MyHousing

The myLife portal enables you to complete all of your housing business, from submitting housing contracts to requesting assignment changes and maintenance requests.

Login to mylife.rit.edu

Assignment Changes

The process for assignment changes varies depending on what type of student you are and what time of the year you are requesting the change. Please refer to the sections below for guidance on how to request roommates and how to request assignment changes. 

Apartments, Suites, RIT Inn, or Greek Circle:

Submit a 'Report a Problem/Ask a Question’ form at help.rit.edu.
 

Residence Halls:

The Center or Residence Life and RIT Housing facilitate, manage, and approve assignment changes. All roommate issues or room change requests must be directed to the appropriate Residence Life staff member.

  • For the residence halls, the staff person would be the Residence Coordinator for the building that you reside in.
  • For the apartments, University Commons, and Global Village, the staff person would be the Residence Coordinator for the complex that you reside in.
  • Contact your specific Residence Life representative or email residencelife@rit.edu
  • Include in the email:
    • Name
    • RIT Username
    • Where you currently live
    • Where you would like to move to
    • The RIT username of the person you want to roommate with

Current Students:

If Housing Selection and assignments for the 2023-2024 academic year are complete, and you would like to request a change of assignment, please complete the Change of Assignment form in the myLife portal.

Change of Assignment requests are not guaranteed and you will keep your current assignment if your request is not processed.

Instruction to Submit a Change of Assignment Request:

  • Navigate to the myLife portal
  • Click Change of Assignment in the orange header bar
  • Select the assignment you would like to change from the menu
  • Save and continue
  • Select your desired Room Location and Room Preferences
  • If you would like to request any roommates, list the roommate's name(s) in the comment box. Note: any student you list will also need to submit a Change of Assignment Request. They will also need to list your name as well as anyone else you have listed.
  • A confirmation email will be sent to each student's RIT email once the request has been completed.
    • You will receive an email if your assignment is changed
    • You may update or modify your request as needed

Incoming First Year Students:

After Room Selection is complete, the assignment staff will continue to assign incoming First Years who did not select their own room and incoming First Years who have recently applied for housing.

From June 1 - July 15, assignment change requests can be submitted at help.rit.edu, however, requests are not guaranteed.

From July 15 - September 9, no room change requests will be accepted.

Residents may not swap bedrooms, suites, or apartments without the prior approval of RIT Housing staff.

To request a bedroom or apartment swap, every student within the apartment/suite must complete and sign the applicable form: Apartment Swap Form or a Bedroom Sign Up Form. Follow these instructions to complete the form:

  • Navigate to the myLife portal
  • Select Forms icon
  • Select applicable form
  • Every student within the apartment/suite must sign the form to acknowledge and agree to the changes
  • All signatures must be physical, we cannot accept electronic signatures
  • Once all students have physically signed the form
    • Upload the form back into the myLife portal
    • Or bring the form to the RIT Housing Office located in Grace Watson Hall

Once approved, students changing assignments must come to the RIT Housing office to exchange keys.

students and a residence life staff member stand hand in hand while smiling

RIT Housing works closely with the Center for Residence Life to facilitate, manage, and approve assignment changes. Resident Advisors are the first contact for roommate conflict resolution.

Roommate Requests

If you have found a student who plans to fill a vacancy in your room or apartment, you must submit a roommate request.

There must be a vacancy in an apartment or suite to complete a roommate request.

Both the student making the request and the student accepting the request must complete one of the following steps.

