Overflow Housing
University Housing is committed to providing as many students as possible with the out-of-the-classroom learning and life-enriching experiences that come from living in student housing. As more students choose to attend FSU, the demand for student housing continues to increase. Due to the continued popularity of living on campus with both returning students and the incoming class, not every student can be assigned to a standard residence hall space immediately.
To house as many students as possible, University Housing has arranged for alternative spaces referred to as overflow housing spaces. Based on the number of standard spaces available and the date of receipt of your signed housing contract, you may be assigned to a space in overflow housing for the start of the semester.
University Housing has extensive experience with overflow housing, and steps have been taken to ensure that you will experience the same benefits of living in a residence hall as those who have been assigned to standard spaces.
What type of room will I be assigned to?
University Housing has converted study rooms/lounges and other common areas to provide additional space to house students. These spaces have been equipped with furnishings similar to those in regular residential rooms; each resident will have a bunk bed and a hanging rack for clothes. In addition, a refrigerator/freezer and internet access will be provided. Most important, the residential life activities and support will be available to students in these spaces, just as they are to students in regular spaces.
When will I be reassigned to a permanent space?
As soon as a standard residential space becomes available, you will be assigned to a permanent living space on campus based on your priority number and contract submission date. We aim to reassign all students in overflow housing within the first few weeks of the semester, as cancellations are received. However, if we are unable to move all students out of these spaces, some may be converted to permanent spaces for the remainder of the semester. The occupancy of these converted rooms is similar to standard rooms of the same size. If an overflow room is converted to a permanent space, the hanging rack is replaced with an armoire, a desk and desk chair for each resident is placed in the room, and the bed may be replaced.
What is the cost for overflow housing?
Rent for overflow housing is originally billed at the rental rate for a suite double. This allows students assigned to overflow to have a better sense of what their rental rate may be, especially since most students assigned to overflow housing will be reassigned before hall opening.
Students that are still assigned to overflow housing at hall opening will have their rent reduced to $15/day for each day they were assigned to overflow housing. Their rent for the remainder of the semester will be prorated based on the daily rate for their new room. This may result in a small refund after the student is reassigned if student's rent is paid in full before being reassigned.
Room Changes
When room assignments are made, residents are assigned to the room assignment that is as close to their preferences as possible based on their housing priority number. After students are assigned, they may request a reassignment.
The reassignment request website will open approximately one week after room assignments are released. Students that are assigned to permanent (not overflow) spaces may submit a reassignment request. As vacancies occur, our University Housing Assignments staff will review submitted reassignment requests in priority number order to find request that matches the building and room type of the vacancy.
General Information
- Reassignments cannot be guaranteed.
- Reassignment requests will remain on file for the entire term and will be processed as openings occur.
- Students that are reassigned will be responsible for any difference in rent between the old and new space. Click here for rental rates chart.
- Requests submitted in order to request reassignment for accommodation for a medical/physical condition must provide documentation. Click here to learn about accommodations and required documentation.
- Residents may not move to a new room or hall without written permission from the University Housing office or their building's hall coordinator or assistant coordinator.
- Reassignments will not be processed during the first two weeks after the halls open.
Reassignment Request Types
Prior to Hall Opening
- Mutual Swap -students requesting to change rooms with another student (i.e. friend's roommate) within the same hall and same room type
- Click for instructions about how to submit all other requests
After Hall Opening
- Within Building Moves After Move–In — students requesting to change rooms with another student within the same hall and room type (excluding single rooms) need to speak with their hall coordinator or assistant coordinator
- Click for instructions about how to submit all other requests
Mutual Swap
Prior to hall opening, students requesting to change rooms with another student within the same hall, if they are assigned to the same room type, can submit their request via email to housing@fsu.edu. Both students agreeing to change rooms will need to submit the request before any reassignment can be processed. Room change requests within the same hall and room type will be processed once the two students agreeing to change rooms have submitted their request as outlined below. Requests will remain on file until both students requesting to change rooms have submitted their request, or until approximately one week prior to the official hall opening date for the requested term.
Limitations: Requests to swap may be denied if any of the following are true:
- One student is a Returning Resident and one is an Incoming student
- One student is part of an LLC and the other is not part of that same LLC
- If one student has an approved accommodation preventing the swap
- If one student has opted into a specialty housing program that the other student is not also participating in
How to Submit a Mutual Swap Request
- Send an email from your FSU email account to housing@fsu.edu. This email should include the following information:
- Your full name
- Your current assignment: hall and room number
- The full name of the person you want to switch places with
- That student’s hall and room number
- The person you are requesting to swap with must also submit a matching request.
What's Next
- If two matching requests are submitted and approved, both students will be reassigned to each other's rooms.
- Students will be notified via email that they have been moved.
What a Mutual Request is Not
A mutual swap is not the way that two students that want to be roommates indicate their request to room together. If two students want to be roommates and neither of their roommates are interested in moving, the students must submit a regular reassignment request. In this case, University Housing will only be able to assist if 2 vacancies occur in a room together and both students that want to be roommates: 1) have the best/lowest contract numbers for that vacancy, and 2) both students requested the building and room type that match the vacancies.
