GHG - Getting Out

Graduate Housing Guide

Part Four: Getting Out

Please tell me about terminating my housing early.

These policy changes will take effect with your Fall Term assignment.

Residents in MIT's graduate housing community are responsible for the entire term of their contract when they accept their MIT housing assignment. However, we understand that plans change and situations may arise in which you would like to terminate your MIT housing contract before its term is up.

Accordingly, MIT allows Graduate and Family Housing residents to leave the housing system early for the following reasons:

You graduate.
You go on medical leave.
You withdraw.
You have a change of family status.
You go on a department-required internship.
You take non-resident status.

Here is how the procedure works.

Complete the on-line Termination Form

indicate your reason for moving out from the list of accepted reasons
select a move out date from the list of available move out dates. This move out date cannot be less than 30 days from the date you submit the form.
Please note: This is VERY important stuff.

If your requested move out date is fewer than 30 days from the date on which you submit the termination form, you will be held responsible for your rent until the next closest departure date which is at least 30 days from the date you submit the form.
If your requested termination date falls within the first two months of any semester (ie, if your requested termination date falls in September, October, February, March, June, or July) a fee of one month's rent will be charged to your account. (Exception: Students attending commencement who terminate with at least 30 days notice may stay until Saturday of the week following graduation and will have their rent prorated by the day.)
If you have ANY questions regarding your termination and these new policies, please do not hestiate to contact us by email or phone.

Why can't I terminate my housing contract at the beginning or in the middle of a month?

The answer has to do with revenue and rents. Mid-month move in dates are difficult for new residents interested in moving into on campus housing. Typically, such students are unable to escape their other housing obligations until the end of any given month and consequently, they do not begin their MIT residency until the beginning of the following month. The time between a departing resident's move out and an arriving resident's move in represents a loss in revenue for the Institute, a loss which puts increasing pressure on MIT rents to rise -- a pressure we would like to avoid.

Why is there a fee for moving out during the first two months of a semester?

The answer once again concerns revenue and rents. Mid-semester and early semester move in dates are difficult for new residents interested in moving into on campus housing. Typically, once the semester has begun such students have already made their housing arrangements for the term. Despite the continuing popularity of on campus housing, students' external obligations often make it impossible for them to accept an on campus vacancy during the term. Consequently, early semester departures often yield vacancies in the housing system for several months. This is unfair both to those who would otherwise have welcomed the opportunity to live on campus and to those current residents who have to shoulder the cost in higher rents. A fee for leaving during the first two months of any semester is intended to prompt students to consider their calendars carefully and arrange their plans accordingly.

I am moving out. How long will I be responsible for rent?

Residents may only terminate their housing for the last day of the month in which they are moving out (exception: the special June termination date for graduating students). For instance, if you want to move out in December, you must submit a termination form no later than December 1st (30 days advance notice). If you are actually moving out December 16th, you will still be billed for the entire month, even if your termination form is received before November 16th.

If you terminate for one of the approved reasons, the full month of rent still applies and your billing will end on the last day of the month in which you move out.

If you do not terminate for an approved reason, you will continue to be billed indefinitely from the last day of the month until a new resident can move in and take over payment. An internal transfer does not count. The replacement must come in from off-campus to fill the vacancy created by your departure. The office will try to assign your space as quickly as possible, but there is no guarantee the room will be filled immediately. Please know that you risk owing rent for the entire term of your license agreement if the vacancy is not filled. It may be cheaper to transfer within the building, or transfer to another building via the building-to-building transfer lottery in December, than pay two rents and a possible termination fee.

The termination fee applies to any resident who terminates for any reason – approved or unapproved - during the first two months of a semester. Fee months are September, October, February, March, June, or July (exception: the special June termination date for graduating students). The fee is the equivalent of one month of rent. This fee is not rent. It will be assessed in addition to the rent charges explained above.

I am graduating. What's the latest date I can stay in the apartment?

Students graduating in the fall semester may stay until January 31 of that year. Students graduating in the Spring may stay until the end date of their license agreement that summer (August 15).

