. 

Here's what it looks like:

Residents may request an affiliation extension by logging into the Housing Portal, going to the “Tenant” tab and “Affiliation” subtab. Update the affiliation end date and select the reason for this change (Need additional time, starting a new program). 

• Look at the screenshot image in the previous question for guidance. “My affiliation end date is not correct. Can I update this?” 

Affiliation Review requests must be submitted within the following timelines: 

• FALL | October 1st- October 31st 

• SPRING | February 15th – March 15th 

Be sure to review the “Affiliation Review” section of the Housing Agreement and Renewal webpage. 

Starting Fall 2022, if you secured housing as a Waitlisted applicant, your affiliation ends at the end of that academic year (through May 31).

To be considered for housing beyond this date, you must request additional time by updating your affiliation end date via the Housing Portal. 

• IMPORTANT: you are not eligible to transfer unless this request for additional time is approved by your respective school. For questions on this, please contact your school’s Housing Liaison. 

If your request is denied by your school’s liaison, you will be required to move out by the end of your current agreement.

No. If your degree is conferred within the timeframe below, please Move-Out by the dates provided: 

• February | December 1 – 31st 

• October | August 1 – 31st 

If your current housing agreement ends May 31 and you are scheduled to graduate in May, you may request the Short-Term Housing Extension to remain in housing until June 30. 

IMPORTANT: This housing option is only available for the May graduates. You cannot request this extension for the Winter. Short-term extensions are granted to May graduates with an added administrative fee at 20% of the monthly rent after the yearly increase. While the extension rent will be prorated, this administrative fee is not prorated.

Eligible Law School residents may apply for the Bar Housing Extension.

• Please review the terms and conditions of the Bar Housing Extension before applying. 

PhD and doctoral students must move out no more than 60 days after their official defense date, regardless of when the degree is conferred. You must have an active agreement that includes the 60-day period to remain for the full 60 days. 

For example: If you defend April 15, but your current housing agreement ends May 31, you must move out by May 31. 

A move-out notice will be submitted on your behalf by Columbia Residential, if a notice has not been submitted already. Be sure to review the terms/conditions of the Moving-Out process. 

If you are approved for a leave of absence (including medical LOA), you must move out no more than 30 days from the official notice. A move-out notice will be submitted on your behalf once your school notifies Residential of your leave. 

Residents who withdraw from their program must move out within 30 days of the official notice. A move-out notice will be submitted on your behalf once your school notifies Residential of your leave.

Approval is contingent on the eligibility of the partner and the current unit. We cannot guarantee this will be accommodated, but we are happy to investigate this for you if you contact us.

If your partner has more time in their program and they are eligible for Residential, please email this request to [email protected].

General Transfer applications are reviewed between February 1-15 (Spring) and October 1-15 (Fall). There are no General Transfers over the Summer. 

• Renew the Housing Agreement (If eligible) to participate in the next General Transfer season. 

PRO TIP! Group and Direct Transfers can be completed anytime within the year, contingent on eligibility and availability. Please review the Transferring FAQs. 

We can't add your partner to the Housing agreement but they can be added to your Tenant Profile in the Housing Portal. You both will sign a new Couple and Family Housing Compliance Form and will need to complete a Couple and Family Compliance Certification when contacted. Please email [email protected] to officially request this.

Please note, this can only be accommodated under the below circumstances:

• Private apartment (studio or 1-bedroom apartment)
• Your partner must reside with you full-time. Please read our Couple and Family Housing webpage. 

IMPORTANT! Dorm suites are not eligible for Couples Housing. If your current apartment is an apartment share or dorm suite, please submit a General Transfer application and select “Change of Status Single/Couple/Family” as the reason for the Transfer. 

If you have one additional semester/year before the end of your affiliation, you will be eligible to receive a Housing Agreement Renewal as long as you continue to be enrolled-full time in your program and eligible for housing. 

Those who received housing off the Waitlist will have an affiliation end date of the end of that academic year (May 31). To be considered for more time in housing, you must first submit an affiliation review request by updating your end date via the Housing Portal. 

Housing Agreement Renewals are emailed to eligible residents approximately 1-2 months prior to the end of their current agreement.

It will be sent from DocuSign; please check your junk/spam folder of your email inbox if you are unable to locate the email.

The Housing Agreement will be for one academic year or until the end of your affiliation, whichever comes first.

• Requests for customized agreement lengths will not be considered.

Sign the housing agreement renewal and submit a Move-Out notice for the specific date you would like to move out. 

You are eligible for the Renewal so long you have an additional semester/academic year remaining on your affiliation.

Enrollment/registration statuses are not checked for Summer and Winter sessions. We only check enrollment for Spring and Fall semesters.

The renewal’s expiration date is highlighted on the DocuSign webpage. We recommend signing the renewal at least 5 days before the expiration date.

If you intend on extending your housing, the renewal must be signed as soon as possible!

• Remember, the signed agreement must be reviewed and processed by two other staff members.

No need! You will have ample time to read and sign!

Your Housing Agreement Renewal’s expiration date is highlighted on the DocuSign webpage. It is emailed to your Columbia email address; be sure to search your spam/junk folder if you do not receive it immediately. 

If you decline the renewal or let the renewal expire, expect to Move-Out at the end of your current housing agreement.

Please note that you will be charged until the keys are returned. You may return to the Superintendent or via the Express Move-Out Box. 

If the housing agreement renewal expires, we will assume that you no longer need housing, so you will need to plan to move out at the end of your current agreement. If you accidently let the renewal expire, please email [email protected] immediately.

We cannot guarantee that we can send you another renewal, but we would be happy to investigate options if you reach out to us immediately after the renewal expires.

We recommend the following, contingent on when you are planning to move out of housing:

January 1st – May 31st

• No. Simply decline the renewal and submit a Move-Out notice within your Housing Portal for the specific day you would like to move out. 

June 1st – August 31st

• Yes. If you receive the housing agreement renewal, you are eligible to extend your housing beyond May 31st. Simply submit a Move-Out notice within your Housing Portal for the specific day you would like to move out. 

PRO-TIP! If you have not confirmed your move out plans, we recommend signing the renewal. You can submit a move out notice at any time and it is better to have housing secured. Be sure to carefully review Cancellation of Housing information so that you are aware of any fees.  

Your housing agreement renewal is reviewed and completed after you sign. You can expect a copy of the renewal, emailed via DocuSign once other staff members review the document. 

• PLEASE NOTE: We may have a high volume of renewals and inquiries within April and May. Please expect a delay in receiving the completed document.