Changing or Cancelling Housing

Thinking about changing or cancelling your housing on campus? Explore the tabs above for:

• In-Semester Change – Find out about the Online Room Selection, Person-for-Person Swap, Roommate Pull-In, and more.
• Semesters Away – Plan your housing if participating in Education Abroad, Domestic Exchange, Co-Op and Internship programs.
• Spring Change – Explore Spring Pull-In, Spring Swap, Spring Online Room Selection, and more.
   

Cancellation Fee – Learn more about the cancellation fee and housing fee refund schedule.

Current On-Campus Students with a Housing Assignment

Students who are interested in changing their housing assignment have several options that they can use, which are outlined below. Since different spaces across campus are billed at different rates, students are strongly encouraged to review our Room Rates & Fees before securing a new assignment. If a student secures a new space that is billed at a different rate, the base room fee will be adjusted on their Bursar bill within ten days.
 

Person-for-Person Swap

September 11 - October 28
Students who move must complete move to new space by Sunday at 11:00 p.m.

Students can use the Room Swap process to exchange like assignments (ex. shared room to shared room, single to a single, apartment to apartment, more specifics are available in the Housing Portal). Students who are interested in swapping can do so from September 11 - October 28.  This process is completed in the Housing Portal. 

Students must properly exchange keys by going to their Residential Service Desks. Failure to exchange keys through the service desk will result in a $250 Lock Recore Fee.
 

Roommate Pull-In

September 11 - October 28, Assignments updated Thursdays by 4pm.

Please note: The Pull-In form will be closed from September 28 at 8:30am - October 2 at 10:00 while Assignments staff process room change requests.

Students who have a confirmed vacancy in their room are able to pull a preferred on-campus student into their room. In order to be pulled in, the student must be eligible for the space. For example, a senior could not be pulled into a space in a first-year residence hall. Students can complete pull-in requests in the Housing Portal from September 11 through October 28. Every Thursday, all matched pull-in requests will be updated. The pulled in student will have until Sunday to properly check out of their current assignment and complete their move into the new room.

Room Change

Students who are seeking vacancies across campus can submit room change requests on Housing Portal during the period outlined below. The spaces in Room Change will come from other students who have cancelled their assignment. This process allows students to request other areas and room types in order to move for the rest of the academic year. The timeline for Fall In-Semester Room Change is below:

• Room Change Request Form Available: September 25 – September 28 at 10am
• Room Matching Completed: September 28 - September 30
• Room Changes Released: October 1 by 4pm
• Final Move: Must complete move to new space by October 4 at 11:00 p.m.

Assignment changes are based on Room Selection Priority.  Students can find their priority in the Housing Portal.

Instructions for completing a Room Change Request:

1. Navigate to the Housing Portal and click the 'Request a Room Change' Button.
2. Rank order up to nine preferences.  You can list room types in a specific residence hall or room types in a specific residential area.  Students should only rank order options that they are willing to move to.  Students who are reassigned and decline their assignment will be subject to a $150 Blocked Room Fee.
3. Optionally, submit a preferred roommate.  You can also indicate that you are only willing to move if you can move with your preferred roommate.  (Please note: Empty doubles are currently only available in Sylvan and Orchard Hill).
4. Submit your preferences.  Students can return to the Room Change application to update their preferences until the form closes at 8:30am on September 28

By 4:00pm on October 1, students will be notified by email of their assignment status.  Students who are reassigned will have until October 4 at 11pm to complete their move by checking in to the new space and checking out of their former assignment.  

Current Students without a Housing Assignment

Current students who do not hold a housing assignment as of opening can walk in to the Residential Life Assignments Office, located in Crampton Hall, to seek an on-campus assignment. Please note that most available vacant spaces will be shared rooms with a roommate.

This page includes instructions for students participating in Education Abroad, Domestic Exchange, Co-Op and Internship programs. Please review the information based on the semester you will be away below for instructions on how to cancel your assignment and secure housing again when you return.

Assignment Change Options for Current On-Campus Students

Current on-campus students have several options to seek an assignment change for spring 2027, which are outlined below. Students are only eligible to use one process to change their assignments. Students who complete a swap or who complete a pull in are not eligible to receive an appointment for the Spring change process.  Students can find all room change processes in the Housing Portal.

Move Out Requirement for Students who secure a new assignment

Students who change their Spring 2027 housing assignment are required to check out of their fall assignment by removing their belongings from the space and returning their key to the Residential Service Desk by no later than 8:00 p.m. on December 22. Students will move into their spring 2027 assignment when halls reopen in January.

Students living in Break Housing: Students currently living in Break Housing (North Apartments, Grayson, Cashin, and Prince. Also, Brett, James and Gorman residents approved to stay over breaks) who select into a non-break space for spring 2027 are expected to fully check out by 4:00 p.m. on January 7. Students who do not properly check out by this time will be reassigned to their fall assignment. 

