Housing Agreement Cancellation, Termination, and Financial Liability Information
For full details about Financial Liability, please refer to the Terms of Occupancy.
Housing agreement cancellations have a direct impact on the University’s housing operations
because the budget for housing operations is derived entirely from operating revenue
under the housing agreements. The housing agreement is similar to other consumer contracts.
Its value is that the agreement terms provide conditions to which either party is
assured compliance by the other. While many consumer contracts do not provide opportunities
for a party to terminate the agreement, the housing agreement does provide a possibility
for termination but only in accordance with the specific reasons listed in the Terms
of Occupancy.
Important terminology:
Cancellation: when a student cancels their upcoming room reservation by submitting a cancellation
request through their housing portal before moving in and does not complete a check-in
or receive a room key.
Termination of housing agreement: occurs during an active housing agreement after a resident has checked in and received their
room key. Housing agreements end in May of the current academic year.
Termination Fee: applied to cancellations and/or agreement terminations in the amount of $100, $200,
or $400.
Any resident who cancels or terminates their housing agreement loses priority for
future housing on campus. Housing is only prioritized for the first academic semester of a newly admitted student
or for students who remain living on campus and participate in returning student renewal
application processes each year. Students who had housing during or the semester prior
who take a documented medical leave through the university, participate in an SBU
external study, or U.S. military leave will retain eligibility to return to housing
on the first semester they return to classes on campus. All other students will have
to join a waiting list if they are interested in housing in the future.
Housing reservation cancellations and agreement terminations can occur under the following
conditions:
Information for students who pay the $200 housing deposit:
Housing deposits are paid by newly admitted students, both undergraduate and graduate,
that are looking to live on campus. Newly admitted students that are looking to cancel
their housing request will be subject to the dates and terms outlined below:
Requests received by July 31 are eligible for $100 of their deposit to be credited
to their student account.
Requests received after July 31 and before the start of the housing agreement (the
Saturday before semester classes start) will forfeit their full housing deposit and
are not subject to any termination fee.
For information regarding cancellations after the start of an agreement, please see
the information box below labeled, “Cancellation requests after the start of an agreement
period and prior to moving into housing”
Information for students who do not pay the $200 housing deposit:
Returning undergraduate and graduate students are not required to pay a housing deposit
as part of returning student room selection. Some newly admitted undergraduate and
graduate students are not required to pay the housing deposit as well. For these students,
the housing deposit is waived as part of the admissions process. These new students
will receive an email to fill out their On-Campus Housing Intent form. In addition,
any students that apply to the waitlist and are offered a space on-campus are not
required to pay a housing deposit. For all of these populations of students that intend
to live on-campus or accept their housing offer (in the case of waitlists), will be
subject to the dates and terms outlined below if they are looking to cancel their
housing request:
Housing cancellation requests received by July 31 will be charged a $100 termination
fee to their student account.
Housing cancellation requests received after July 31 and before the start of the housing
agreement (the Saturday before semester classes start) will be charged a $200 termination
fee to their student account.
For information regarding cancellations after the start of an agreement, please see
the information box below labeled, “Cancellation requests after the start of an agreement
period and prior to moving into housing”
Residents who lived in for the fall semester are not eligible to cancel their academic
year agreement for spring. Fall residents should see the section below labeled "Moving
out of housing and terminating your agreement early"
Information for students who pay the $200 housing deposit:
Housing deposits are paid by newly admitted students, both undergraduate and graduate,
that are looking to live on campus. Newly admitted students that are looking to cancel
their housing request will be subject to the dates and terms outlined below:
Requests received by January 15 are eligible for $100 of their deposit to be credited
to their student account.
Requests received after January 15 and before the start of the housing agreement (the
Saturday before semester classes start) will forfeit their full housing deposit and
are not subject to any termination fee.
For information regarding cancellations after the start of an agreement, please see
the information box below labeled, “Cancellation requests after the start of an agreement
period and prior to moving into housing”
Information for students who do not pay the $200 housing deposit:
Some newly admitted undergraduate and graduate students are not required to pay the
housing deposit as well. For these students, the housing deposit is waived as part
of the admissions process. These new students will receive an email to fill out their
On-Campus Housing Intent form. Newly admitted students that intend to live on-campus
and are looking to cancel their housing request will be subject to the dates and terms
outlined below:
Housing cancellation requests received by January 15 will be charged a $100 termination
fee to their student account.
Housing cancellation requests received after January 15 and before the start of the
housing agreement (the Saturday before semester classes start) will be charged a $200
termination fee to their student account.
For information regarding cancellations after the start of an agreement, please see
the information box below labeled, “Cancellation requests after the start of an agreement
period and prior to moving into housing”
Must cancel by May 31st and are subject to $100 termination fee.
The Saturday before the first day of classes is the last day to cancel your agreement
with only forfeiting your deposit or being charged a termination fee equivalent to
the deposit fee for those that did not pay a deposit. Students who fail to cancel
prior to the start of their agreement period and do not check-in by check in deadlines
will be charged the $400 termination fee. Students that have not arrived and are not
canceled by this deadline will be processed as a cancellation. The check-in deadline
is 5 pm on the first day of classes. Late check-in can be requested until the end
of the second week of classes when late registration ends. If someone requests a late
check-in and does not check in by late registration, they will be canceled and a $400
termination fee applied.