Step 1: The student with the vacancy

  • Navigate to mylife.rit.edu
  • Login with your RIT computer account username and password
  • Click on the Housing & Dining Applications icon
  • Select academic year that applies to you
  • Navigate to next steps on the left
  • Choose “Roommate Requests” in the drop-down menu and hit continue
  • Choose “Request a Roommate” in the drop-down menu and hit continue
  • Put in the information of the student you’d like to live with
    • Preferred name and RIT Username
  • Notify the student you have requested as they will not receive an email notification

Step 2: Student who was requested

  • Navigate to mylife.rit.edu
  • Login with your RIT computer account username and password
  • Click on the Housing & Dining Applications icon
  • Select academic year that applies to you
  • Navigate to next steps on the left
  • Choose “Roommate Requests” in the drop-down menu and hit continue
  • Choose “Accept a Roommate Request” in the drop-down menu and hit continue
  • Input the information requested
    • Unit/apartment name and number  
    • The preferred name of the student who placed the request
    • RIT Username of the student who placed the request

Step 3: After the request has been sent and accepted, there is a 24 hour wait period for any objections from the students currently living in the apartment/suite

If there are no objections:

  • RIT Housing will be able to add you to the space
  • Student will be notified when to pick up the keys via your RIT email

Residency Verification

A Residency Verification is an official document which shows proof of residency for a current and/or previous student residing in RIT Housing. The letter includes the student's name, history, and dates of previous RIT assignments. Housing records are kept on file for a limited amount of time.

Submitting a Residency Verification Request
Residency verifications can be requested using one of the options below:

  • Submit a 'Report a Problem/Ask a Question' form at help.rit.edu or call (585) 475-5000.
  • A release form can be submitted by a property owner or agency via fax to (585) 475-5050. Students are required to sign a release form provided by the property or agency requesting verification before the information is released.

Residency verification letters will be returned between 1 - 2 business days from the initial request.

Experiential Learning

RIT enables students to apply what they're learning through lectures, labs, assignments, and projects to a variety of experiences outside the classroom. If you plan to study abroad, go on co-op, or conduct research, RIT Housing allows you to end your housing contract with no fee or subletting needed.

Students who study abroad during the fall semester may maintain their RIT housing contract and assignment.

Rent will be reduced for the term(s) that the student is on study abroad to one-half the term's rent of the type of housing the student is assigned to. The student will not have key or card access to housing during the term(s) they are on study abroad. The student is not allowed back into the housing held until the official move-in date of the term they are returning.

You must notify RIT Housing by submitting a 'Report a Problem/Ask a Question’ form at help.rit.edu to participate in this special option no later than two weeks prior to the start of the term that you are registered for study abroad.

A student whose co-op is located 45 miles or more from Rochester and requires the student to relocate (not a co-op completed virtually) during the fall semester, may maintain their RIT housing contract and assignment.

This option is not offered to students whose co-op is to be completed virtually or locally (within 45 miles of RIT). This option is not offered spring semester or summer term.

Rent will be reduced for the term(s) that the student is on co-op/study abroad to one-half the term's rent of the type of housing the student is assigned to. The student will not have key or card access to housing during the term(s) they are on co-op or study abroad. The student is not allowed back into housing held until the official move-in date of the term they are returning.

You must notify RIT Housing by submitting a 'Report a Problem/Ask a Question’ form at help.rit.edu to participate in this special option no later than two weeks prior to the start of the term that you are registered for co-op or study abroad.

A student whose research assignment is located 45 miles or more from Rochester and requires the student to relocate during the fall semester, may maintain their RIT housing contract and assignment.

This option is not offered to students whose research assignment is to be completed virtually or locally (within 45 miles of RIT). This option is not offered spring semester or summer term.

Rent will be reduced for the term(s) that the student is on the research assignment to one-half the term's rent of the type of housing the student is assigned to. The student will not have key or card access to housing during the term(s) they are completing research. The student is not allowed back into housing held until the official move-in date of the term they are returning.

You must notify RIT Housing by submitting a 'Report a Problem/Ask a Question’ form at help.rit.edu to participate in this special option no later than two weeks prior to the start of the term that you are registered for a research assignment.

Cancellation and Termination

A Housing contract is for the full academic year. Cancellation and termination are defined by different terms and conditions.

  • Cancellation is ending a housing contract for the future academic year before the first day of fall semester classes or before the student's fall move-in date, whichever occurs first. 
  • Termination is ending a current housing contract on or after the first day of class and prior to the contract’s end date.

