Room Assignments

Who, when and where

Room assignment is a big deal. We know. We spend lots of time and effort considering the preferences of over 250 students and finding the best possible solutions.

Requests are managed on a first-come, first-served basis. So the sooner you apply, the better chance you have at getting the space of your choice.

When do I find out my room assignment?

The room assignment process for September applicants begins in late May. For January applicants, it begins in early December. Once your room has been assigned, you'll receive a room assignment letter by email to your Dalhousie email account. If you have any questions or concerns after reading your room assignment letter, please feel free to contact Residence.

You might also be wondering...

Can a first year student have a single room?

Yes. The key is to apply early. The sooner you apply, the better your chances of being placed in the residence of your choice—as well as in your preferred room type.

What does "all-gender" mean?

Dalhousie University offers a variety of all-gender and gender-specific residence options. All-gender by section means that although the building may be occupied by people of all genders, floors or sections in the building are gender-specific. All double rooms are occupied by individuals of the same gender. 

Roommates

I'm in a double room. Can I contact my roommate before arriving?

The residence application gives all students the option of authorizing residence staff to release your name and email address to your assigned roommate prior to move-in day. If your roommate has given us permission, we will gladly pass this information on to you. We can also change your application if you didn't check this box and would like to now. Contact Residence to learn more.

How are roommates assigned?

Unless you specify someone you’d like to share a room with, we will do our best to match you with someone based on your responses in your residence application. The three questions asked in the application regard sports, music and the time you typically go to bed. For instance, if you like to stay up past 11 p.m., we will do our best to match you with someone who also goes to bed after 11 p.m. We will also try to match up roommates based on their academic program, age and interests (e.g. sports, music).

Specifying a roommate

If you’ve applied for a double room and would like to share it with someone you know is going to Dal, please let us know! You can specify who you’d like as your roommate when you’re completing your residence application.  You’ll need to enter your preferred roommate’s full name and their Banner Number in the space indicated. Make sure you both specify that you'd like to live with one another. 

If you’ve already submitted your residence application and then later decide who you’d like to have as a roommate, email us with your preferred roommate’s name and contact information. Please ask your requested roommate to do the same. We’ll then verify your request and advise you of room availability if we’re able to accommodate.