Housing & Residence Life FAQ
Freshman Students - Fall 2023
The first-year live on requirement at the university is fulfilled by both the residence halls and through living in house with Fraternity & Sorority Life.
We have housing available to every first-year student who would like to live on campus. Please see below for the most recent availability.
As of noon May 15 the following locations are still available.
- Wallace Residence Center — Academic Traditional (Limited spaces remaining)
- Specialized Communities
- EHHS - College of Education, Health and Human Sciences (Gooding 1st Floor; Limited spaces remaining)
- Pre-Health Professions (Gooding 2nd Floor)
- Art and Architecture (Ballard 1st Floor; Limited spaces remaining)
For the most recent updated housing availability, log-in to your housing application to view available rooms.
Students who are unable to see any available rooms should try the following options:
1) If you selected a specialized community on the "Choose your community" tab, the spaces may have filled. Navigate back to the "Choose your community" page and select "academic traditional" at the bottom of the page. Then click "save and continue" until you reach the room selection page.
2) If you are in a roommate group, there may no longer be spaces available to accommodate the entire group. If you leave the group, you will see additional room options on the room selection page.
Current/Transfer Student Waitlist (2023-2024 academic year)
This year we have had a significant increase in students wanting to return to on-campus housing than in previous years. Unfortunately, we have a limited amount of space designated for current/transfer students.
Last fall we had a record number of first-year students resulting in about 100 students living in overflow housing in either a hotel or within the fraternity community. Hoping to avoid this, as we are anticipating another record number of fall first-year students, it is warranted we prioritize room selection.
As the university has a first-year live-on requirement, requiring first-year students to live on-campus, it is necessary that these individuals are prioritized for fall housing.
Though we still have space available in the residence halls; it is being held at this time and will be released for assignments as we gain more information on the size of the incoming first-year class.
Moving forward, current or transfer students who have applied for housing 2023-2024 should expect the following:
- All applicants who have not been assigned a room have automatically been added to the waitlist for a room. All applicants should select their preferred community options in the housing application under the "Housing Community Options" page.
- An update every two weeks from Housing and Residence Life which includes where you are on the waiting list and any updates for on-campus housing for the fall;
- The option to cancel your housing application at any time with no penalties. You may cancel your housing application through the housing portal under your application status page.
- It is not too late to consider Fraternity and Sorority Life (FSL). FSL always welcomes new members and is an amazing opportunity to be a part of an engaged community at the university.
- There are numerous apartment communities and property management companies that provide housing for students and that are close to campus. Visit the university’s off-campus housing page for up to date information.
Housing and Residence Life staff are working diligently to accommodate and assist as many students as possible. If you have any immediate questions or needs, please email us at housing@uidaho.edu
Residence Hall Living Question and Answer - 2022
Have questions about Residence hall Living? Here is the recording from our Live Q & A Session. Housing and Residence Life and Vandals Dining Staff were live to answer your questions about fall move-in and residence hall living for the coming year. If you have additional questions, email housing@uidaho.edu.
Rooms
Our team puts in a great deal of effort to make sure your room is clean and in good condition. Rooms may have some normal wear from usage over time. Items such as small paint chips, scratches in wood/painted furniture, or pinholes in cork board are considered “normal wear”. It is the responsibility of each student to inspect their space at move-in and report the condition of the space.
When inspecting the room you should look for items such as: wall damage (holes, large paint chips, etc.), flooring damage (large stains or tears), mattress damage (inspect seams for tears/holes), and broken furniture. As with any rental we encourage you to take pictures/video of the space at move-in and keep them for your records.All residents must complete a Room Condition Report within 72 hours of check-in.
To submit your Room Condition Report please visit our online Room Condition Form
Our beds are standard deep twin XL size.
Residence hall rooms are furnished with:
- Extra-Long Twin Bed
- Bookshelf
- Desk and Chair
- Closet
- Dresser or Wardrobe (depending on building)
- Garbage Bin (recycling bins are available upon request)
- Mirror
- Curtains
All items must remain in room.
