Housing Cancellations

Student Responsibility 

The Student Housing License Agreement is a binding legal contract for the Academic Year. A student is expected to honor the License Agreement for the duration of the agreement. It is the student’s responsibility to personally notify University Housing, in writing via the online Housing Cancellation form, if they plan to leave the University or vacate housing for an approved and verified reason. 

• Required students: Cal Poly requires all first-year students as well as continuing students that are part of the two-year housing program to live on campus except for specific situations where a student has been approved for an exemption. 
• Housing Cancellations in conjunction with Dining Plan Cancellations: for first-year students, it is a one-step process to cancel Housing and Dining. Once the Housing Cancellation is submitted and processed, the Dining Plan will automatically also be cancelled. 
• For continuing students, it is a two-step process to cancel Housing and Dining. Once the Housing Cancellation is submitted, students will receive an email confirmation with next steps to submit a separate Dining Cancellation Form, if applicable. 

Please visit the Cal Poly Dining website for further information on Campus Dining. 

Cancelling housing prior to move-in? 

First-year students who decide not to attend Cal Poly or are attending but have an approved exemption to live off campus, need to cancel their on-campus housing in order to receive a full refund of their initial payment. If they cancel 30 days prior to their contract move-in date, they will not be charged Lack of Notice or Occupancy fees. First-year students will need to submit a Housing Cancellation on their University Housing Portal. The Exemption request is also found in the University Housing Portal under the Housing Applications link, and once approved, submitting the Housing Cancellation is the final step.

Continuing and transfer/graduate students needing to cancel prior to move-in need to have an approved exemption if they are part of the two-year housing program and then, their initial payment is refundable. If not part of the two-year housing program, students need to have an approved reason for cancelling as outlined in the Housing Cancellation on their University Housing Portal. Note, cancelling housing to live off-campus is not a reason for an initial payment refund. Cancellations need to be submitted at least 30 days prior to their contract move-in date to avoid Lack of Notice and Occupancy fees.

Reasons for Cancellation 

Students may wish to request to cancel their housing for several reasons. Below are approved reasons to choose from when completing their Housing Cancellation request in the University Housing Portal. If they are trying to cancel for a reason other than what is listed below as a student who is not part of a two-year required group but is already living on campus (this doesn’t apply if it is pre-move-in), they need to file a Housing Exception Review, also in the University Housing Portal, under the Housing Cancellation tab.  Note, students do not need to cancel their housing when they are moving out at the end of the academic year/end of spring quarter as outlined in their signed housing contract. 

• Academic dismissal/denial 
  • Lack of notice fees not applicable 
• Medical leave / Medical withdrawal 
  • Lack of notice fees not applicable 
• Leave of absence / Withdrawal 
• Another school 
• Off-campus housing / No longer interested  
  • This reason for cancellation will not be approved to required students 
• Agriculture housing 
• Approved housing exemption 
  • Required students only 
  • Select this reason when your housing exemption is approved 
• Became RA 
• Graduation 
• Married, domestically partnered and/or have dependent children 
• Internship / Study Abroad / Military 
  • Only applicable to non-required students 
  • Required students must apply for a housing exemption for these reasons 

30-day Notice 

Students must give 30 days' notice prior to their move-out upon submitting their housing cancellation. Failure to do so may result in Lack of Notice fees that are charged at the rate of $10 per night under the 30-day cancellation window, as of the day University Housing receives the cancellation notification. For example, if notice is given 25 days prior, $50 in Lack of Notice fees will be charged (5 nights at $10/night). Under the discretion of University Housing Leadership, 30-day Lack of Notice fees may be waived in certain circumstances, such as cancelling housing for medical reasons. Additional Lack of Notices fee information can be found in Section 4 of the Student Addendum. 

Steps to Cancel your Housing Contract 

To submit a Housing Cancellation request, first log into your University Housing Portal and then follow the steps below, reading each webpage thoroughly as you go through the process: 

• Click ‘Housing Cancellation’ tab 
• Click ‘Continue’ for the Academic Year you are canceling 
• Select the timing in the year from the drop-down menu 
• ‘Save & Continue’ 
• Select the reason for your cancellation from the drop-down menu 
• Enter additional information regarding your cancellation in the open comment box 
  • Students that are unsure of their move-out plans but think there is a possibility they are going to need to cancel for one of the approved reasons can submit a housing cancellation and write ‘Hold’ in this comment box. This allows them to secure their 30-day notice while giving them the time to confirm the plans. Students will need to follow-up with housing within that 30-day window to confirm if they will be moving out and we will then lift the hold or remove their cancellation request on their behalf.   
  • ‘Save & Continue’ 
  • Enter your EmplID as your Electronic Signature in the open text box 
  • ‘Submit’ 
  • You will receive an email confirmation to your Cal Poly email with next steps, including submitting a Dining Cancellation Form, if applicable 
  • Keep University Housing apprised of any changes, you may go back into your Housing Cancellation request and update any information as well 

Move-out Steps 

To avoid improper check-out fees, lost key and/or lost access/prox card fees, and/or cleaning fees, students need to follow these steps to successfully move out of on-campus housing: 

• Clear their room of personal belongings, clean the room, and place the furniture back in the original location as it was when they moved in. 
• Take photos of the clean, empty room. If living in a shared space, take photos of the bed and surrounding area. 
• Fill out and submit the ‘Express Check-out,' including uploading room photos, in the University Housing Portal. 
• Fill out an Express Check-out Key Return envelope, found at community front desks. 
• Return keys and access/prox card to an Express Check-out box, found in the community lobby. 

Housing Refunds 

Students will not be refunded occupancy fees. Occupancy fees are charged when students are living in the room, storing their things in the room, or if we are holding the room for student during their contractual period when dates are Students will continue to be charged for occupying their room assignment until the date they are completely moved out, which is determined by the date of the Express Check-out submission. Once the Express Check-out is submitted, University Housing will process the student’s housing cancellation and any refunds due will be processed by Student Accounts in 4-6 weeks. 

Students who submit a housing cancellation prior to move-in will not do an Express Check-out, and they will only be refunded their initial payment if: 

• They submit their cancellation at least 30 days prior to their move-in date and are not cancelling to live off campus, as that is not an approved reason and therefore makes their initial payment non-refundable. 
• Cancelling for one of the following reasons is approved for an initial payment refund: 
  • Academic dismissal/denial 
  • Medical leave / Medical withdrawal 
  • Leave of absence / Withdrawal 
  • Another school 
  • Ag Housing 
  • Approved housing exemption 
  • Became RA 
  • Graduation 
  • Married, domestically partnered and/or have dependent children 
  • Internship / Study Abroad / Military 

Student Welfare 

If students wish to cancel their housing for personal reasons, we ask that they please consider on-campus support options before doing so. There are lots of resources available to students that can support a fulfilling on-campus living experience. Talking with their Residential Advisor (RA) and/or Coordinator of Student Development (CSD) for support, reaching out to Campus Health & Wellbeing for Counseling Services, and/or contacting the Disability Resource Center are all helpful avenues that have assisted many students in maintaining their enrollment and on-campus housing. 

Contract Information 

All sited contractual information can be found in the Student Addendums under Policies.