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Housing & Food Services

Move-in for 9-Month

Resident and their parent moving in to north campus residence hall

Move-in

Move-in 2024 is complete—​thanks for another great year and welcome to campus!

Congratulations, you're about to embark on an unforgettable journey—living on campus at the University of Washington (UW). Get ready for an incredible experience as you step into your Husky Home. We can't wait to share in the excitement with you!

  • Would you like to see a preview of  how Move-in works? Watch our Move-in video.*
  • Are you unsure of what to pack? Review our checklist of items to pack for reference.

Once you unload, if you wish to stay on campus you must move your vehicle to the available on-campus self-serve parking lots.

*Disclaimer: Two of our residence halls have been renamed since the publication of this video. Willow Hall is now Oliver Hall, and Madrona Hall is now Spratlen Hall.

Move-in appointment

Get ready! Your very own Move-in appointment time will be sent to you, along with your assignment information, via Housing & Food Services (HFS). If your Move-in appointment doesn’t work for you, you may change it on your MyHFS Homepage (adjusting your appointment time is based on availability and not guaranteed). Admissions & Orientation (A & O) Participants—To ensure a more seamless transition, your appointment will be scheduled based on your registered A & O date.

Please note that it will take approximately 2–3 hours to check into your room and drop off your items.

Residence Hall check-in

  1. You will be asked to present your Husky Card at check-in. You may check in by showing another form of photo ID.
  2. You will be given your room and mailbox keys
  3. Once you have received your keys, you may begin moving into your room. A student volunteer with a cart will be on-site to help you move into your room.

Husky Card: Your UW student ID card allows you access to your residence hall, dining facilities and amenity spaces. The Husky Card is your key card for access to your building.

If you don’t receive your card before you move in, you will need to obtain one from the Husky Card Account & ID Center (Husky Card Office), located on the ground floor of Odegaard Undergraduate Library.

Keys: Your room and mailbox keys are assigned to you uniquely; avoid switching keys with a roommate. Report lost or stolen keys to your residence hall front desk immediately.

Red Emergency Backpack: New residents are provided with a red emergency backpack when they first check into their residential community. You will receive this at your designated parking lot. This comprehensive kit includes water, food rations and other emergency supplies. The contents will remain viable for several years. Please keep your red emergency backpack for as long as you live with us.

Residence Hall tips

Don’t let those must-have shopping lists distract you, only bring the basics that you know you’ll need. It’s easier to scale up than get rid of items you never used. We suggest you avoid purchasing larger items until you move into your room.

Visit the webpage for your building to take a virtual tour, view a common floor plan and learn more about the included furnishings. Unfortunately, we cannot provide exact dimensions for your specific room because all rooms vary slightly in size and orientation.

What to bring

  • Sheets, blankets, comforter (size: twin extra long/XL)
  • Pillows and pillowcases
  • Towels
  • Surge protector and extension cord
  • Toilet paper (except Hansee and McMahon)
  • Cleaning supplies
  • Apartment residents: kitchen supplies, (pots, pans, utensils)

Coordinate larger items with your roommates

Coordinate larger items with your roommates so you don’t bring duplicates. The less you bring, the more space you’ll have in your room and the less items you will need to figure out how to dispose of when you move out! Remember, everything you bring with you, you’ll need to take out at the end of the year.

  • Refrigerator (4.4 cubic feet or less)
  • Microwave (700 watt maximum)
  • Television (Residents in McCarty Hall, Oak Hall, Oliver Hall or Spratlen Hall will need a smart TV or internet-ready streaming device)

What not to bring

To help keep you and your fellow Huskies safe, the following items are prohibited:

  • Halogen lamps
  • Space heaters
  • Air conditioners
  • All open-flame appliances (e.g., fondue pots)
  • Open-coil appliances (e.g., toasters, toaster ovens)
  • Full-size appliances
  • Dishwashers
  • Bidets or water spray hoses 

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's web page. Please be aware that UW 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.

How to avoid tripped breakers

When too many items are plugged into an outlet the breaker will trip. Power strips only add additional outlets, they do not increase the amount of power from the outlet. Please avoid this issue, and note that residents will be charged for repeated tripped breakers.

Order online to support resident programs  

Gear up for an effortless Move-in with HFS exclusive online vendor partnerships—score awesome items for your room before you even set foot on campus! And here's the cherry on top: when you shop through these vendors, you're not only benefiting yourself but also fueling the excitement of our Residential Life student leadership teams, who use the proceeds to create epic resident events and programs. So, shop smart, and let's elevate your college experience together.