Please note: you must be registered during the semester in order to stay for the rest of that semester. Even if you graduate September 15, you will need to be out by August if your registration status ended then. The same goes for the spring. People whose registration ends January 31 cannot stay in their apartment for the spring term, even if they actually graduate in February.

Renewing or Terminating a Continuing Assignment

If you have a continuing assignment you will need to renew it each year to remain in housing.

In March, an email will be sent to you to ask if you want to renew your housing. This email will have two URLs: one for your new license agreement, and one for the online termination form.

If you are going to be a registered graduate student and want to stay another year in housing, you can sign the license agreement. Note that this means you do not enter the Housing Lottery. (Perhaps obvious, but the consequences of making this mistake can be severe, and it happens every year.)

If you are graduating, you can go ahead and complete the termination form. If you aren't sure of when you will leave, you can put the last day of your contract and later move the date forward as long as you give 30 days notice. So, in March you terminate for August 15th, but then you get a great job building space robots and it starts June 1st. As long as you re-complete the form with the new move out date of July 31 by April 30th, you won't be charged rent past July 31st. Please remember that if you leave during the first two months of any semester, you will be charged a fee equal to one month's rent.

Terminating a New Assignment and applying to the Allocation Process

In March, we will notify you that your assignment will expire on August 15. This email will have the URL to apply for the Continuing Allocation, and it will have a URL for the online termination form.

If you will need housing beyond August 15, please apply to the Continuing Allocation.

You also need to fill out the on-line termination form. The latest date to stay is August 15. You must fill out this card, whether or not you plan to leave or enter the Continuing Allocation.

My assignment expires August 15, but I still have to sign a termination form. Why?

We need you to tell us the date you are leaving, in case you are leaving earlier. That way we can try to fill the space, which may get you off the hook for some rent responsibility. And it is a big help to those new students arriving at MIT.

We use these termination forms to confirm our coming vacancies and to calculate what spaces will be available for the New and Continuing Allocations.

My housing expires August 15. Can I stay until the end of the month?

Unfortunately, because of the high volume of incoming students, we cannot give any extensions -- you must be out of your apartment by the 15th.

One unfortunate student disregarded this, decided to leave later and was away when the cleaning crews came to his apartment. The new tenant was coming in so the manager had to hire a moving company, pack and move his belongings and store them. The total bill came to over $2,000 and the student had to pay it.

The moral of this unfortunate tale is: take your move out date very seriously!

My housing expires August 15. Can I leave earlier?

Sometimes students find off-campus housing that begins before their expiration date. If this happens, you have two choices.

You can sublet your apartment until the end of your license agreement. Find out more about subletting.

Or, you can terminate your housing early and hope that the Office can match your apartment to an incoming student who needs an early move in date. Then, you will only be responsible for rent until the new tenant comes in. Once again, however, if you leave your housing during the first two months of a semester, even for an approved reason, you will be subject to a fee equivalent to one month's rent. Why?

Since we make our assignments at the end of May and beginning of June, you have a better chance of success if you tell us in late April that you will be leaving -- this way we can try to fill your space with someone from the Allocation who needs housing right away.

However, if we cannot assign your space, you will still be responsible until the end of your license agreement. Please remember that if you leave during the first two months of any semester, you will be charged a fee equal to one month's rent.

The only exception to this rule is for people intending to leave their assignments early in August. With 30 days notice, students may terminate and leave their assignment anytime in August without penalty. (Anytime, that is, before their license officially expires; this is not a provision for staying longer in your assignment, but a way to help you get out earlier.) This is called the "August Amnesty Exception" and exists to help house managers and new students arriving for the first time.

Can I change my termination date after I have submitted a termination form?

It depends. We ask that you give us a move out date on your termination form and then we use this date to assign your room to a new resident. If you need to leave earlier than you indicated on the form, then, provided you satisfy one of the valid reasons for terminating your contract early, you can give 30 days notice and move the date forward. So, if you originally tell us August 15th, but then graduate and get a fabulous new job, you can move the date up by signing a new online termination form. Then, if you will leave July 31st, you need to tell us by June 30th. Always keeping in mind, of course, that if you leave your housing during the first two months of a semester, even for an approved reason, you will be subject to a fee equivalent to one month's rent. Why?