Yes we provide mini fridges so there is no need to bring one from home. There is one mini fridge provided per room in Wallace, Tower and McConnell. The LLCs come with a full size refrigerator and microwave in each suite.
Lounges, hallways, other common spaces and the Tower and McConnell residence hall bathrooms are cleaned daily by our dedicated custodial staff.
Students living in the LLCs and Wallace residence halls are responsible for cleaning their bathrooms.
The residence hall license agreement is a binding commitment to live on campus for the duration of the agreement contract. The University of Idaho residence hall license agreement includes both room and meals.
Yes and No. Students living in the LLC may continue to be on campus during winter break. Students with winter break housing needs should work directly with the housing office to make housing arrangements.
Residence Hall students who have lost their VandalCard can get a temporary key from the Information Desk. The Information Desk will provide a temporary key during their hours of operation. If you have lost your VandalCard while the Information Desk is closed please contact the RA on call using the number located in your hall.
Roommates
Absolutely. In order to room with a friend, choose the same room during the Housing application process.
Students who would like to live together, but not in the same room, can choose Wallace Residence Center and the Living Learning Communities. Suite style options are a great choice for students wanting to live together but not wanting to share a bedroom.
We want you to be happy and comfortable living on campus. The first step to take if you and your roommate are having a hard time adjusting to living together is to talk with your RA. If you still feel you must change rooms, please visit the housing office, and we will help you apply for a room change.
There are no room changes during dead week and finals week.
Yes. Each year we are able to approve a limited number of room “buy outs” in Theophilus Tower and Wallace Residence Center. This means students buy the other half of the double-capacity room.
If interested, email housing@uidaho.edu to let us know you would like a single room. We let you know within a few days if we can approve your request.
Yes and no. Students have seven days after their roommate leaves to declare they would like to buy out the other half of the room. Students may also choose to move out and choose a single room (if rooms are available). If students do not declare the desire to purchase the other half of the room, housing will begin the process of moving in another student.
Please note: housing can not guarantee single rooms if there is no availability.
Safety
Resident safety and security is important to us.
Each residence hall is protected by a VandalCard reader that unlocks the door for residents of the building. Students are encouraged to keep the doors to their rooms locked and follow common sense safety precautions.
Resident Assistants also do nightly rounds of the buildings to ensure safety and enforce quiet hours. Additionally, campus security does two random rounds with RAs per day.
For more information, contact campus-security@uidaho.edu or 208-885-7054.
There are several options you can go to for help.
Information Desk
Information Desk, located in the Living Learning Communities is available for all students 24/7 every day. Students can visit the desk for emergencies, room lock-outs, lost keys, disturbances, complaints or any other safety needs.
RA On Call
Each hall has an RA on call number you can contact. Numbers are posted in each hall.
Campus Security
The Campus Security Team is on patrol 24 hours a day, 7 days a week - including holidays and academic breaks. You can also contact Campus Security to utilize their safe walk program. This program is free for students, faculty, and staff. More information can be found at uidaho.edu/safe-walk. Campus Security can be reached at 208-885-7054 or 208-874-7550.
Yes. Housing and Residence life works directly with Moscow Police to ensure safety in the residence halls. Campus Security also does nightly rounds of residence hall buildings, student safety checks and a 24-hour a day campus free campus security walking service. For more information on the Safe Walk program, go to Security Services site.
Public Transportation & Parking
No vehicle? No Problem!
U of I is a beautiful, walkable campus adjacent to downtown Moscow. With free public transportation and nearly 2,500 bicycle rack spaces, your educational experience can truly be vehicle-free.
Parking on campus is extremely limited and students outnumber parking spaces. Students must purchase a parking permit before they bring their vehicle to campus. Residence Hall students are eligible to purchase a Silver or Economy parking permit from Parking and Transportation Services. Parking permits go on sale online starting July 6, 2022, for the fall semester. Students who do not purchase a parking permit before they arrive should not bring their vehicles to campus. Note that parking a motorcycle on campus does not require a parking permit.
Read more about student parking permits on the Parking and Transportation Services website.
