Move-Out 

Students who are not graduating in May are required to move out 24 hours after their last final exam or by 12PM on Saturday, May 11, whichever comes first.  

Graduating students are required to move out by 12PM on Monday, May 20.  

Please plan accordingly when making travel arrangements.  

For students to properly move out of their assigned rooms, the following must occur:

  • Contact a Residential Life and Learning staff member to complete your room check-out. (This is not the person who will make final decisions regarding any charges for the room. A Residential Life and Learning professional staff member will make the final decision.)
  • Remove all personal belongings from the room. Empty and clean all closets, dressers, desks and drawers.
  • Make sure all university-owned furniture is accounted for in your room.
  • Clean the room. Sweep the floor and please do not sweep the dirt from room into the hallway.
  • Throw away/take home all food stored in your room.
  • Close and lock the windows.
  • Place all garbage in the large dumpsters outside the building.
  • Donate unwanted items to the recycling locations. For information on where to leave items, please visit the Tufts University Office of Sustainability site with access to the Eco-Map.
  • Complete the room check-out with a Residential Life and Learning staff member. The condition of your room will be documented in our online housing portal.
  • Return room keys. 

If students fail to properly check out of their rooms, their student accounts will be assessed a fee of $200.

Students who do not complete the check-out process and vacate by the deadlines noted above will be charged a $150 improper check-out fee and an additional $50 per day for each additional day they are on campus. The residence halls are used throughout the summer, so our facilities, custodial, and operations teams all rely on you to check out on time to do their work. 

Returning Your Key, If Applicable

Please return your key to any key drop box* on campus. Please be sure to properly label your key envelope with your name, ID number, and room assignment. Failure to do so may result in a lock change fee of $75.00 for each key not returned. Drop boxes are located:

  • Residential Life & Learning - 120 Packard Ave 
  • Carmichael Hall lobby 
  • Harleston Hall lobby 
  • Hill Hall lobby  
  • Hodgdon Hall lobby 
  • Tufts University Police – Dowling Hall 
  • 1023 Beacon St. 
  • 1025 Beacon St.  
  • 1047 Beacon St. 

*Hillside Apartments and Latin Way residents: Both Hillsides and Latin Way will be used for summer housing and the buildings must be turned over quickly when the spring semester ends. To help us prepare for incoming summer residents, you must return your keys to 120 Packard Ave. If you return your keys to another drop box elsewhere on campus, you will be charged lock change fees. 

You are not required to return your Tufts ID and residence hall access will be ended based on your approved departure date.

Extended Stay  

Some students have extenuating circumstances that require them to extend their stay on campus past May 11. If you are participating in a Tufts program that requires you to stay on campus after May 11, your program leader will communicate with Residential Life and Learning (RLL) regarding your extended stay. Please do not complete an extended stay request form; please confirm with your program leader that you were included on the list they sent to ORLL.  

Students who are part of the following groups should NOT submit an extended stay request: 

  • Graduating students 
  • Resident Assistants  
  • Student athletes competing in a spring varsity sport  
  • Tufts in Tailliores 
  • Hillel Birthright  
  • TWO Pre-Orientation Coordinators 
  • Dining student staff 
  • Alumni Engagement student staff  
  • Conference & Event Services student staff 
  • Students who are COVID+ isolating in situ 
  • Summer Housing Residents  

If you do not see your Tufts program listed above, please contact your program leader and ask them to contact RLL.  

If you need to request an extended stay but are not participating in a Tufts program, please submit an Extended Stay Request form through your Housing Portal by on Tuesday, April 16. Requests will be reviewed by ORLL staff and approved or denied. Approved requests received after Tuesday, April 16 will incur a $50 late fee.   

The Extended Stay Request form will be available beginning on Friday, March 1.  

Storage & Shipping 

There is no storage for your belongings on campus during the academic year or over the summer. However, we partner with vendor to offer storage and shipping options to our residents. View more information about storage and shipping on our Vendor Information page.

If you are living in small wood-framed houses, including theme, special interest, fraternity/sorority houses, you may not utilize the basement of your house for storage of any kind. Items located in these spaces will donated or discarded. In accordance with state fire code, access to electrical panels, fire alarms systems, building heating/hot water systems, and other utilities must be kept free and clear at all times in case of emergency or repair. If it is reported to us that personal items are being stored in the basement of a wood-framed house, you will be given the opportunity to remove your items. If you fail to remove your items, they will be removed and discarded by university officials. If students continue to store items in the basement of the house in which they reside, they will be subject to appropriate residential and/or University consequences.

Leaves of Absence

If you leave the University, for any reason, you need to complete the room check-out process.

  • If you take a leave of absence, you will need to remove all personal items from your assigned room within 48 hours of the effective date of leave. If you don’t remove personal items by the deadline, we will hire professional movers to pack and ship items to your permanent address at your expense.
  • We do not assume responsibility for any personal items left in your university housing assignment, or for the safety and security of personal belongings being packed or shipped.

Damage Billing & Associated Fees

Residents are responsible for the care of university property in their rooms and in the common areas of university housing.

  • Any damage or loss will be assessed to the person(s) responsible.
  • Occupants are jointly responsible for the condition of the furniture, walls, ceiling, etc.
  • Damage that occurs beyond normal wear and tear is charged to the occupants of each room.
  • Residents are responsible for keeping their own room clean.
  • University housing apartment residents are also responsible for keeping their common areas cleaned (bedrooms, kitchen, and bathrooms).

Additional associated fees are related to any damaged, missing, or lost keys not turned in at the end of your occupancy.

Move-In 

Returning students can move in on Sunday, September 1, 2024 between 9AM and 4PM. More specific details will be available over the summer 

New students participating in pre-orientation can move in between 9AM and 4PM on Friday, August 23, 2024. Pre-orientation participants will be assigned a check-in time between 9AM and 4PM on August 23 after their pre-orientation program assignment is confirmed over the summer.

New students who are not participating in pre-orientation can move in between 9AM and 4PM on Wednesday, August 28, 2024.  

Whenever residents move into a space, they will be required to complete an online Room Condition Inventory. Students should be thorough in noting any existing damage to the room or university furnishings in order to be released from financial responsibility for repairs at the time of check-out.