If you have given us a move out date, but then need to stay longer, it is sometimes possible to accommodate your request. It all depends on whether or not your room has been rented. Once it is rented, you can only stay up until the new tenant's move-in date (less a few days to allow for cleaning and painting). So if you sign the termination form for July 31st, but then need to stay until August 5th, you should call the Office. We will check to see if the room is rented, and let you know the latest date you can stay. In these rare cases, priority always goes to the incoming tenant.We only have a short time in which to confirm assignments, and so we cannot switch people around, but we will do our best to help.

We ask that you be thoughtful in indicating your move out date -- this is the date upon which we base all of our assignments. If you aren't sure, you can always put the latest date possible and then as your plans firm up change it to an earlier date if necessary.

I got an email saying I expire August 15 but I've been assigned through two lotteries! I thought that meant I was Continuing?

Most of our assignments are from the New and Continuing Allocation, but we also make Spring assignments through the November Allocation. These assignments are for 18 months, regardless of whether you are New or Continuing.

So, it is entirely possible you were assigned to housing through the New Allocation, moved out in August, and then got a Spring Assignment for 18 months and now that has expired.

The only way to get Continuing Housing is through the Continuing Allocation.

If you are unsure of your assignment status, please ask us.

My housing expires August 15, but I will be finished in December. Can I have an extension?

A very limited number of one semester extensions are available in Single housing. Unfortunately, there are no one semester extensions for Family housing.

Extensions are assigned on a first-come first-serve basis. To apply, you need to bring in a letter from your professor or advisor confirming you will have completed all your work by the end of IAP.

We will accept letters for extensions from March 1st to April 15th. If you are granted an extension, we will remove your application from the allocation process.

If you have any questions, please contact the Office.

I live in the Warehouse; can I stay past May 31st (I need summer housing)?

All license agreements end on May 31st for the Warehouse. Because the building is used by Conference Services in the summer, students must check out by May 31st.

Students who are graduating and participating in Commencement may vacate the day after graduation. If you will be and participating in Commencement, please contact the Office to ask for an extension.

NEW: There is an option to stay for the summer in the Warehouse. Students who are current residents and wish to stay until August 15th may apply for summer housing, which is assigned through an internal lottery. We expect to have about 75 rooms available for this summer.

How do I update my WEBSIS address?

Your address in WEBSIS is created by our billing system. As long as you are being billed, your on-campus address will appear. Spouses will need to enter their address in the temporary field.

If you move out, you will be able to change your address only after the billing has ended. So if you move out May 31st, you can update your address June 1st.

However, if you move out with fewer than 30 days notice, we will continue to bill you until your rent responsibility ends, and you will only be able to update your address when your rent responsibility ends. During this time, enter your new address in the temporary field.

How do I forward my mail?

Eastgate, Westgate, Edgerton House and Tang Hall are designated apartment buildings through the United States Postal Service (USPS). Therefore, you must complete the change of address form through USPS: https://moversguide.usps.com/?referral=USPS. It is recommended that you do this at least 2 weeks prior to moving. The buildings do not keep records of forwarding addresses. It is also your responsibility to update your WEBSIS temporary address field. Any mail which is sent to the above buildings after your departure will be “return to sender”. Mail is forwarded for 30 days after your departure

While you are being billed through the Graduate Housing Office, you are not able to change your address. Therefore, you can provide a forwarding address in the temporary field in your WEBSIS account.

I need a rent reference.

Rent references are done by Linda Patton in Off-Campus Housing. She can be reached at general@mit.edu or at x3-4449.

How do I check out?

Check out instructions will be emailed to you a week before your check out date.

However, you should always:

sign your termination form!
remove all belongings from the room
"broom clean" the room
clean the bathroom and kitchen areas
turn in both sets of keys

If you leave behind furniture, serious mold growth in the bathroom, or decide to keep your spare keys as a souvenir, you will end up getting fined.

If you have any questions about checking out, ask the Office or the building manager and we will be happy to help you.

Good luck, and we hope your experience in Graduate Housing has been enjoyable!