Moving Out
Everything you need to know about moving out.
As a resident of MIT Graduate Housing, you are responsible for the entire term of your license agreement. Residents who terminate their on-campus housing prior to the expiration of their license agreement are subject to the early termination policy outlined below and are required to provide notice by submitting a Termination Request Form within the Housing Portal.
Please Note: If you are interested in canceling your housing assignment prior to your move-in date, please refer to the Housing Cancellation Policy for guidance. The Early Termination Policy detailed below applies to any cancellations submitted after the scheduled occupancy date.
Entering a Termination Date
When completing the Graduate or Visitor Termination Request Form within your Housing Portal, you will be asked to select a termination date. Under the drop-down menu “Departure Date,” please select the last day of the final month in which you plan to reside in MIT housing. As a reminder, termination forms must be submitted with a minimum of 30 days’ notice prior to the end of the month.
Please indicate your actual departure date (the date you will move out) in the “Additional Information” field. Your departure date must be on or before your termination date (e.g., you cannot terminate for December 31 and depart on January 1). Rent responsibility will end at the end of the month during which your termination falls and will not be prorated (exception for June Degree List candidates).
If you are uncertain of your specific date, please enter the latest possible date. If the date changes, you may email graduatehousing@mit.edu to share an earlier date at least 30 days before your final move-out date.
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Sample Graduate Housing Termination Dates |
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Termination Date |
Must Submit Termination |
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April 30 |
March 31 |
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May 31 |
May 1 |
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Any Day in June |
June Degree List residents are eligible to terminate their on-campus housing on any day during the month of June with at least 30 days' notice (rent will be prorated - June Degree List ONLY). |
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June 30 |
May 31 |
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July 31 |
July 1 |
*June Degree List Eligible Only - rent will be prorated if termination form is submitted with at least 30 days’ notice
Example: When you submit the Termination Request Form in March, you enter a termination date of July 31. In early April you confirm you're graduating (June Degree list) and you get a job that starts June 1. On April 8, you email graduatehousing@mit.edu with a move-out date of May 31. Under this scenario, you would not be charged rent past May 31 because you have an acceptable reason for leaving (graduated) and have provided 30 days' notice.
Extension Requests
Requests to extend your stay beyond your eligible occupancy dates are only granted due to extenuating circumstances on a case-by-case basis. Please contact our office to discuss your request for an extension.
Graduating students must fill out the Termination Request Form with 30 days’ notice to indicate their move-out date. Graduating students:
- on the February Degree List may remain in on-campus housing until January 31.
- on the June Degree List, may remain in on-campus housing until the end of their license agreement period on July 31.
If your registration ends on January 31, you may not remain in on-campus housing for the spring term, even if you graduate in February. Last-minute changes to degree candidacy may result in a new housing assignment if an extension is required. There are no extensions beyond August 31 for September Degree List residents.
If you’re a graduate student who has become a postdoctoral researcher and would like to continue living within on-campus housing, please see the section on this page titled “Status Change from MIT Graduate Student to Visitor/Affiliate.”
If you remain eligible for housing and require short-term housing beyond your license agreement end date (July 31), you may consider the sublicense process. To learn more about sublicenses, please visit the Sublicense Center.
Damage Policy Reminder
Any damage to the student’s room will be billed according to the Institute’s damage policy.
Graduate Students
Graduate students are required to provide documentation and must give a minimum of 30 days’ notice by completing the online Termination Request Form within their Housing Portal. Rent-responsibility (including house-tax) will cease at the end of the month in which the termination date falls.
Terminating for any reason (approved or unapproved) during the first two months of a semester (September, October and February, March) incurs a termination fee equal to one month's current rent.
Example: If Housing & Residential Services receives a resident’s Termination Form and all required documentation on November 15, the resident is responsible for their rent and house tax until December 31.
Early termination is permissible for residents who meet at least one of the following criteria:
- Graduation from MIT
- Withdrawal from MIT
- Medical Leave
- Change in Family Status (proof required)
- Academic-Required Off-site Internship (academic department letter required)
- Registering as a Non-resident (approval from the Office of Graduate Education required)
*Note: Housing & Residential Services may reach out after receiving your Termination Request Form to request additional documentation as needed to support your reason for seeking an approved early termination.
Graduate students are expected to move out upon completion of their degree program. Any resident who completes a degree program more than 90 days before January 31 or June 30 is expected to move out at the end of the month in which they complete their degree.
For students on the February Degree List, an eligible termination date is January 31.
If you’re moved to the September Degree List, please submit a Termination Request Form requesting an August 31 termination date. Your department will need to confirm you are on the September Degree list, and an extension to remain within your current space is contingent upon your apartment still being available.
Please note, last-minute changes to degree candidacy may result in a new housing assignment if an extension is required. There are no extensions available beyond August 31 for September Degree List residents.
Graduate students taking a leave of absence are not eligible to reside in graduate housing. Please contact Housing & Residential Services as soon as you are aware of your approved leave and provide a letter or email from the Office of Graduate Education or your department to verify that you are taking a leave.
We work on a case-by-case basis with each student taking a leave in order to determine the appropriate date when the student’s license will end and the student will depart housing for the leave. The departure date will ordinarily be no later than 30 days from the date when the leave was approved. Residents taking a leave of absence are not charged any termination fees.
If circumstances alter students’ plans or prevent students from arriving to campus through no fault of their own (i.e. travel ban or visa restrictions), HRS will work with the International Students Office (ISO) and students on a case-by-case basis regarding their on-campus housing assignment. Please contact us as soon as possible to discuss your situation and next housing steps.
The Institute’s graduate student housing eligibility policy requires that residents be fully-registered MIT students.If you are scheduled to graduate but seek to remain at MIT as a postdoc or in some eligible visitor capacity, you first will need to submit a graduate housing termination form and then apply for the visitor self-selection process. You will need your appointment letter to apply for housing as a visitor.
Graduate students who terminate their Housing License Agreement early without qualifying for an approved reason described above will remain responsible for all rent and house tax until the housing unit is occupied by a new resident, or until the Housing License Agreement expires, whichever occurs first.
Examples include, but are not limited to:
- Moving off campus for an unapproved reason
- Leaving campus for an internship that is not required by your academic department
Visitors, Affiliates, Postdocs, & Cross-Registered Students
Visitors must provide a minimum of 30 days’ notice by completing the online Visitor Termination Request Form within their Housing Portal. Rent-responsibility (including house-tax) will cease at the end of the month in which the termination date falls. Terminating for any reason during the first two months of a semester (September, October and February, March) incurs a termination fee equal to one month's current rent.
The early termination fee may be waived only for visitors who can provide documentation from your department of your appointment end date. Housing & Residential Services may reach out after receiving your Termination Request Form to request additional documentation as needed to support your reason for requesting an approved early termination.
Example: If Housing & Residential Services receives your Termination Form and all required documentation on November 15, you are responsible for your rent and house taxes until December 31.
