Moving in & out
Move-In and Move-Out Process
The move-in and move-out process from the residence halls can differ at the beginning and end of each term. You can find more details on this page as it gets closer to each of those timeframes so that you know what you need to do during arrivals and checkouts.
Winter 2025 Move-in
The priority deadline to request Winter Session housing is December 3, 2024. New applications will be evaluated on a rolling basis, though keep in mind offices will be closed over December Break starting on December 20 at 5pm and will reopen on January 2, 2025. As a reminder, Fall apartment residents returning for Spring automatically retain access to their apartment for Winter Session, whereas all other students must apply. Learn more about Winter Session housing in the Application Guide.
Fall apartment residents returning for the spring semester should automatically have their room fob with access to their room during Winter Session and don’t need to formally check in with a staff member.
Additionally, students already living on campus for December Break who are also approved to stay for Winter Session do not need to see a staff member to get checked in.
Students new to campus this Winter or Fall residents of traditional and suite-style housing returning to campus for Winter Session will check in to their residence hall on Thursday, January 2, 2025 from 12 p.m.-6 p.m. Students can arrive anytime during that window and do not need a specific appointment time. Students who think they may need to arrive after this time should contact their In-Hall Staff member to discuss it before the university closes for the December Break on December 20 at 5pm.
Students checking in should arrive to the designated check-in location for their building listed below to receive their room key. Look for signs posted to building entrances for directions or to contact a staff member if needed.
Students may have helpers to assist them on the day they are moving in. Families are encouraged to bring a wheeled handcart if they need assistance during move-in. A limited number of wheeled carts will be available for use in buildings with elevators.
Check In Locations By Building:
- Gilbert: Gilbert 103 (RA Office)
- Redding: Redding 136 (RA Office)
- Harrington: Harrington Commons 120 (RA Office, next to the gym)
- Russell: RA Office in Russell D/E Lounge
- Lane and Thompson: Thompson 104 (RA Office)
- Smyth: Smyth 128 (RA Office)
- George Read North & South: George Read South 127 (RA Office)
- South Academy: South Academy 133 (RA Office)
- James Smith & Thomas McKean: James Smith RA Office
- Independence East & West: Independence West RA Office
- North Central (Brown/Sypherd/Harter/Sharp): Sypherd 114 (RA Office)
- South Central (Sussex, Squire, Kent, Cannon, New Castle): Squire 115 (RA Office)
- Caesar Rodney: Caesar Rodney Commons Lounge
- University Courtyard Apartments: UCA Clubhouse
- Ray Street A, B, C: Ray Street A First Floor Lounge
Students new to the residence halls who move in starting with Winter Session may be curious about what comes with their room, what they should bring with them, and what they should leave at home.
What’s Provided?
Each student is provided with a bed and mattress (XL twin for most of campus, full-sized in UCA), a desk, a desk-chair, and a wardrobe or closet/set of drawers. Each unit has a waste basket, recycling bin, and windows with built-in adjustable coverings (either blinds in apartments or roll-up shades in traditional and suite style buildings). All rooms are equipped with ethernet access to the internet and secure wifi.
Students assigned to the room type “Triple Room (FY)” or “Triple Suite (FY)” should expect that two of the three beds are bunked with 3 full sets of furniture in the room.
In suite-style and apartment style rooms, residents are responsible for cleaning and supplying their bathrooms, though the shower is equipped with a plastic liner. In traditional-style rooms, the hall bathrooms are stocked with toilet paper and cleaned regularly by custodial services.
Traditional and suite-style residence halls have laundry facilities and access to a shared kitchen in the building.
Explore our halls to learn more about each of our buildings and take a virtual tour of a room. Note that we are unable to provide exact measurements and details for every aspect of each room and its furnishings.
What Should I Bring?
If you’ve been assigned to a room that you’ll share with a roommate(s), be sure to connect with them to discuss what larger items they may already have or plan to bring that could be shared (i.e. fans, smart tvs, microfridges, vacuums, etc.) Most students should plan to bring the following items when living on campus:
Twin XL bedding (for suite & traditional-style residence halls and executive apartments) or Full-size bedding (University Courtyard apartments)
Pillows
Towels/washcloths
Clothing & shoes for rain, shine & possibly snow
Clothes hangers
Toiletries (shampoo, soap, deodorant, toothbrush, toothpaste, etc.)
Hair styling tools and/or comb
Toilet Paper (suites/apartments)
Laundry supplies (basket, detergent, etc.)
Personal and OTC medications
Cleaning supplies (suites/apartments must clean their own bathrooms & kitchens)
Laptop/computer and charger
Surge protector extension cord
Headphones with mic
What Should I Leave At Home?