The University of Idaho encourages bicycle transportation. Designated bike racks at located outside the entrances of Wallace Residence Center, McConnell, Tower and Living Learning Communities.
Please stop by the housing office if you would like to store your bike indoors. We have limited spaces available in Wallace, McConnell and the Tower residence halls. The housing office is located on the second floor of Wallace Residence Center.
There is motorcycle parking near the residence halls and no parking permit is necessary. You may not store motorized vehicles inside your room or residence hall at any time.
Facilities and ITS Support
Absolutely! Washers and dryers are located in all buildings and are free to use. You only need to provide your own soap and dryer sheets. Ask your RA on which floor your nearest laundry room is located.
Use of our laundry machines for all residents is free.
Yes. Each residence hall has computer labs with printing capabilities. The LLCs are the exception. However, all students are welcome to use the large public computer lab in the bottom floor of Wallace Residence Center. All full-time students receive 250 pages of printing per semester.
Many network-compatible devices, such as game consoles and smart tv's, do not work on the main campus networks AirVandalGold and AirVandalHome. Instead, they will need to first be registered at help.uidaho.edu/avsetup, then connected to the AirVandalGuest network. Connecting a wired device (Ethernet) will also require registration of the device at help.uidaho.edu/avsetup. For support or questions, contact the Student Technology Center at 208-885-4357 or submit a ticket online at oit.uidaho.edu.
Yes, Wallace and McConnell have kitchens in their basements, while our Living Learning Communities each have a kitchen on the main floor.
If you seen an elevator requiring maintenance, please report it to the LLC Information Desk immediately at 208-885-7379.
Gender-Inclusive Housing
Gender-inclusive housing allows for same gender, opposite-gender or gender nonconforming students to live together, regardless of biological sex.
This housing option provides an environment where housing is not restricted by traditional limitations of gender.
To sign up for Gender Inclusive Housing, select "Gender Inclusive Housing" on the application, agree to the terms and choose from the available gender-inclusive spaces.
All participants living in gender-inclusive housing are expected to adhere to philosophies of respect and inclusion and are expected to be a positive member of the larger campus housing community the same as any other resident.
Gender-inclusive housing for first-year students is offered in Wallace Residence Center.
Non-first year students, including non-first year transfers, options are located in the Living Learning Communities and Wallace Residence Center.
All gender-inclusive housing assignments are located in suites with private bathrooms.
Yes, all students can request a room change at any time. There may be limitations to room selection options depending on the time of year and if there is available space.
No. Students will never be placed in a gender inclusive suite if they have not selected that option on their application. If not enough students select this option, a student requesting gender inclusive housing may be placed in a single gender suite.
For questions about gender inclusive housing and other accommodations related to gender identity/expression, please contact our student assignments team at housing@uidaho.edu or 208-885-6571.
Housing and Residence Life reserves the right to designate units with openings as single gender at any time if needed.
Cancellation Policy
Yes, you can cancel your room application, however you will forfeit 100% of your deposit and your room assignment will be released.
You can cancel your room application using the Cancel Application Form.
Yes, you can cancel your room contract and agreement, however doing so may carry a penalty of up to $1,800 if you will be remaining a student at the University of Idaho.
If you cancel due to any of the following reasons the penalty fee will not apply: graduating in fall semester, studying abroad, student teaching, going on exchange, withdrawing or medically withdrawing.
If we can do anything to convince you to stay, please contact us a housing@uidaho.edu. Otherwise complete the cancel agreement form. Once the form is processed you will receive an email with instructions on checking-out properly.
If you choose to cancel your room contract you will lose 100% of your deposit.
In the case of extreme, unforeseeable and uncontrollable problems the penalty fee may be appealed. Canceling your Agreement is your last resort to solve a problem. You must seek assistance from Housing and Residence Life staff to resolve the problem, and you must try all other, less extreme options offered to you before submitting a cancellation. The other options might include, transferring to a different campus housing room, room type, residence hall or apartment for which you are eligible.
To appeal the penalty fee, please complete the Housing and Residence Life Agreement Appeal Form.