If a student terminates or cancels due to one of the reasons listed below, there will be no termination/cancellation fee applied.

  • Active military service: A resident called to active military service
  • Academic suspension
  • Leave of Absence
  • Co-op / Resident Teaching/ Study Abroad: Changes in co-op or program status verified in writing by the Co-op Office or academic department
  • Marriage: Certified by a marriage certificate
  • Graduation
  • Withdrawal

Any student who has submitted a 2024–2025 RIT housing contract with an expected fall term move-in date who decides before the first day of fall semester classes or their fall move-in date whichever occurs first, that they no longer need RIT housing must cancel their contract.

  • No fee if you cancel by April 9, 2024
  • $300 fee if you cancel from April 10 - May 7, 2024
  • $500 fee if you cancel from May 8, - June 7, 2024
  • $700 fee if you cancel from June 8 - August 25, 2024

See the Terms & Conditions Section 1.05 for more information.

To cancel your future Housing contract during Housing Selection between November and March:

To cancel your future Housing contract between March and October:

  • Log into the myLife portal
  • Return to the Housing and Dining application
  • Go to "Next Step"
  • In the drop-down menu, select "Cancellation Page"
  • You will be prompted to provide a reason for cancellation
  • Select "Save and Continue"
  • After your contract is canceled you should receive a confirmation email. If you are assigned, you may receive a cancellation fee per our terms and conditions.

Any resident terminating their RIT housing contract for a reason that is not on the allowable cancellation/termination list (see above), will be subject to a termination fee. This includes students who terminate their RIT housing contract to move to non-RIT housing (including the resident’s parent’s/guardian’s home).

  • If a resident terminates their contract throughout the fall semester or during the first three weeks of classes in the spring semester, the termination fee is equal to one-half of a semester's rent cost.
  • If a resident terminates their contract during the fourth week of classes in the spring semester, the termination fee is reduced to one-quarter of a semester's rent cost.
  • After the fourth week of classes during the spring semester, no termination fees are assessed.


In addition to the termination fee, a resident will be held to the refund schedule outlined in section 5.12 of the Terms & Conditions:

1. First week of classes (100% refund) Fall  August 26 - September 3, 2024 Spring  January 13 - January 19, 2025
2.
Second week of classes (75% refund)   
Fall  September 4 - September 10, 2024 Spring  January 20 - January 26, 2025
3. Third week of classes (50% refund) Fall  September 11 - September 17, 2024


Spring  January 27 - February 2, 2025

4. Fourth week of classes (25% refund) Fall  September 18 - September 24, 2024    Spring  February 3 - February 9, 2025

 

Students who terminate their RIT housing contract due to an allowable reason (see above) will not be charged a termination fee and will not be held to the refund schedule.

To terminate a contract:

  • Place your key(s) and/or access card in a white return envelope (envelope can be found at the housing office). If terminating at the RIT Inn or 175 Jefferson check out at the front desk of that location. Students in GV 405 that do not have keys are still required to fill out a white key return envelope.
  • Fill out the necessary information on the envelope and sign.
  • Between 8 am and 4:30 pm - return the envelope to the RIT Housing office in Grace Watson Hall.
  • After hours – place the envelope in the key return box outside the RIT Housing office in Grace Watson Hall. There is also a key drop box located near the Global Village post office. 
  • Once the key is returned to the Housing office, the key is processed and the room is inspected. Students can see the Housing adjustments, if applicable, in e-services under recent activity.

RIT requires first-year incoming freshmen entering RIT from high school to live in the residence halls for their first academic year. Incoming freshmen whose credit hours rise above first-year status due to AP courses or college courses taken while in high school continue to be bound to this residency requirement. First-year freshmen who submit a housing contract and are currently assigned to the residence halls wishing to commute (live with parents/guardians within a 30 mile radius) must be released from their housing contract.

A current incoming freshman who remains a registered student is bound by the RIT residency requirement and may not terminate their housing contract to live in non-RIT housing without being granted a release (see section 1.06 of Terms & Conditions).

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