Before you arrive
You've probably already been there, but you may want to revisit the web page for your building. There you can take a virtual tour, view a floor plan and see what furnishings are included.
What to bring, what not to bring
You’ve just received your University of Washington (UW) housing assignment and probably want to know what to bring. We recommend you coordinate with your roommate so you don’t duplicate larger items. The less you bring, the more space you’ll have in your room.
You should bring
- Wi-Fi router for Ethernet (if you live in Haggett or McMahon)
- Bedding
- Sheets, blankets, comforter (extra-long twin)Pillows and pillowcases
- Towels
- Study lamps (LED)
- Surge protector and extension cord
- Residents in apartments should bring kitchen supplies (i.e., pots, pans, utensils)
- Toilet Paper
- Cleaning Supplies
Connecting to the internet
We want to help you get connected to all the computing resources that the University provides to you. This guide is designed to help you connect your computer to the UW network.
If you live in Haggett or McMahon, these buildings do not have UW-IT managed wireless, so you will need a computer with a 100/1000 Mbit/s Ethernet port and a cat-5e Ethernet cable.
Appliances you can bring
- Refrigerators 4.4 cubic feet or less
- Television (If you live in McCarty Hall, Madrona Hall, or Willow Hall, you will need an internet-ready Smart TV or Roku streaming player to use the streaming service available to residents)
- Blenders and mixers
- Hot-air popcorn poppers
- Rice cookers
- Hot pots and coffeepots, which must be placed on noncombustible surfaces such as ceramic tile
- Enclosed coil grills
- One 700-watt maximum microwave oven per room (no other appliance may be used at the same time
- Instant Pot
- Air Fryer
- Electric Kettle
Examples of prohibited items
- Halogen lamps
- Space heaters
- All open-flame appliances (e.g., fondue pots)
- Open-coil appliances (e.g., toasters, toaster ovens)
- Full-size appliances
- Multiple appliances that exceed the usage limits of your room
See the housing agreement for details on what is prohibited.
Refrigerators and microwave ovens
You may rent a small micro-fridge (microwave oven and refrigerator) from Collegiate Concepts Inc. (CCI). Arrangements for payment and delivery may be made directly with CCI. Complete information is provided on their website. Alternatively, you may choose to bring your own refrigerator (4.4 cubic feet or less) or microwave oven (700 watt maximum), one per room. We recommend that you coordinate with your roommate(s) before buying or ordering a refrigerator for your room.
Linens
Residence hall beds are extra-long, and XL twin sheets fit best. Residential Life Student Leadership has partnered with On Campus Marketing (OCM) to make sure our students have an easy, affordable way to purchase bedding and campus living needs. Please visit On Campus Marketing for more information and to place an order. Purchasing items through On Campus Marketing directly benefits residents! Our Residential Life student leadership teams receive money from each purchase made that is used to plan fun events for students living on campus.
Shipping items prior to move-in
Packages can be sent to your residential community up to seven days prior to your scheduled move-in. To find your address, go to your assigned Residence Hall web page. Please consider that the residence halls receive thousands of packages around move-in. Bringing items with you when you move in will help you avoid the lines and waiting associated with package pickup.
Communications from HFS
You are responsible for reading the information we send to your mailbox, post on your room door, and send by email to your UW email account.
- HFS will send most correspondence to applicants and residents via their UW email accounts. Be aware that if your email is forwarded to a different account, it may be filtered, refused or treated as spam.
- HFS is not responsible for emails not received. To ensure delivery of emails from HFS to your email inbox, add hfsinfo@uw.edu, deskservices@uw.edu and wrproc@uw.edu to your email address book or list of approved contacts.
Privacy and safety
Resident safety is one of the UW’s highest priorities. Our safety policy was developed in conjunction with UW regulations and Washington State statutes regarding student privacy. HFS will not, under any circumstances, release room numbers or telephone numbers to any unauthorized person including friends, parents and relatives. Although this policy may seem inconvenient at times, it provides residents protection and a secure living environment within the UW. We encourage students to make sure their families and friends have their address, as well as their room and telephone numbers.
Your personal information
The Family Education Right and Privacy Act (FERPA) prevents us from releasing your information to anyone other than yourself without your authorization. This includes how much you owe on your housing account.
You may authorize HFS to release information about your housing account (e.g., to your parents/guardians) by supplying their names on your Student Personal Services page.
Consider renters insurance
We encourage students to have insurance or some kind of financial protection on their property. Check with your family’s insurance policy to see if your possessions are covered under that policy or if you can get renters insurance added. If not, you may wish to purchase insurance offered by an independent company.