RESIDENTIAL LIFE AND HOUSING

Virginia Commonwealth University Residential Life and Housing acknowledges and respects the choices of our student population. In doing so, we offer living options to encompass all individuals. Open Housing is an inclusive living option within VCU residential communities that allows any students to live together. Open Housing is a voluntary choice; no student will be assigned to an Open Housing unit unless they have opted to be a part of an Open Housing living space.

Eligibility

To reside within Open Housing units, residents must be:

• 18 years of age at the time of the request 
• Eligible for university housing

Participants will need to have completed the current Housing Application as well as follow all instructions in the housing portal.

Open Housing Roommate Groups 

Applicants can apply for Open Housing as an individual or as part of a roommate group. All students in an Open Housing apartment will have agreed to the guidelines of Open Housing, whether selecting a space on their own or as part of a roommate group. If you are in a roommate group, all members of the group must have completed the Open Housing instructions in the application.

Open Housing Assignment

Open Housing Assignment Information:

• All rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors will participate in the General Room Selection process, which begins February 24 for rising sophomores and February 26 for rising juniors and seniors. A limited number of apartments will be reserved for students interested in Open Housing. When your time slot starts, you will only see available Open Housing apartments if you opted for Open Housing in the application.
• Open Housing room assignments are not guaranteed. 

Open Housing Vacancies

If a vacancy occurs in an Open Housing apartment, the following will occur to fill the empty bed:

Residential Life and Housing will allow the remaining residents to identify a new roommate to fill the vacancy. The incoming student must be eligible for on-campus housing and must have completed the appropriate applications, including the Open Housing agreement. Residents will be allowed 48 hours to identify another roommate.

If the remaining residents do not find a new roommate within 48 hours, Residential Life and Housing reserves the right to place another student, who agrees to Open Housing, in the vacancy.

Residents are encouraged to communicate to their roommate(s) any plans to change rooms or cancel their housing agreement as soon as possible, so that the remaining roommates can identify a replacement.