Frequently Asked Questions
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General
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Am I allowed to have pets?
Pets ARE NOT permitted, except fish in a 20 gallon or less aquarium. Breach of this provision will result in a non-negotiable fee for fumigation services in addition to any appropriate cleaning or repair charges deemed necessary. Keeping a pet is grounds for immediate eviction.
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Are basic television services available?
Yes. Basic cable is provided in Residence Halls and Campus Apartments. Instructions to get set up, and a list of channels, are available here.
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Are laundry services available?
All laundry services at UC Riverside are paid for through the WASH-Connect app. The app allows the user to find available machines, pay for washes, and get notified when the laundry is done, all within the secure app. Follow the directions below to get started. Laundry costs per load are $1.50 to wash and $1.00 to dry.
* Payments on the app can only be made through credit/debit cards.
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Are there any special hazards I should know about?
For most residents, the answer is no. However, there are exceptions.
Bannockburn Village has asbestos content in ceiling and wall materials. Fortunately, the health hazard is low unless this material is disturbed. Residents must not puncture or disturb interior walls or ceilings (for example, to hang lights, plants or pictures), or vacuum ceiling material particles. For more detailed information about asbestos at Bannockburn Village
We have mitigated the health risks by replacing windows and other materials, properly maintaining paint surfaces, and encapsulating many wood surfaces. The EPA website offers more information about living with lead paint.
If you have any questions about asbestos or lead paint, contact your Resident Services Office at (951) 827-5723
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Are there other housing options that exist for freshmen?
Yes. There is on-campus Family Housing for those who are eligible.
Or, use our Off-Campus Housing resources page to search for off-campus housing in the private community near UCR.
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Bed Bugs: What You Need to Know
UC Riverside takes a proactive approach in addressing the issue of all types of household pests, including bed bugs. It is our goal to maintain the highest quality living environment for our residents. Housing Services has no prior knowledge of a bed bug infestation or has professionally treated the room for bed bugs. Any Resident who suspects they may have bed bugs in their room is required to notify their Resident Services Office to report the problem immediately. An inspection will be scheduled, and treatment will be done if bed bugs are present. Residents may be temporarily transferred to another space while their room is being treated and re-inspected. Residents will be asked to seal all bedding, clothing, and drapes/curtains in plastic bags. This helps prevent bed bugs spreading to other spaces. Sheets, pillows, and clothes can be washed in soap and hot water. Items that cannot be washed should be dried in the dryer at a high temperature for at least 30 minutes. Residents will leave all furniture and approved belongings in the room for treatment while they are relocated. Resident owned belongings that are found to have bed bugs must be permanently removed and re-inspected by a trained professional before being returned to the room.
- Appearance: Bed bugs have six legs. Adult bed bugs have flat bodies about 1/4" of an inch in length. Their color can vary from red to brown to copper. Young bed bugs are very small. Their bodies are about 1/16" of an inch in length. They have almost no color. When a bed bug feeds, its body swells, may lengthen, and can become bright red, sometimes making it appear to be a different inspect. Bed bugs do not fly. They can either crawl or be carried from place to place on objects, people, or animals. Bed bugs can be hard to find and identify because they are tiny and try to stay hidden.
- Life Cycle and Reproduction: An average bed bug lives for about 10 months. Female bed bugs lay one to five eggs per day. Bed bugs grow to full adulthood in about 21 days. Bed bugs can survive for months without feeding.
- Bed Bug Bites: Because bed bugs usually feed at night most people are bitten in their sleep and do not realized they were bitten. A person's reaction to insect bites is an immune response and so it varies from person to person. Sometimes, the red welts caused by the bites will not be noticed until many days after a person was bitten, if at all.
- Common Signs and Symptoms of Possible Bed Bug Infestation: Small red to reddish brown fecal spots on mattresses, box springs, bed frames, linens, upholstery, or walls. Molted bed bug skins, white sticky eggs, or empty eggshells. Very heavily infested areas may have a characteristically sweet odor. Red, itchy bite marks, especially on the legs, arms, and other body parts exposed while sleeping, though some people do not show bed bug lesions on their bodies even though bed bugs may have fed on them.
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Can I change my Dining Plan throughout the year?
The Dining Plan selected is for the entire academic year. Changes are permitted during the first two weeks of the academic year only. A Dining Plan Change Request Form needs to be completed and all instructions for documentation followed. Submit a Dining Plan Change Request Form at your respective RSO. Please allow two weeks for your request to be processed.
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Can I pick my own roommate?
Yes. If you know the name of another student who you would like to room with, you may enter their name(s) in the appropriate space of your online contract or application. In order to be placed with that roommate, the roommate you have chosen will also need to submit an online contract or application and enter your name in the appropriate space.
If you meet someone you would like to room with after you have already submitted your online contract or application, you can log back in to edit it or you may email Housing Services to let us know the roommate’s full name. Again, your chosen roommate will need to do the same.
Roommate requests cannot be honored unless both students request each other in writing.
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How can I take a housing tour?
(In-person tours currently unavailable). Take a 360° Virtual Tour.
A campus tour can also be arranged by contacting the Campus Tours Office at (951) 827-8687 or by making a reservation online.
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How safe is the on-campus community?
While it is impossible for anyone to guarantee safety and security anywhere, Housing Services has implemented many programs to help ensure students’ safety and demonstrate our commitment to students’ well-being. Pedestrian traffic is limited in the Residence Halls by student key/card access and limited-access parking lots. Most common areas and passageways are outfitted with surveillance security cameras. Emergency-response phones are located in all Residence Hall communities. The university also has a police department that monitors the campus, including housing facilities. Learn more about our safety measures
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Is housing guaranteed for freshmen?
Due to continued uncertainties about the amount of campus housing available due to COVID-19, no campus housing can be guaranteed during the 2022-2023 academic year. Available campus housing will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis.
