Moving Out
Fall Closing Information
General Closing Information: Fall 2024
2. Residents returning to housing for the spring do not have to fully move out. However, USF ID card access to residence halls will be deactivated beginning at noon on Friday, December 13 through 9:00 a.m. on January 10 (except for those with approved 'break stay' or early arrival housing).
3. The residence halls close at noon on Friday, December 13, 2024.
Please read if you are...
Returning to your room in the spring
- Do not leave any exposed or open food in your residence hall and dispose of any items that will expire before your return in your refrigerator.
- Unplug all personal electronics such as alarms clocks, computers, game systems, TV’s or small appliances.
- Please clean all dirty dishes in your sink and your residential area.
- Take your fish home.
- Be sure to secure your bike to a bike rack. Remember that powered bikes, hoverboards, scooters, etc. are not permitted inside the residence halls at any time.
- Take down all holiday decorations.
- Empty all trash and recycling materials.
- Take home all valuables including important medications.
- Take home or return rented textbooks.
- Students who are returning to their current room in the spring may leave their belongings in the room throughout the break, but will not have access during that time.
- You will keep your keys, but your card will not have access over the break. If you are found in the halls without permission, you will be subject to student conduct action.
- Please keep your keys and USF ID Card in a safe place over the break so you are not subject to lock change or key replacement fines.
- Do not leave your bedroom doors unlocked or keys in your room.
- Set your thermostat to 72 degrees. If your thermostat has a fan speed setting, set it to AUTO.
- Make sure all showers and sink faucets are completely turned off and not dripping or leaking.
- Verify your window is closed and the latch is locked. Close your blinds, rotating the louvers to the open position.
- Residence halls re-open for the spring semester at 9 a.m. on Friday, January 10. Card access will be automatically restored at this time. Your financial account must be in good standing before you move in.
- IMPORTANT: If you live in a double room and do not have a roommate at the current time, please anticipate a roommate being assigned to your room for the spring semester. Before you leave for break, please clear the room (including the vacant bed, desk, dresser, bathroom space, etc.) to allow for a new roommate to move in their belongings. If you do not move belongings from these areas, Housing & Residential Education will move them and post a charge to your student account. Staff will be entering rooms to confirm readiness for all new roommates.
Not returning to your room in the spring
Residents not returning for the spring semester must complete the checkout process on/before Friday, December 8 at noon. This includes formally canceling your housing contract for the spring semester as early as possible via the Housing Portal; cleaning your space prior to your departure; and returning your key(s) to your service desk. For cancellation information, see Section V of your Housing Agreement. Residents participating in commencement after residence halls close for winter break should submit a late stay request in the Housing Portal by Wednesday, November 27.
- Before You Depart:
- Check out with an RA/CM before you leave
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- Contact your RA/CM or RLC for more information
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- Please remove all personal belongings from your room prior to checkout time.
- Please return all furniture to its original position. (There is a $30.00 charge to re-assemble or move furniture.)
- Please remove posters, tape/decals and residue, nails, hooks, etc. from walls, windows, and mirrors.
- Please clean your room and/or apartment thoroughly. Clean and remove all food from the refrigerator and clean the stove and other appliances in the apartment if applicable.
- Please remove trash and sweep/vacuum the floor. Common areas must be cleaned each time a member of the living unit checks out, otherwise cleaning charges will apply - regardless of who is responsible for clean up.
- Set your thermostat to 72 degrees. If your thermostat has a fan speed setting, set it to AUTO.
- Verify your window is closed and the latch is locked. Close your blinds, rotating the louvers to the open position.
- If you are the first person in your room/suite/apartment to check out, please have
your room/suite/apartment-mate present, if possible, at the time of your checkout
to clarify who is responsible for any damages that might be identified.
- Check out with an RA/CM before you leave
- Ready To Depart:
- Check-out with your Resident Assistant or Community Manager.
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Closing community gatherings begin the week of November 17. Please see your RA and the signage in your building for more specific infromation on how to check out of your hall.
- When the RA/CM arrives for your checkout, your belongings must be out of the room. If the staff member arrives and you are not finished moving out, you may be charged a late departure fee if you are not moved out before noon.
- When the staff member arrives, they will check your room. Please note that the community A/RLC and facilities make the final decisions regarding charges of damages.
- If there are damages, be sure all members of the room let the staff member know who is responsible. If no one claims responsibility, everyone will be charged. If the apartment/room is dirty, you will be charged. All areas of the apartment/room must be cleaned prior to each person checking out.
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- Turn in your room key(s) at your service desk (Holly M, the HUB, or Juniper-Poplar) Monday - Friday between 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. (Express check-out envelopes will be available outside of Holly M and Juniper-Poplar service desks for after hours checkouts)
- Update your address on OASIS and in the Housing Portal.
- Please Note: an Improper Checkout Fee of $100 may be charged to students who do not follow the proper checkout procedures.
- Keys must be physically turned in, we do not accept keys that have been mailed in.
- Check-out with your Resident Assistant or Community Manager.
Planning to stay on campus over winter break (Break Stay Housing)
The Fall 2024 - Spring 2025 Break Stay Request Form will close in the Housing Portal on Wednesday, November 27.