Re–assignment Request
Please follow the instructions below to submit a reassignment request unless you are trying to swap rooms with another student in a specific room or, after halls open, if you would like to change to a different room (excluding single rooms) in the same building.
How to Submit a Request
- Click here to access the myHousing portal.
- Click on Reassignment Request link.
- Complete request.
What's Next?
Before Halls Open
- If a vacancy occurs, University Housing staff will review reassignment requests on file in priority number order. The student with the best priority number that has a matching hall and room type preference is determined.
- Student will be reassigned to new room.
- Student will be notified via FSU email that they have been moved.
- Within 1–2 weeks, student's rent will be adjusted.
Since reassignments are completed before the halls open without students accepting the room transfer, students must cancel their request before a reassignment is made. Students can cancel their request by logging into their myHousing portal, and making their Reassignment Request "Inactive".
After Halls Open
- If a vacancy occurs, University Housing staff will review reassignment requests on file in priority number order. The student with the best priority number that has a matching hall and room type preference is determined.
- Student will be offered vacancy via their FSU email. Student has 1 full business day to accept reassignment.
- If student accepts reassignment, student will be reassigned to new room.
- Student will be notified via email that they have been moved. Student then has 48 hours to complete the move to the new space.
- Within 1–2 weeks, student's rent will be adjusted.
Room Selection & Roommates
The information below is only for students that are eligible to participate in the Fall 2024/Spring 2025 Returner Contractprocess.
Procedures
- Students that do not meet the Returner Contract process criteria are not eligible to participate in this process or have their rooms selected by those that are eligible.
- All students that want to live together must mutually request each other no later than January 12, 2024.
- Students will be able to select up to ONE roommate request after submitting their housing contract.
- By mutually requesting another student, you are authorizing that individual to select a room for you.
- Returning residents with vacancies in their rooms will consolidated to a different room with the same room type in the same building to allow as many incoming Summer/Fall 2024 admitted students to be assigned together as possible.This consolidation process may occur several times between March 9th and hall opening. Consequently, returning residents are strongly encouraged to select rooms with other returning residents during Room Selection.
Before Room Selection
You must first submit your Fall/Spring housing contract before selecting a roommate. (You are not required to make your prepayment to select a roommate request; however, you are required to pay within 7 calendar days to avoid having your contract cancelled.) You will not be able to select a room until the prepayment has been paid.
After completing your contract, complete the following to request a roommate by January 12, 2024:
- Login to the myHousing portal, if not already logged in
- Click "My Home"
- Click "Select Roommate Request"
- Follow the prompts on the page. (You will need the last name and date of birth of the student that you would like to request.)
- Check to see if your requested roommate is "Confirmed". If not, have your requested roommate follow these steps to request you.
Due to limited space availability, we strongly encourage mutually requested roommate pairs to discuss their priorities and come up with the list of buildings and room types that they are interested in before Room Selection begins.
During Room Selection
For the best chance to get the building and room type that you and your mutually requested roommate would like, the individual with the earliest Room Selection start time in your roommate pair should select a room/suite/apartment for your pair.
NOTE: You should check your assignment as soon as your Room Selection window opens, to ensure you were assigned as expected by any requested roommate. If you were not assigned by another student, you should select a room as soon as your Room Selection window opens.
As soon as your Room Selection window opens, complete the following to select a room:
- Login to themyHousing portal, if not already logged in
- Click "My Home"
- Click "Room Selection"
- Follow the prompts on the page.
Returner Room Selection Instructions
Special Note for Roommate Requests during Room Selection: Mutually requested roommates can be assigned as a pair by the first person in the pair with a room selection window. However, once a student has been assigned to a space, whether the student assigned him/herself or was assigned by a mutually requested roommate, the student cannot later be moved by a requested roommate. If roommates wish to relocate to a different space after the group has been assigned, each student will need to move themselves to the new space.
Strategies, If Desired Space is Not Available
If there is not space available for you and your roommate(s) in the building and/or room type you want when it is time to select a room:
First Step
Do 1 or more of the following:
- Select a space in a different building.Example: if your group of 2 wanted a Traditions apartment, try a Ragans apartment instead.
- Select a different room type.Example: if your roommate pair wanted an apartment, but none are available, try selecting a suite together instead.
- Drop your requested roommate since individuals will have better chances of finding space than pairs.
Next Step
- Look for a better match by checking back on myHousing as often as you would like through March 8th - THIS IS YOUR BEST CHANCE!
- Submit a reassignment request over the summer once it is available (typically in July) — ONLY DO THIS IF ALL ELSE FAILS
Other Roommate Related Information
What if I want to live with someone who is an incoming freshmen/off-campus/transfer student?
Unfortunately, returning residents are not able to select non-returning housing residents as roommates. This includes incoming freshmen/transfer students and current off-campus students.