Learn about items that you should leave at home on the Our Policies page under the Prohibited Items and Residence Hall Regulations sections.
Students leaving on-campus housing after Winter Session (graduating, withdrawing, Associate in Arts program, etc.) must see a staff member to return their room key and check out of the residence halls by 6 p.m. on Saturday, February 1, 2025. We recommend reaching out to your in-hall staff in advance to make an appointment if this is your case.
Students staying on campus in the same room for the Spring semester don’t need to meet with a staff member or check out.
Due to a lower volume of move-in activity, gates near the walking paths for some buildings are not opened during Winter Session Move-in.
Vehicles are permitted to unload in driveways adjacent to residence halls for up to 30 minutes at the beginning and end of each semester, when students move in and out of the residence halls. Vehicles are not permitted to park in fire lanes.
Each vehicle must be attended by a person who can move it immediately in the event of an emergency; any unattended vehicle will be towed at the owner's expense. Handicap parking spaces are enforced at all times.
Parking Services supervises and directs parking when it is for the purpose of loading student possessions during the change of semesters. Learn more about parking policies here.
If you no longer plan to live on campus for Winter Session, please log into the My Housing portal and go to the My Application Status section to cancel your Winter application by January 2.
If you have questions, please contact the In-Hall Staff for your building or the Residence Life & Housing office in advance from Monday - Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at reslife-housing@udel.edu or 302-831-4663. Note that our main office will be closed for the holiday break starting on December 20 at 5pm and will reopen on January 2.
Spring 2025 Move-in
It's almost time to move in for the spring semester! Whether you are a new or returning student, we're excited to welcome you to campus. Keep reading for more details about the spring move-in process.
Students who already have access to their room during Winter Session who are remaining in the same room for Spring semester do not need to see a staff member to check in – they will retain continuous access to their room upon the transition to spring.
Students living on-campus for spring who do not already have access to their room for Winter Session can report directly to their residence halls for check-in on Sunday, February 2 from 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. Students are not assigned specific check-in windows for that day, but they must plan to arrive during the posted time frame when staff will be available. Students should arrive at the check-in location designated for their assigned building (listed below) to receive their room key. There should be signs posted on buildings with information to help direct students and contact a staff member if needed.
Any student living on campus this spring can request to check into their room early on Thursday, January 30 from 12 p.m. - 6 p.m. for an additional fee of $50/night. Charges will be billed to the student account after move-in weekend.
Students attending in-person New Student Orientation (NSO) and/or International Student Orientation (ISO) on Friday, January 31 are eligible for a reduced rate of $25/night. Eligibility and participation will be verified.
We cannot offer alternate check-in dates or times due to staff schedules and training and to minimize the disruption to Winter Session students studying for and taking final exams. If you’re unable to arrive during the posted early arrival time, you should plan to check in during standard move-in on Sunday, February 2 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Spring meal plans start with brunch on Sunday, February 2. Before spring meal plans begin, students arriving to campus early who don’t have a Winter Session meal plan will be able to pay for meals at the door at the Caesar Rodney dining hall and access other open retail locations. Students that may be experiencing food insecurity can access information on different supplies and resources here.
In rare instances, some students who are brand new to the residence halls in the spring won’t be able to check in early to their space if it’s being occupied by another student during the Winter Session. We will notify a student if this is their case.
To apply for early arrival, go to the Breaks & Early/Late Stay section of the My Housing Portal and complete the Early Arrival Spring 2025 application by Monday, January 27 at 5pm.
Students who already have access to their room during Winter Session do not need to apply for spring early arrival.
During both the early arrival and standard check-in times, Resident Assistant staff will distribute room keys/fobs in the posted locations listed below for each area. New students moving into the University Courtyard Apartments should go to the UCA clubhouse for check-in.
More information about dates and times for when gates will be open will be available as we get closer to spring move in.
Check-in locations by building:
- Gilbert: Gilbert Main Lounge
- Redding: Louis Redding Main Lounge
- Harrington: Harrington Commons Lounge
- Russell: RA Office in Russell D/E Lounge
- Lane/Thompson: Thompson Main Lounge (first floor)
- Smyth: Smyth Main Lounge (first floor)
- George Read North & South: George Read North Main Lounge
- South Academy: South Academy RA Office
- James Smith & Thomas McKean: James Smith Main Lounge
- Independence East & West: Independence West Main Lounge
- North Central (Brown/Sypherd/Harter/Sharp): Sypherd RA Office
- South Central (Sussex/Squire/Kent/Cannon/New Castle): Squire Main Lounge/Office
- Caesar Rodney: Caesar Rodney Commons Main Lounge
- Courtyard Apartments: UCA Clubhouse
- Ray Street A, B, C: Ray Street A Main Lounge
Be sure to bring your student ID card (ONEcard) with you to check in. Students living in traditional and suite-style residence halls will need their ONEcard to access their building. Students new to campus this spring should arrange to pick up their ID at the ONEcard Office prior to arriving at check-in if they haven’t already.