The Residence Hall Contract is available online beginning March 1.
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Is on-campus housing guaranteed?
Available campus housing will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis. Campus Apartment applications are accepted year round for non-Freshman university students. The Residence Hall Contract is available for all student levels beginning March 1.
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What about accommodations for special needs?
Residence Hall rooms and Campus Apartments can be modified, or are already modified, for physically-, hearing-, and sight-impaired students. Please coordinate your needs by calling Housing Administration office at (951)827-6350
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What are the Housing deadlines for fall quarter?
Available campus housing will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis. Campus Apartment applications are accepted year round for non-Freshman university students. The Residence Hall Contract is available for all student levels beginning March 1.
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What if I do not have a car or am unable to get a Housing Parking Permit?
It is not necessary to have a car if you live on campus. The Riverside Transit Agency operates an extensive bus network throughout Riverside and is free for UCR students. In addition, Housing Services attempts to ensure that a variety of food, entertainment and academic resources are available at all times, limiting the need to venture far from campus. Learn more about parking and transportation
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What percentage of students live on campus?
Approximately 30% of UCR students live on campus. However, 75% of freshmen live on campus.
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When will I receive information from Housing Services?
Housing information and deadlines are available online.
Newly admitted, single freshman students will receive a brochure with detailed housing information after being formally admitted to the university. If you do not receive a brochure, email Housing Services or call (951) 827-6350 to request one.
Newly admitted freshmen students are also kept informed of critical university processes and deadlines at MyUCR
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Where do I find my NetID and Password?
Your NetID is issued after submitting a Statement of Intent to Register (SIR) with UCR. This NetID will be available when you log in to MyUCR 1-3 days after your SIR is received by UCR.
Your Password is issued by the Admissions Office once you are admitted to the University. Passwords are required for many Web transactions. The Password is used throughout your undergraduate career to verify access to a variety of data, such as grades and confirmations.
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Why would a student want to live on-campus vs. commute?
Convenience
- No cooking, cleaning, shopping or real need for transportation
- Proximity to resources, both in the campus housing communities and campus
Support
- More than 1,000 educational, cultural, social and recreational activities annually
- On-site tutoring and counseling
- 24-hour emergency assistance for both maintenance and personal challenges
Safety
- Restricted access to all Residence Hall living areas
- Security cameras
- On-site Community Service Officer patrols
- UCR Police patrols
Academics
- Students who live on campus perform better academically and are happier in general with their college experience than those who live off campus or commute.
Finances
- Residents are eligible for more housing aid (as part of their Financial Aid Package) than those who live off-campus or commute.
Residence Halls
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Do I have to have a Dining Plan? Can I change it at any time?
Yes and no. All Residence Hall residents must have a Dining Plan as part of their living package. The Dining Plan you select is for the entire academic year. You may change it during the first two weeks of the academic year only.
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How can I change things in my Residence Hall Contract once I have already submitted it?
You have the ability to log back into your contract and edit any choices you have already made until approximately June 15. After June 15, or as directed when you log in, you may email Housing Services about the items you would like to change.
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How do I choose a Dining Plan?
You must make your Dining Plan selection as part of your online contract. When choosing a Dining Plan, consider your current eating habits. For instance, if you do not eat breakfast now, you are not likely to eat breakfast with any regularity in the Residence Halls. You may change your Dining Plan selection during the first two weeks of the Academic Year, if necessary, by submitting a change at your Resident Services Office
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How do I contract to live in the Residence Halls?
Beginning March 1, the Residence Hall Contract is available online for fall quarter. All admitted students who Submit Intent to Register (SIR) with UCR may submit a contract using their NetID and Password as issued by UCR.
Please note: It usually takes 1-3 days for a NetID to be issued after a student submits their SIR.
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How much will I need to pay when I submit a contract for the Residence Halls?
Housing Services will not reserve a Residence Hall room for a student until their Residence Hall Contract and First Payment is received. For guaranteed housing, both of these items must be received by May 10. The first regular Residence Hall payment is due by September 1. Consult the payment schedule for specific payment amounts and deadlines
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How will I know if I have received a space in the Residence Halls?
All single, first-year freshmen students who meet all Housing deadlines are guaranteed a space in the Residence Halls.
Specific room assignment and move-in information is distributed on September 1. Check your Residence Hall Dashboard for current information
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Is parking guaranteed in the Residence Halls?
No. Students request housing parking online through Transportation Services Parking spaces are limited and requests are processed on a first-come, first-served basis. It is critical that students do not bring a car to campus until they have secured a parking permit. Students living on campus are not eligible for a general campus-parking permit. Learn more about parking and transportation
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What about accommodations for special needs?
Residence Hall rooms and Campus Apartments can be modified, or are already modified, for physically-, hearing-, and sight-impaired students. Please coordinate your needs by calling Housing Administration office at (951) 827-6350
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What is the average cost to live in the Residence Halls?
Residence Hall costs differ based on the type of room, community and choice of Dining Plan. Check Rates & Billing for current costs
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What percentage of freshmen live in the Residence Halls?
Approximately 75% of UCR freshmen live in the Residence Halls.
Family Housing
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Am I allowed to have pets?
No. No pets are allowed at Oban Family Housing, with the exception of service animals, pets in cages (birds and small rodents) and fish in an aquarium (20-gallon maximum). If other pets — dogs, cats, etc. — are discovered in a unit at any time during residency, residents will be asked to remove them and may themselves be subject to legal eviction.
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Is there childcare near my residence?
Yes. The UCR Early Childhood Services is located nearby, offering highly regarded full- and half-day programs to students, staff, faculty and the neighboring community. Children are accepted from two months old through kindergarten. UCR students are eligible for subsidized rates.