Transferring

Applying to transfer does not guarantee that your request can be accommodated.  Additionally, residents are only eligible to apply for transfer to UAH units if they received a UAH allocation. (For example, students in school-specific housing such as Law School Housing, General Studies Leased Housing, or GSAS Leased Housing are not eligible to transfer into other types of housing. Our tenants at International House are only eligible to transfer at the end of their contracts.  Bayit residents are also not eligible to transfer.)

If you have questions regarding your eligibility, please email uah@columbia.edu. 

Types of Transfers

• General Transfer - for students in UAH units who are looking to move to another UAH unit (dorm, apartment share, studio, couples housing, family housing).  See information and guidelines.
• "Room to Room" Transfer - for a student in UAH unit who wishes to move in with a friend that has a vacant or soon to be vacated room in their apartment share or dorm suite.  See information and guidelines.
• "Group Share" Transfer - for two or more students in UAH units who would like to live in the same apartment, should one become available.  See information and guidelines.

Eligibility Criteria for All Transfer Applicants

To be eligible to apply to transfer, you must:

• be a current UAH tenant in a UAH allocated unit.
• be a full time student.
• be up-to-date on rent payments for your current UAH unit.
• not be in your last year of affiliation or housing eligibility.
• pay a new security deposit. (If you have previously paid a security deposit for your current housing, this will be refunded by check once your keys are returned and your apartment inspected. Refunds take approximately eight weeks.)
• provide documentation of couples' status if applying to transfer to couples' housing. (Please note that due to the limited availability of studio and one bedroom units, we must prioritize this housing for those that have been waiting to transfer to couples' housing the longest. Generally, we are unable to approve requests from students who have lived in housing for less than one year.)

If you are applying for a "Room to Room" Transfer, please also note that:

• a notice of vacancy form for the room in question has been submitted to UAH by the current tenant of record for that room.
• at least one tenant will remain in the apartment. (We are unable to approve requests to transfer into specific rooms within a completely vacant or soon to be vacant apartment share.)
• you are of the same gender of the current occupants. If not, the current occupant(s) must submit a letter to UAH requesting you as their roommate.
• priority is given to applicants who are already living in the apartment.
• rooms are taken "as is." Any necessary repairs will be made however no cosmetic work such as painting will be done. No furniture will be removed from or added to the requested room.
• you must retain your housing eligibility. For example, it is not possible to vacate a unit in May or June and move into another unit in August.

If you are applying for a "Group Share" Transfer, please also note that:

• All members of your group must confirm their eligibility and interest in transferring.