Arrive at your assigned residence hall check-in location and follow signage to locate your check-in area.
Resident Assistant staff will be at the building to welcome you, answer questions and give you your room key/fob.
If you have a vehicle to unload, proceed to the drop-and-go lane of your assigned building and unload your vehicle. Someone must stay with the vehicle at all times - students may have helpers to assist them on the day they are moving in if needed. Once you’re finished unloading, park your vehicle in a designated long term parking spot. We recommend that someone stays with your belongings while moving the car.
Bring items to your room assignment and unpack. A limited number of wheeled carts will be available to help move belongings in buildings with elevators.
Campus will be busier than usual, so we appreciate your patience during the check-in process!
Parking Services supervises and directs parking when it is for the purpose of loading and unloading student possessions during the change of semesters.
Vehicles are permitted to unload in driveways adjacent to residence halls for up to 30 minutes at the beginning and end of each semester when students move in and out of the residence halls.
Each vehicle must be attended by a person who can move it immediately in the event of an emergency; any unattended vehicle will be towed at the owner's expense.
Vehicles are not permitted to park in fire lanes. Handicap parking spaces are enforced at all times.
Contact Parking Services or visit their website if you have additional questions.
Students new to the residence halls this Spring semester may be curious about what comes with their room, what they should bring with them, and what they should leave at home.
What’s provided?
Each student is provided with a bed and mattress (XL twin for most of campus, full-sized in UCA), a desk, a desk-chair, and a wardrobe or closet/set of drawers. Each unit has a waste basket, recycling bin, and windows with built-in adjustable coverings (either blinds in apartments or roll-up shades in traditional and suite style buildings). All rooms are equipped with ethernet access to the internet and secure wifi.
Students assigned to the room type “Triple Room (FY)” or “Triple Suite (FY)” should expect that two of the three beds are bunked with 3 full sets of furniture in the room.
In suite-style and apartment style rooms, residents are responsible for cleaning and supplying their bathrooms, though the shower is equipped with a plastic liner. In traditional-style rooms, the hall bathrooms are stocked with toilet paper and cleaned regularly by custodial services.
Traditional and suite-style residence halls have laundry facilities and access to a shared kitchen in the building.
Explore our halls to learn more about each of our buildings and take a virtual tour of a room. Note that we are unable to provide exact measurements and details for every aspect of each room and its furnishings.
What to bring?
If you’ve been assigned to a room that you’ll share with a roommate(s), be sure to connect with them to discuss what larger items they may already have or plan to bring that could be shared (i.e. fan, smart tv, microfridge, vacuum, etc.) Most students should plan to bring the following items when living on campus:
Twin XL bedding (for suite & traditional-style residence halls and executive apartments) or Full-size bedding (University Courtyard apartments)
Pillows
Towels/washcloths
Clothing & shoes for rain, shine & possibly snow
Clothes hangers
Toiletries (shampoo, soap, deodorant, toothbrush, toothpaste, etc.)
Hair styling tools and/or comb
Toilet Paper (suites/apartments)
Laundry supplies (basket, detergent, etc.)
Personal and OTC medications
Cleaning supplies (suites/apartments must clean their own bathrooms & kitchens)
Laptop/computer and charger (printer optional)
Surge protector extension cord
Headphones with mic
Other items to consider may include: desk lamp, decorative items, snacks, bike and bike lock, kitchen items, a small tool kit.
If you need to bring your own appliances, microwaves can be no larger than 700 watts and refrigerators can be no larger than 4.5 cubic ft (only one permitted per room). Learn more about options for renting a combined unit from mymicrofridge.com.
What to leave at home?
Preventing fire and electrical hazards is a very important shared responsibility of each community member necessary to maintain a safe environment. Examples of prohibited items include but are not limited to:
Candles, toasters/toaster ovens, hot plates, appliances containing exposed heating elements (e.g. rice cookers, crockpots and air fryers), space heaters, portable air conditioners, e-mobility devices, bed lofts
Learn more about items that you should not bring to campus on the Our Policies page under the Prohibited Items List and Residence Hall Regulations dropdown sections.