Guidelines and Contracts

Miami University has adopted a policy which is used at many colleges and universities. Consolidation means that when a room or apartment is not being used to its maximum capacity, the Office of Housing Options, Meals & Events (HOME Office) reserves the right to move the remaining resident or residents to a similar room or apartment, preferably within the same building, to ensure maximum occupancy and efficiency of all living spaces. When consolidation is necessary, students will be notified.Consolidation will occur several times throughout the year starting with the room assignment process for the following year. Consolidation will begin after the cancellation period following the upperclass room selection. The consolidation process will continue throughout the year as needed. Consolidation may require relocating one resident to another resident's room. The authority to relocate and consolidate residents is stated in the provisions of the Residence Hall & Meal Plan Contract. The Office of Housing Options, Meals, and Events reserves the right to proceed immediately to administrative consolidation when deemed necessary.

The department of Housing, Dining, Recreation, and Business Services works diligently to meet the needs of each and every student resident who contracts to live with us on campus. We take our responsibility very seriously and appreciate the commitment you've made to us. It is important to note that the contractual agreement for housing with Miami University is a legal and binding agreement. We understand, however, that there are special situations in which you may need to petition to be released from your contract. The Student Housing Appeals Board is a group of students, staff, faculty, and Health Center personnel who review housing contract appeals. With proper documentation, releases are automatically granted if you withdraw from the university, graduate, or marry. If you study abroad or undertake an academically related internship outside of the Oxford area you will be granted a release for the period of time you are required to reside out of the area. In this instance you will be required to complete a Not Returning Form.

If your plans change and you are registered on the Oxford campus, you will be required to fulfill your contractual agreement with us. The Appeals Board will carefully and consistently consider if a significant change (outside of your control) has taken place since the signing of the contract that warrants a modification or release from the Housing Contract. Release requests are generally not granted for the desire to live off-campus, roommate conflicts, fraternity/sorority issues, or social and personal preferences. Please contact the Office of Residence Life if you experience a roommate conflict. Because Miami has a Residency Requirement, First and Second Year students are not eligible to file a Contract Appeal. If you feel that you have a legitimate financial, medical, or other reason for requesting a release from your contract, complete and submit the Housing Contract Appeal Form, along with appropriate supporting documentation (see form for more detail). If your appeal is of medical nature, you are also required to provide supporting documentation from your medical provider. The appeal process can take 10-14 business days (Medical Appeals may take longer). Please submit all appropriate documentation, as incomplete appeals may lengthen the process. Requests submitted without proper documentation will be pending until it is provided.

You should not assume that your request will be approved, and should wait for a written response from the appeals board prior to making other living arrangements. Students who choose to sign an off-campus lease agreement in anticipation of a contract release may be held financially responsible for both an on-campus and an off-campus lease/contract. We don't want that to happen, so please wait to hear from us. If your appeal is granted, you will be contacted by the Office of Housing Options, Meals & Events to coordinate a timeframe for vacating your room before building access privileges and meal plans are ended.

Please note that this policy does not apply to full-time first year and second year students. If you are a full-time first year or second year student, you are required to live on campus. See the First Year and Second Year Student Residency Requirement section of this page for further information. In some cases such as student teaching, internships, and study abroad trips you may be permitted to fill out a Not Returning Form. The cancellation period for upperclass students is the week (7 calendar days) after you submit your Housing Contract, during which you may cancel your contract in writing without penalty or question. If you choose to cancel during this period, you may do so by completing a Contract Cancellation Form in the HOME Office, room 034 in the Campus Avenue Building. Please note that no matter when you submit your contract, you will have 7 calendar days to cancel without being financially and legally bound to it. If your educational plans change such that you withdraw from Miami or you you are interning away from campus, you will automatically be released from your contract (for the semester you are away from Miami) upon submission of the appropriate documentation to our office. Please read your specific contract provisions for more details, as there are differences between Residence Hall and Heritage Commons policies. If you signed your contract on a weekend and are unable to cancel due to our office being closed, please send an email to home@miamioh.edu indicating your desire to cancel your contract. As long as the email is sent before the 7 calendar day cancellation period has ended, your request will be honored. The cancellation period only applies to students who are not required to live on campus. If you fall within a group that is required to live on campus, you do not have the option to cancel your contract.

All full-time first year students and second year students are required to live on campus through the spring semester of their second academic year of enrollment. Students who (1) are over 21 years of age by the first day of class; (2) reside with their parents, legal guardians, spouses or dependent children (affidavit required); or (3) have matriculated full-time for at least two years at another institution of higher education or a regional campus (credits must be post high school) are exempt from this requirement. Students seeking an exemption to this requirement must submit the Residency Requirement Exemption Application to the Office of Housing Options, Meals, and Events prior to the beginning of the semester for which the exemption is sought. Please do not sign a housing contract if you plan to apply for an exemption. You will not be eligible to file an exemption if you have a signed contract on file for the term of which you wish to be exempt. Fraternity exemptions are coordinated through the Cliff Alexander Office of Fraternity & Sorority Life and Leadership.

Room Change Requests Online - The HOME Office coordinates room changes prior to the start of the Academic Year for which the change is being requested. During the late spring and early summer, returning students can submit room change requests conveniently through their MyCard account. You will be able to list your requests, and rank them by preference. Our staff will work hard during the summer to meet as many requests as possible. Each year, we are able to satisfy hundreds of requests! After the Academic Year begins, room change requests are handled through Residence Hall Directors and Residence Life. Single/private room requests are always coordinated through the HOME Office, regardless of the time of year.

One of the unique things about living on campus is that you are not bound to your assigned room as you would be with a traditional apartment or house lease. If you would like to move to a different room within your assigned residence hall or a different area of campus after the school year has started, contact your Hall Director to discuss your options. Room and hall changes may usually be made after the second week of the semester. Before making a room change, you must obtain approval of the Hall Director in both halls.

If there is a vacant bed in a student room, the HOME Office may assign another student to that room at any time. Current residents of that room who create a hostile environment for new or potentially new roommates may face disciplinary action. Before winter break, students with vacant beds in their room must prepare the room for a roommate. Preparation includes moving all personal belongings to one side of the room, emptying one dresser and closet, and cleaning the room.

• Pre-Semester: For the most part, pre-semester housing arrangements are approved for students to live in their permanent rooms as assigned for the academic year. However, due to various summer and construction activities on campus, there is an occasional need to place students into temporary housing assignments until their permanent rooms become available. Any such need for a temporary placement is communicated directly with any student affected.
• Temporary Assignments: It is often necessary for a small number of incoming students to be assigned to a temporary room on campus for a short period of time at the beginning of the semester. This is very common at universities. During the first two weeks of class we identify students who did not show up, or who withdrew within the first few days of class, which allows us to quickly assign students from temporary into permanent rooms. In these situations, we always offer moving assistance and work closely with students to help ensure a great experience.

In accordance with state regulations, all residential students must complete a Meningococcal/Hepatitis B Vaccination status form before their contract can be processed. This is not a requirement to have a vaccination; rather, it is an indication of whether or not you’ve had the vaccine. You will complete this form online as part of your online housing contract.  More information can be found here.