If we receive notice of an admissions deferral prior to the start of an agreement
(the Saturday before semester classes start) and you have not already cancelled your housing, we will process your current housing
deposit as a forfeit but not require a housing deposit for the semester your admissions
was deferred to. This can only be done for the first time admissions is deferred.
Any further readmissions beyond the initial deferred semester, will require a new
housing deposit to be made.
Admissions deferrals taking place after the start of agreement period are subject
to normal termination fees related to "Cancellation requests after the start of an
agreement period and prior to moving into housing"
Our cancellation request is located in the Housing Portal which requires the student to use their university credentials (NetID and password)
to log in.
Click the red STONYBROOK - STUDENT SSO LOGIN button using your NetID and password
to log in.
When on the portal homepage, click the Housing Agreement Cancellation Request button image to proceed with the cancellation process.
A confirmation will be sent to the student’s email address upon successful completion.
If there are issues submitting via the method above, contact reside@stonybrook.edu for assistance. Please include your ID number in your correspondence.
Moving out of housing and requesting to terminate your agreement early:
If a resident chooses to vacate their room assignment and turn in their room key,
they will end their housing agreement but continue to be financially liable for the
remainder of that agreement.
There are limited reasons why someone who terminates their agreement by moving out
may be released from the financial responsibility at the time of check-out or between
housing semesters.
Any request for release of liability must be received within 30 days after checking
out by submitting a Housing Appeal through the housing portal. The last day an in-room
resident can submit an appeal is April 1 with a requested move-out date of no later
than April 15.
Stony Brook will assess an early termination charge in the amount of $400. This charge
would be assessed on any student who submits an appeal for release from the housing
agreement that is approved. The termination charge would be in addition to any prorated
housing fees assessed to the student’s account if they appeal their housing liability
and move(d) out after the start of a term session billing period. The total charge
assessed to the student would not exceed the published rate for their assigned space.
Students would not be charged the early termination fee in the following situations:
Student has graduated from the University.
The student withdraws from the University.
Student enters into active duty in the US military.
Student leaves on an approved external study from the University (study abroad, clinical
rotation, academic internship, etc).
All reasons not covered below are not eligible for release from their agreement. Students
will continue to be fully financially liable for their housing agreement charges until
the end of the agreement period. Graduate and Family agreement charges will continue
to be applied monthly until the end of the agreement period. Undergraduate agreement
charges for Spring will be applied in December or mid-February based on the student's
date of check-out in fall semester and when spring charges are initially applied to
the student’s account.
Requiring minimal documentation:
In certain instances release of financial liability is automatic, expected, and can
be validated through the university. Below is a list of automatic releases that only
require documentation when Campus Residences cannot validate through the information
received from University partners:
Graduating at the end of Fall semester.
Spring semester SBU External Study (Study abroad, academic internships or clinicals
outside of Suffolk County).
Withdrawal from all courses during the semester or not registering for spring semester
classes.
Finishing your program at the end of the fall semester (National Student Exchange,
Intensive English Center student, International Academic Program student).
Requiring detailed documentation:
The reasons listed below will release a resident from their housing agreement during
the agreement period when there is significant supporting documentation to the request
being stated and approved through appropriate procedures.
Doctoral students completing their degree at a time that does not align with the traditional
end of their housing agreement.
Military leave.
Student with an active medical/psychological condition that requires a student to
live off campus.
Student with unexpected financial hardship that arose after initial check-in to the
agreement period.
Student with a new responsibility as a primary caretaker for a family member/guardian
with an active medical situation requiring them to live with that family member/guardian
that arose after initial check-in to the agreement period.
A new imminent safety concern related to interpersonal altercations that cannot be
met by a room change to a new on campus location. See terms for additional details.
Prior to check out, or within 30 days of check-out, students requesting release from
financial liability when terminating their agreement can submit a “Housing Appeal”
in the housing portal:
Select financial liability appeal as the appeal type.
Submitting an appeal requires an explanation of the situation and an attachment of
supporting documentation.
Documentation may look different based on student situations that they are appealing.
See the Terms of Occupancy for additional details on what may be required based on
your situation.
Please include in your explanation and supporting documentation all reasons and supporting
information as you cannot resubmit your appeal.
Appeals are generally responded to within 7 business days. At busier times of the
year, response times may take longer.
Appeals are only handled in writing via this process. After submission and initial
response to your appeal, communication will only happen via email on file with the
university. We maintain thorough records so we can ensure consistency of documentation
and decisions. All communication is in writing so students have a record of all decisions
related to their appeal. As such, appeals cannot be discussed over the phone or in
person.
You will need to complete a move out of campus housing by the end of the fall housing
billing period in order to not incur any spring housing bill.
Contact your area office for information on how to successfully check-out.
Your fall housing bill covers housing through Winter break until the start of Winter
academic session.
You must be moved out by the end of the Fall Housing period in order to not incur
any of your spring housing bill.
You will not receive any credit for your fall housing regardless of the date you move
out.
If you are completing the check-out after the start of Winter Session classes, you
will incur a spring housing bill until your key is returned and you are checked out
through an area office.
Students moving out of housing due to an academic suspension or expulsion will continue
to be charged for housing until they complete a proper check out from their assigned
space and return their room key to their area office.