Students currently living in Break Housing who select another space in a break housing hall are able to remain in their fall assignment through winter break and will transition to their new spring assignment on early arrival day.
 

Spring Pull-In

November 9–29 at 5:00 p.m.

Residents with a confirmed vacancy in their room/apartment may pull in another student into their space for spring 2027. A confirmed vacancy exists if you currently have a vacant space in your room/apartment, your fall roommate has cancelled for spring 2027 or your fall roommate has been pulled into another space for spring 2027. All students participating in the pull-in will complete the online form from November 9 through November 29. 

The student who is being pulled in is expected to fully check out by removing their belongings from their fall assignment and turning in their key to the Residential Service Desk prior to halls closing. Students must wait to move into their new assignment until halls reopen for spring semester.

Important: Spring Roommate Pull-In is offered to allow residents who have a confirmed vacancy to choose their roommate for the spring semester. Residents should only pull in a roommate if they plan to remain in their assignment for spring semester. Residents who pull-in another student and later cancel their assignment co-opt the priority system we use for assignment changes. Based on this, Residential Life will void any roommate pull-in where a participant has cancelled and return the pulled in student to their original fall assignment.
 

Spring Swap

November 9–29

Students can use the Room Swap process to exchange like assignments (ex. shared room to shared room, single to a single within the same hall, apartment to apartment). Students who are interested in swapping can complete the process from November 9 through November 29.  The following steps are required to complete a swap:

1. One student will invite another person to complete a swap.  They will receive an email to inform them of the request.
2. The requested student must agree to the swap.  When they do, the initiating student will receive an email as well.
3. Finally, the initiating student must verify the swap.  Once verified, the swap will automatically be completed.

Please note that any student who completes a swap is expected to fully check out by removing their belongings from their fall assignment and turning in their key to the Residential Service Desk prior to halls closing. Students can move in to their new assignment when halls open for spring semester.

Please Note: Students in Economy Triples and expanded housing are able to swap with students in shared rooms. 

Spring Online Room Selection

• Appointment Request: November 9 – November 22
• Appointment Post: November 24 by 5:00 p.m.
• Room Selection: December 1 – December 4 at 4:00 p.m.

Students are able to select from available vacancies across campus for spring 2027 using spring Online Room Selection. Students can request an appointment in the Housing Portal from Monday, November 9 through Monday, November 22. Appointments will post for all on time requests on November 24 and Room Selection will take place from December 1 through December 4 at 4:00 p.m. 

Students who select a new assignment for spring semester will be expected to fully check out of their space by removing their belongings and returning their key to the Residential Service Desk before halls close for fall semester on December 22 at 8:00 p.m. Students who do not properly check out of their assignment will be reassigned to their original fall 2026 space. Students will check in to their spring assignment when halls open for spring semester.

Current Students without an Assignment

Unassigned students who are interested in securing an on-campus assignment, including students readmitting for spring 2026, can use Spring Online Room Selection. Please note that appointments for unassigned students will begin after on-campus students have had an opportunity to select.

Spring Online Room Selection

• Appointment Request: November 10 – November 24
• Appointment Post: November 26 by 5:00 p.m.
• Room Selection: December 1 – December 5 at 4:00 p.m.

Students can select from available vacancies across campus for spring 2026 using spring Online Room Selection. Students can request an appointment in SPIRE under Housing > Room Selection > Room Selection Home from Monday, November 10 through Monday, November 24. Appointments will post for all on time requests on November 26 by 3:00 p.m. and Room Selection will take place from December 1 through December 5 at 4:00 p.m. 

Late Unassigned Spring Room Selection

• Appointment Request: December 21 – January 3
• Appointment Post: January 5 by 5:00 p.m.
• Room Selection: January 6 – January 10 at 4:00 p.m.

Students are able to select from available vacancies across campus for spring 2026 using spring Online Room Selection. Students can request an appointment in SPIRE under Housing > Room Selection > Room Selection Home from December 21 through January 3. Appointments will post for all on time requests on January 5 and Room Selection will take place from January 6 through January 10. Students will check in to their spring assignment when halls open for spring semester.

Current students who properly checked out of their assignment by removing their belongings from their room and returning their key to the Residential Service Desk prior to halls closing on December 22 can also participate in this process.  In order to participate, students must email @email after checking out of their assignment.  Once your check-out is verified, you will receive additional instructions in order to request an appointment.

Current Students on Co-Op and Internship in the Boston Area

Students participating in a Co-Op or Internship in the Newton/Boston area can apply to live on-campus at Charles River Campus of UMass Amherst. Students will be able to select from available spaces on campus using Online Room Selection.

Room Selection Resources

Studying Abroad or Going on a Co-Op/Internship?
Specific instructions for students participating in a University approved semester away.

Room Selection Priority
Learn how to interpret your room selection priority listed in SPIRE.

Residence Halls
View the different areas of campus through floor plans and discover community features.

Cancellation Information
Review the Cancellation Fee Schedule in case you are considering cancelling your spring 2027 assignment.