Conditions of Break Stay include:
- Break Stay Housing is not free, nor is it already paid for in the Housing Agreement. The cost is based on the style of housing you live in (please see below for break stay rates). This does not apply to Greek Village.
- Only residents with housing accounts in good standing are eligible (October 20 is the due date for Fall housing). Students with fall semester balances due are not eligible for Break Stay Housing.
- Residents eligible to request Break Stay Housing must complete the Break Stay Request form in the Housing Portal before 4 p.m. on Wednesday, November 27.
- Due to the terms of their agreement:
- Greek Village residents are charged for and have access to their regular assignment through the break unless they meet the cancellation criteria, in which case they must move out by December 10 at noon.
NOTICE OF ENTRY: From December 13- January 10 housekeeping and maintenance techs will be knocking on doors and then entering rooms starting at 8 a.m. to clean and/or complete repairs as needed. Because this transition occurs during a limited break/holiday period, we will not be able to postpone entry. Staff will be wearing appropriate IDs. We appreciate everyone's cooperation and support as we seek to prepare our residence halls for our returning residents and for new residents arriving for the spring semester.
For more information on break stay, including break stay rates, please visit here.
RA's on Duty: All residence halls that are open for students with break-stay housing will have RA's on duty over winter break. For assistance, please look for the signage posted in your building with the RA on-duty phone number listed.
Winter Break Mail Center Information
North and South Campus Mail Centers will remain open during winter break.
Mail Center Hours from December 9 - 15 (Holly H and JPH):
Monday – Friday: 10 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Saturdays: 12 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Sundays: CLOSED
Mail Center Hours from December 16 - January 12 (Holly H and JPH):
Monday – Saturday: 10 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Sundays: CLOSED
All mail centers will be closed on December 25 and January 1. Normal mail center hours resume Monday, January 13.
Winter Break Service Desk Information
All desks will be open during winter break.
- December 7 & 8: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
- December 9 - 13: 8 a.m. - 8 p.m.
- December 14 - 15: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
- December 16 - January 12: 10 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Normal desk hours resume Monday, January 13.
Maintenance Requests During Break:
Please submit a maintenance request as you normally would for any maintenance-related concerns over winter break.
Parking:
All parking rules will continue to be enforced throughout winter break.
24-Hour Quiet Hours
24-hour quiet hours begin on Wednesday, December 4 at 10:00 p.m. through Friday, December 13 at 8:00 a.m. Please be courteous to your peers, especially when you are packing and moving during check-out. Failure to comply with quiet hours may result in immediate dismissal from the halls.
Mail During Winter Break
- Make arrangements with anyone you anticipate will send you mail over the break to ensure mail is sent to your permanent address. If you have mail-order prescriptions, please plan ahead for this University closure.
- Mail and packages are neither forwarded nor returned to sender over winter break. Please ensure packages are not mailed to your on-campus address after December 1.
- During the break, residents not returning to USF for spring 2024 will have their mail sorted and forwarded after the start of the spring semester only if residents have left a forwarding address in the Housing Portal.
- If you are leaving the University, please remember to update your forwarding address in the Housing Portal's Profile Information section. Please also update your information on OASIS.
- If you will be staying on campus during winter break, please remember to review the mail center information provided in your information section above.
Mail Center Hours from December 9 - 15 (Holly H and JPH):
Monday – Friday: 10 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Saturdays: 12 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Sundays: CLOSED
Mail Center Hours from December 16 - January 12 (Holly H and JPH):
Monday – Saturday: 10 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Sundays: CLOSED
All mail centers will be closed on December 25 and January 1.
LOST/DAMAGED KEY CHARGES
Core Change: $50/core
Key Replacement: $15/key
Temporary Access Card: $35 if not returned
Key Tag: $10/damaged or unreturned tag
Bent Key: $6 (key needs to be returned)
Note: Lost key charges will vary based on your residence hall location. You will be responsible for all keys that need to be reissued to roommates and suite/apartment mates.
We do not accept keys through the mail.
ADDITIONAL CHARGES
Applicable damage, hauling, lost key, and cleaning charges may apply if you fail to check out of your room/apartment.
Cart Checkout
A limited number of courtesy carts will be available to residents for a one-hour rental during the week of fall closing.
North Campus:
Carts will be available in Holly L at the following times:
- Saturday, December 7 & Sunday, December 8: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
- Monday, December 9 - Friday, December 13: 10 a.m. - 7 p.m.
South Campus:
Carts will be available to rent from the JPH service desk during regular desk hours.
Transportation With Lithium-Ion Batteries
All forms of transportation with lithium-ion batteries are not permitted inside the residence halls and cannot be charged in residential areas.
This includes, but is not limited to:
- Electric Scooters
- Hoverboards
- Electric Bikes
These transportation devices are also not allowed to be stored in residents' rooms over break. Please ensure you take any transportation featuring lithium-ion batteries with you when leaving for winter break. We also strongly recommend leaving them behind when returning for the spring semester.
If you have any questions regarding this policy, please contact the Housing office at 813-974-0001 or housing@usf.edu.