Off-Campus Authorization
Undergraduate Residential Requirement & General Information
The residential experience is understood to be an integral part of receiving a Vanderbilt education. Our commitment to the residential experience is clearly expressed in the university’s residential requirement that was established by the Board of Trust:
“All unmarried undergraduate students are required to live in residence halls on-campus during the academic year, May session and summer sessions. Authorization to live off campus is granted at the discretion of the Director of Housing Assignments and Operations in special situations or when space is unavailable on campus.”
IN ALL CASES, STUDENTS REQUESTING OFF-CAMPUS AUTHORIZATION SHOULD NOT MAKE OFF-CAMPUS LIVING ARRANGEMENTS UNTIL THEY HAVE BEEN OFFICIALLY AUTHORIZED TO RESIDE OFF CAMPUS BY THE DIRECTOR OF HOUSING ASSIGNMENTS AND OPERATIONS. CONTRACTS BETWEEN STUDENTS AND OFF-CAMPUS LANDLORDS AND AGREEMENTS BETWEEN FRIENDS TO SUBLEASE A SPACE OFF CAMPUS ARE NOT VALID REASONS FOR GRANTING REQUESTS FOR OFF-CAMPUS AUTHORIZATION.
2025-2026 Off-Campus Authorization Application Process
Housing and Residential Experience is no longer considering requests for 2025-2026 off-campus authorization.
2026-2027 Off-Campus Authorization Application Process
Off-Campus Authorization Renewal Process (Monday, November 3 – Thursday, November 6)
Eligibility:
- Current off-campus residents with a valid 2025-2026 off-campus authorization are eligible to renew their authorization for the 2026-2027 academic year.
- Current off-campus residents interested in returning to on-campus housing for the 2026-2027 academic year are eligible to do so and should participate in the Housing Registration Process.
Application Dates:
- Monday, November 3 at 12 a.m. – Thursday, November 6 at 6 p.m. CST in the Housing Portal
Notification:
- All applicants will receive their 2026-2027 off-campus authorization notice via email on Friday, November 7.
Off-Campus Authorization Process for New Applicants (Monday, January 5 – Thursday, January 8)
Eligibility:
- Any returning undergraduate student with a submitted Housing Registration is eligible to request off-campus authorization for the 2026-2027 academic year. HRE anticipates granting approximately 900 new off-campus authorizations.
Application Dates and Process:
- Monday, January 5 at 12 a.m. – Thursday, January 8 at 6 p.m. CST in the Housing Portal
How to Apply:
- Step 1 (REQUIRED): Students must complete the Housing Registration online in the Housing Portal between Thursday, November 13 at 12 a.m. and Wednesday, November 19 at 6 p.m. CST.
- Step 2 (REQUIRED): Eligible students must complete the Off-Campus Housing Application in the Housing Portal between Monday, January 5 at 12 a.m. and Thursday, January 8 at 6 p.m. CST.
- Step 3 (OPTIONAL): Applicants will have the option to form a roommate group in the Housing Portal with up to three (3) other applicants from the same class cohort between Monday, January 5 at 12 a.m. and Thursday, January 8 at 6 p.m. CST after submission of their applications.
- Forming a roommate group links applicants together in the random selection process. Properly formed roommate groups are either granted or denied off-campus authorization as a group. Students interested in residing off campus with friends are strongly encouraged to form a roommate group.
How to Form a Roommate Group:
- Log into the Housing Portal.
- Click on “Roommate Selection”.
- Click “Select Roommates”.
- Select “Fall 2026” as the term from the dropdown menu.
- If any other student/s have already requested you as a roommate/hallmate, the requests will show under “Pending Roommate Requests”. To accept requests, click on the three dots to the left of their name and select the “Match” icon.
- To request a student, click on “Search for Roommate”. Students are encouraged to search by VUnetID.
- Confirm that all members of your roommate/hallmate group accept/request the student/s they would like in their group under “Roommate Requests.”
IN ORDER TO BE CONSIDERED A FULLY MATCHED ROOMMATE GROUP, ALL MEMBERS OF THE GROUP MUST EITHER REQUEST ONE ANOTHER OR ACCEPT ANY PENDING REQUESTS FROM OTHER GROUP MEMBERS. NO EMAILS OR COMMUNICATION REGARDING ROOMMATES/HALLMATES WILL BE SENT TO STUDENTS FROM THE OFFICE OF HOUSING ASSIGNMENTS. STUDENTS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR COORDINATING WITH ONE ANOTHER TO ENSURE GROUPS ARE PROPERLY FORMED.
Random Selection Process and Results:
- A seniority-driven, random selection will be conducted utilizing the lottery point average of all individuals/roommate groups. Individuals/roommate groups with higher lottery point averages will be considered before individuals/roommate groups with lower lottery point averages.
- Results will be released via email on Friday, January 9 at 5 p.m. CST.
Students should not commit in any way to an off-campus property until they have written authorization to reside off campus. Vanderbilt will not reimburse students for application fees and deposits for off-campus accommodations.
Students who are approved to reside off campus but want to decline the offer in order to reside on campus may do so by Friday, January 16 at 12 p.m. without penalty. Offer acceptances and declines are managed on an individual basis; therefore, if you apply for and receive off-campus authorization as a group, one (1) or more members of the group can decline the offer without impacting the rest of the group.
Off-Campus Authorization Waitlist (Opens Monday, January 12)
Eligibility:
- Any returning student with a submitted Housing Registration who did not apply during the original off-campus application window.
Application Dates and Process:
- Application opens on Monday, January 12 at 12 a.m. CST in the Housing Portal
- The waitlist will only be utilized if additional off-campus authorizations are needed. Individuals will be selected utilizing a seniority-driven, random selection. At this time, we do not have a specific date for when we may be able to grant off-campus authorization from the waitlist. Applicants must participate in the housing assignment process and secure on-campus housing. Doing so will not remove students from the waitlist.
Off-Campus Housing Information Fair:
All students interested in residing off campus are encouraged to attend the fair on Thursday, November 13 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on the Sarratt Promenade. Representatives from local apartment complexes will be available to provide information about their offerings and answer questions. Housing and Financial Aid representatives will also be available.
Prohibited Properties
Undergraduate students authorized to live off campus may not reside at certain properties. The landlords of these properties have failed to support University efforts to enforce good neighbor standards of behaviors by their student tenants. If you live in any of these proscribed properties, your off-campus authorization for the entire academic year will be voided and you may be required to live on campus.
As of this writing, students may not live in the following properties during the 2026-2027 academic year:
- 1024 Villa Place
- 520 32nd Ave. S.
- 3104 Dudley Ave.
The addresses listed on this site have cause within university protocols to be listed as prohibited for rent by undergraduates requesting and approved for off-campus housing. The lack of an address’s inclusion on this site is in no way a recommendation or indication of fitness for rental. Students rent at their own risk and should use all due diligence in selecting a rental property.