Housing Agreement Cancellation, Termination, and Financial Liability Information

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 for termination but only in accordance with the specific reasons listed in the Terms of Occupancy.

Financial Liability and Release from Housing Agreement after a Residency Period has Commenced

Once students have received their room key, they are financially liable until the end of the current housing agreement. Any request for release of liability must be received within 30 days after checking out.

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 charge 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). 

Any resident who cancels or terminates their housing agreement loses priority for future housing on campus. Housing is only guaranteed 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:

 

• For Fall Terms:

  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 will forfeit their full housing deposit.

  Agreements can still be canceled after July 31 as long as you have not checked into your space and received your key. Undergraduate Agreement holders and new fall admitted graduate student agreement holders who cancel August 1 through the Saturday before classes forfeit their deposit but are not subject to any termination fee.

  10 Month Returning graduate agreement holders are subject to a termination fee equivalent to the  amount of the deposit forfeited  above by the same deadlines.

• For Spring Terms (New Spring Admits Only):

  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 spring semester classes will forfeit their full housing deposit as long as the student has not moved into housing already.

  Students who lived with us during the previous fall, cannot cancel their spring booking. Please see the termination information below.

• 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 typically the last day to cancel your agreement with only forfeiting your deposit or a returning graduate agreement being charged a deposit equivalent termination fee. Students who fail to cancel prior to the start of their agreement period and do no check in by check in deadlines will be charged the $400 termination fee. Students that have not arrived and not canceled by this deadline will be processed as a cancellation. The check-in deadline is 5pm 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 cancelled and a $400 termination fee applied.

   

• 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 blue CAS SSO Provider button to log in using your NetID and password. 
  • Do not use the Conference Housing login section at the top of the page.  
  • When on the portal homepage, click the Housing Agreement Cancel Housing Request link 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 terminating 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.

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.