Skip to main content

Housing and Residential Experience

Off-Campus Authorization

Off-Campus Authorization:  General Information

The Office of Housing and Residential Experience (OHARE) anticipates granting off-campus authorization to approximately 900 students for the 2022-2023 academic year. Due to the limited number of off-campus authorizations that OHARE will be able to grant, only the following groups of students will be eligible to request off-campus authorization:

  1. Students currently residing off campus with authorization to do so who intend to return to Vanderbilt for the 2022-2023 academic year
  2. Students entering their 4th year of study or greater for the Fall 2022 semester

Rising 2nd- and 3rd-year students are not eligible to request off-campus authorization for the 2022-2023 academic year and are required to reside in on-campus housing.

A random selection process (a lottery) will be used to determine which students will have their requests for off-campus authorization granted. Submitting a request to live off campus does not entail that you will receive authorization. Requests for off-campus authorization will be prioritized as follows:

  • First Priority: Students residing off campus for the 2021-2022 academic year with authorization to do so who properly re-apply for 2022-2023 off-campus authorization
  • Second Priority: Students entering their 4th year of study or greater for the Fall 2022 semester

For 2022-2023 academic year, OHARE anticipates being in a position to grant all properly submitted requests for off-campus authorization from students in the first priority group. Roughly 400 students will be authorized from the second priority group.

Off-Campus Authorization:  Application Process

Applying for off-campus authorization will be a two- or three-step (for eligible students wanting to form roommate groups) process.

Step 1 (REQUIRED):  Students must complete the 2022-2023 Housing Registration online between January 10 at 12 a.m. CST and January 14, 2022 at 6 p.m. CST.

Step 2 (REQUIRED):  Eligible students must complete the Off-Campus Housing Application online between January 17 at 12 a.m. CST and January 21, 2022 at 6 p.m. CST.

Step 3 (OPTIONAL FOR ELIGIBLE STUDENTS):  Eligible students who complete the Off-Campus Housing Application will have the option to form a roommate group online between January 17 at 12 a.m. CST and January 21, 2022 at 6 p.m. CST.

Failure to complete steps 1 and 2 in the application process by the deadlines will result in a loss of consideration for authorization to reside off-campus for the 2022-2023 academic year.

Once eligible students complete their Off-Campus Housing Application (Step 2), they will have the ability to form a roommate group with up to two (2) other students.  Students residing off-campus for the 2021-2022 academic year (first priority group) are not permitted to form a roommate group and can only reapply for 2022-2023 off-campus authorization as individual applicants.  Forming a roommate group links students together for the off-campus random selection process.  Properly formed roommate groups are either granted authorization or denied authorization as a group.  It is strongly encouraged that students who would like to reside off-campus with other students form a roommate group.

We cannot stress enough the necessity to complete the application process properly and by the advertised deadlines in order to be considered for off-campus authorization for the 2022-2023 academic year.  Students who fail to apply properly will be required to reside in on-campus housing. Late requests will not be considered.

Off-campus authorization decisions for the 2022-2023 academic year will be announced on January 25, 2022.  Students should not commit in any way to an off-campus property until they have written authorization to live off campus.  Vanderbilt will not reimburse students for application fees and deposits for off-campus accommodations.  Students who are denied off-campus authorization are required to participate in the on-campus room assignment process that will begin in February 2022.

NOTE:  Students who intend to study abroad, participate in an out-of-town internship or Capstone, or take a leave of absence for the fall 2022 semester are not eligible to reside off campus and should not request off-campus authorization. Students granted authorization to reside off campus forfeit their off-campus authorization for the entire 2022-2023 academic year if they decide to study abroad, participate in an out-of-town internship or Capstone, or take a leave of absence for the fall 2022 semester, and will be required to reside on campus if they return to Vanderbilt for the spring 2023 semester.

IN ALL CASES, STUDENTS REQUESTING OFF-CAMPUS AUTHORIZATION FOR THE 2022-2023 ACADEMIC YEAR SHOULD NOT MAKE OFF-CAMPUS LIVING ARRANGEMENTS UNTIL THEY HAVE BEEN OFFICIALLY AUTHORIZED BY THE DIRECTOR OF HOUSING ASSIGNMENTS. 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 AUTHORIZATION TO LIVE OFF CAMPUS.

Good Neighbor Guidelines

When Vanderbilt receives notice of a landlord in a community whose practices are violating local law and/or endangering the safety and well-being of student tenants or neighbors, then Vanderbilt reserves the right to deny students the privilege to live off campus at properties owned by these landlords. If a student is living in an off-campus residence alone or with one or more other students or non-students, and the residence is found by the university to be in violation of the Good Neighbor Guidelines or is adversely affecting the university’s relationship with the neighboring community, all residents may be considered in violation of this policy even though the conduct of an individual resident cannot be specifically identified.