Housing Policies

Only full-time registered matriculated students of the College & approved visiting students who are in good financial and disciplinary standing may occupy College housing. Students who are approved for part-time enrollment or who begin the Columbia portion of a 4+1 or 3+2 dual-degree program are not eligible for College housing. Some Columbia students may be eligible for College housing, provided they meet the requirements for the BC/CU Housing Exchange as defined by both the College & the University.

Eligibility for residence does not equal a guarantee of housing. Continuing students eligible for the Room Selection process must meet all deadlines for assignment to rooms. Incoming first-year & VISP students must meet all deadlines for submitting a housing application. Housing assignments for students in non-Guaranteed application categories, including (but not limited to) Transfer & Visiting students, students returning after a leave of absence, commuters, and students who were not eligible for or did not take part in Room Selection; depend on the availability of space in College housing.

Students may lose eligibility to apply for or maintain occupancy in College housing as a result of disciplinary action by the College.

If for any reason a student ceases to be eligible for residence, they must vacate their room within 48 hours.

A resident’s right to occupancy shall begin no earlier than the first day the halls are open for each semester, with such dates & times to be announced prior to each semester. Students must check-in no later than 5pm on the first day of classes. Failure to do so may result in the loss of room assignment; however, the Contract will remain in full force and effect, including all financial obligations. All requests for late check-in (after 5 pm on the first day of classes) must be submitted in writing to RL&H prior to the start of the semester check-in period.

The residence halls are closed at the end of both the Fall and Spring semesters. Residents must vacate their rooms by the published deadlines. The residence halls are closed during the Winter Break.

Only residents with assignments for both the Fall & Spring semesters and in good financial and disciplinary standing with the College are permitted to leave personal belongings in their room over Winter Break.

Please visit the Bursar website for the current academic year room rates.

All rooms in Barnard campus housing, with the exception of Studio Singles at 110th St, are charged at the same rate.

Only students graduating mid-year or studying abroad in an approved program for the Spring may cancel their housing contracts for the Spring semester without cancellation charges.

Barnard students living in Columbia residence halls through the Barnard/Columbia Housing Exchange will be billed following the Barnard room rates. Columbia students living in Barnard residence halls will be billed by and for rates set by Columbia University Undergraduate Housing.

The College establishes room charges for the academic year. Tuition, room, board and all other fees are payable semiannually in advance, one-half by August 1 and one-half by December 1; failure to make full payment for the Fall and/or Spring semester by those dates will result in forfeiture of existing assigned space. Students continue to be responsible for room fees unless and until the housing assignment is canceled and/or vacated as specified below. In all events, no student will be allowed to occupy an assigned room until all College fees are paid in the time and manner established by the College.

At all times, only the student shall occupy the assigned space. Under no circumstances may a student swap assignments without prior approval; nor may students exchange keys with another student, sublet their room, or provide regular housing to any other person(s).

The College reserves the right to assign any vacant space at any time, and is not obligated to inform roommates or suitemates of changes. Any student with a vacancy in their room must keep the space open and ready for assignment at any point. The College has the right to move any such possessions that may be blocking a new student’s assigned space. Residents who fail to keep a vacant space free of their possessions will be subject to conduct action and will be charged for any costs involved in having these items moved. If the roommates/suitemates discourage or fail to accept the occupancy by an assigned student, they will be subject to conduct action that may include relocation, fines, additional rent, and/or termination of their assignment.

Please visit sys-filter.com/reslife/meal-plans.

Any of the occupants, furnishings, features, and configuration of the room/suite and/or a student’s room assignment shall be made and may be changed by the College at any time, at its sole discretion. Requests specifying only one particular residence or type of housing cannot be accommodated, nor can roommate/suitemate preferences based upon race, color, religion, religious practices, creed, national or ethnic origin, sexual orientation, age, disability, sex, gender identity or expression, socioeconomic status, and/or dietary preferences. Any occurrences of verbal or physical intimidation or creating an atmosphere of discomfort for a new resident will not be tolerated and may lead to conduct action.

The College reserves the right to enter and inspect any room when, at the discretion of staff members, it is deemed necessary for the security and/or maintenance of the residence or for the safety and/or discipline of the residents. This includes specifically, but is not limited to, the right to inspect/enter rooms to ensure compliance with rules concerning use of rooms, preservation of clean and sanitary conditions, maintenance, extermination of insects & vermin, fire safety & prevention, compliance with local, state, & federal laws, in preparation for upcoming renovation work, or health & safety reasons. Residents cannot refuse access to a College employee or contractor who is in the process of performing the responsibilities of their position and such refusal may lead to disciplinary action.

By taking occupancy of the space, the student accepts its condition “as is” at such time and assumes responsibility to maintain the space (and any common areas in which the assigned space is located) in a clean, safe, and undamaged condition at all times. Students are expected to review & sign the Room Condition Report Form (RCR) to confirm the condition of their room upon arrival.

Common areas (e.g. suite or floor kitchens, bathrooms, lounges) are the responsibility of all members in that area, and all residents assigned to that area are jointly responsible for cleaning and maintaining them. When vacating the assigned space, all residents must remove all personal property and leave the room, any common areas, and any furnishings clean and in the same condition they were in when occupancy commenced. Any personal property left in the room or the common areas will be promptly removed and discarded at the expense of the resident(s).

All students are expected to follow established procedures for check-in and check-out of their room assignment. Failure to properly check-in in a timely fashion will result in loss of the room assignment, and failure to vacate by the day/ time published will minimally result in a fine for improper check-out and/or removal of personal belongings. In addition, the student shall reimburse the College upon request for all damages or expenses which the College may suffer or incur for repair or excessive cleaning of any residence hall, or for repair or replacement of College provided furniture and/or equipment (including smoke detectors), caused by the misconduct or neglect of the student or of their guests. Residents are required to report any room concerns to Facilities for immediate repair. Failure to do so leaves the resident responsible for the repair and/or replacement cost. Any damages or expenses incurred in a room or facility within the residence halls will be charged equally to all residents of that room/suite or users of that facility unless the responsible person or persons assume specific liability. Charges are assessed by RL&H staff and will be billed to the student’s Bursar account. Failure to pay such charges may be cause for refusal to permit registration or for such other action as may be determined appropriate by the College until sums owed are paid in full. The policy regarding the referral of delinquent accounts for collection also applies to damages and expenses. Any appeal of said charges must be submitted in writing by the student within 30 days of the charge being posted to the student’s account. A list of items that may result in damage charges is available at sys-filter.com/reslife/policies/damage-charges.

Please see Housing Cancellations for the cancellation policies & fee schedule.

The College has delegated to RL&H the responsibility for establishing and enforcing regulations governing conduct of residents within the residence halls. RL&H staff may consult with other College administrators in carrying out this responsibility.

At the discretion of the College, a resident may be subject to certain conditions for continuing residence. This includes, but is not limited to, a change in room assignments or dismissal from College housing for disruptive behavior including, but not limited to, behavior such that a resident cannot adequately take care of their own health and safety in the context of College housing or is a danger to the health and safety of others and/or the community.