Housing Agreement Cancellation, Termination, and Financial Liability Information (2024-2025)

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:

 

• Important Information for Fall Term Cancellations

  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”
• Important Information for Spring Term Cancellations

  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”
• Important Changes for 2025-2026 Cancellation Timeline and Fees

  See below the updated timeline and fees for canceling a 2025-2026 Housing Agreement. If you paid a housing deposit, your housing deposit will be applied against any termination fees:

  Cancellation Request Date:	Termination Fee:
  April or earlier	$0
  May and June	$200
  July	$300
  August 1 - August 23 (before moving in)	$400
  August 24 or later (before moving in)	$500

   Students who move in and are later approved to move out without financial liability for the remainder of their agreement are charged a $500 termination fee.

• Returning graduates and families with agreements starting in June:
  Must cancel by May 31st and are subject to $100  termination fee.
• Cancellation requests after the start of an agreement period and prior to moving into housing:

  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.

   

• Admission Deferral and Housing Deposit:

  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"

• How to cancel an upcoming academic year housing agreement:

  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.

• Reasons for Release from Financial Liability

  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.
• Requesting release from financial liability for one of the reasons mentioned:

  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.

• For students who live in on campus housing and move out for an approved reason between Fall and Spring semesters:

  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.