Transfers | Faculty & Postdocs

Columbia Residential understands that faculty and postdocs' needs may change during their time at the University. To support these transitions, a structured transfer process is available for residents who wish to move to a different apartment. The goal is to make moves as smooth and supportive as possible, while balancing availability and eligibility requirements.

Transfer Process

To qualify for a transfer, a resident must:
  • Be a current resident of Columbia Residential.
  • Not have received housing via the postdoc waitlist. Residents seeking an extension may submit an Affiliation Review request in the Housing Portal for approval from their sponsoring department/school.
  • Be a full-time faculty or postdoc approved for housing with at least six months remaining in their housing eligibility.  Transfers requested at the end of a resident’s housing eligibility may not be considered.
  • Be in good financial standing with the Office of the Controller 
  • Application: Interested residents may submit a transfer application through the Housing Portal. Faculty and postdoc transfer applications are accepted on a rolling basis during the review season only. 
  • Housing Selection: Approved applicants participate in the transfer housing selection process to review available inventory. For tenured faculty, assignments are determined by the Housing Priorities Committee outside of the selection process.
  • Security Deposit: A new security deposit payment is not immediately required to accept a transfer offer. Instead, the security deposit for the new transfer unit will be deferred and added to the first rent bill for the new apartment. . 
  • Review Season: Transfer applications are reviewed the last week of each month between October and March. Transfer applications are not reviewed during the Summer months. 
  • Decision Notifications: Applicants, including those not approved, will receive an update on their status each month during the transfer season. 
  • Assignments: Housing is allocated solely through the established general transfer selection process and available inventory, not based on “insider” knowledge of potential unit availability. 
  • Inventory: Transfers approvals are subject to inventory availability.  
  • Move In Deadlines: Residents must complete their transfer move within 30 days (3-4 weeks) from the date of housing selection. Tenured faculty who accepts an offer for a “move-in ready” apartment must move in within two months from the date of acceptance

Completing the Transfer

Approved transfer move-ins must be completed within 30 days (3-4 weeks) from the date of housing selection or offer. If a transfer occurs at the end of a transfer period, this timeline may be shortened. 

  • Columbia Residential will create a move-out notice on behalf of the resident one business day after the transfer move-in date. 
  • On the transfer move-in date, residents will receive the keys to the new apartment. 
  • All belongings must be removed from the previous apartment, and the keys must be returned to the superintendent by 4 PM on the following business day. 
  • Resident must complete the “Final Checkout” in the Housing Portal. 
  • Proration: Billing for a vacating unit will be prorated based on the selected move-out date. Billing for the new apartment will begin on the following day.
  • Rent Account Updates: Accounts are updated upon completion of the transfer process. If a full month's rent was paid for the previous apartment and the transfer occurred within that month, any overpayment will be applied to the new apartment’s rent account.
  • Processing Time: Please allow approximately two weeks from the move-out date for the account to reflect updated charges. A new rent bill statement for the transferred apartment will be issued once the new rent account is created.
  • Security Deposit Refunds: Deposits for the previous apartment are refunded after the transfer is complete. Residents may contact the Controller’s Office at [email protected] for an update on their refund.
  • New Rent Statement: The first statement for the new apartment will contain all rent due as well as the security deposit for the new apartment.

Canceling A Transfer

Residents who do not select or accept a new unit during the transfer process may remain in their current apartment through the end of their existing housing agreement.

However, once a resident selects and accepts a transfer offer and a vacancy has been entered, their previously assigned apartment may be released and made available to other residents. This means the original unit may no longer be available if the resident later wishes to cancel the transfer.

If a resident wishes to cancel their accepted transfer, they must submit a written request via email to [email protected]. All cancellation requests will be reviewed, but approval is not guaranteed and is subject to availability and administrative discretion.

We understand that sometimes available transfer options may not always meet resident needs. If none are the right fit at this time, we encourage residents to reapply in a future cycle or reach out to our office for support. We're here to help  find the best housing solution.