  • Refrigerator and microwave rental: Microfridge
  • Twin XL bedding and storage solutions: Dormify

Connecting to the internet

Unleash the full potential of your tech-savvy self with our exclusive computing resources at the UW. Check out the ultimate guide on  connecting to the UW network.

Guests and vehicles

Let's make Move-in day a breeze! We encourage residents moving in to limit themselves to one vehicle while moving in belongings. Please remember to secure your belongings when packing up your vehicle for the big move! For more information on securing your load, read these tips.

To guarantee a smooth and efficient experience, bring along a maximum of two awesome guests when you arrive at your new Husky Home. Let’s rock this Move-in together.

Arriving in a private vehicle

  • Drive to your check-in area using the directions below
  • Place your vehicle information placard on your dashboard (placards are required for all vehicles)
  • Wait in your vehicle until you are directed to proceed to your community to move in. A student volunteer will be available to assist with loading and unloading.
  • Once you unload, if you wish to stay on campus you must move your vehicle to the available on-campus self-serve parking lots.

 Building: Alder Hall, Elm Hall, Lander Hall, Maple Hall, Poplar Hall, Terry Hall, Mercer Court, Stevens Court

Come to Boat Street for check in. Use the directions below or these Google Map directions to this parking area.

DIRECTIONS TO BOAT STREET (FROM I-5)

  1. Take exit 169.
  2. Take the NE 45th Street exit and proceed east on NE 45th Street towards the University of Washington.
  3. After a couple of blocks, move to the right lane. Take a right turn onto 15th Ave NE.
  4. Proceed straight, staying in the right or middle lane. Go straight through the traffic light at 15th Ave NE and NE Pacific Street.
  5. Continue straight for one block and then take a right on NE Boat Street. 

 Building: Hansee Hall, McCarty Hall, McMahon Hall, Oak Hall, Oliver Hall, Spratlen Hall

Come to the E01 parking lot for check-in. Use the directions below or these Google Map directions to this parking lot. 

DIRECTIONS TO E01 PARKING LOT (FROM I-5)

  1. Take exit 169.
  2. Take the NE 45th Street exit and proceed east on NE 45th Street toward the University of Washington.
  3. After a couple of blocks, move to the right lane.
  4. Continue on NE 45th Street past the main campus entrance and down the hill toward University Village. 
  5. Stay in the left lane. At the Y at the bottom of the hill, keep left and turn left onto Montlake Boulevard E which turns into NE 45th St.
  6. Proceed straight and then take a right turn onto Mary Gates Memorial Drive NE.
  7. Take the first right turn onto NE Clark Rd.
  8. Proceed straight, past the UW Golf Range and enter the E1 parking lot.

Arriving in a taxi, rideshare or shuttle

If you are coming to campus directly from Sea-Tac Airport, there are several transportation options. Please visit Sea-Tac Airport’s main transportation page to decide the best way for you to travel. 

Please direct your driver to your check-in location below:

 Building: Alder Hall, Elm Hall, Lander Hall, Maple Hall, Poplar Hall, Terry Hall, Mercer Court, Stevens Court

Do not have your have your taxi, rideshare, or shuttle go to the Boat Street check-in location. 

Come to the Lander Desk in Lander Hall for further check-in instructions about where to pick up your keys. In front of Lander there is a taxi drop-off area marked by signs; have your taxi, rideshare, or shuttle drop you off.

DIRECTIONS TO LANDER DESK (FROM I-5)

  1. Take exit 169.
  2. Take the NE 45th Street exit and proceed east on NE 45th Street towards the University of Washington.
  3. Move to the right lane as soon as possible and turn right onto Roosevelt Way NE.
  4. Move to the left lane. After a few blocks (just prior to crossing the University Bridge), turn left at the stoplight for NE Campus Parkway. Please note that turning left on red at this stoplight is legal.
  5. On the right in front of Lander Hall, park in the taxi drop off area, marked by signs.

 Building: Hansee Hall, McCarty Hall, McMahon Hall, Oak Hall, Oliver Hall, Spratlen Hall

Do not have your have your taxi, rideshare, or shuttle go to the E01 Parking Lot check-in location. 

Come to the Oliver Desk in Oliver Hall for check-in. Drive up to Oliver Hall where there is a taxi drop-off area marked by signs in town square by the big rocks; have your taxi, rideshare, or shuttle drop you off there. You’ll pick up your keys from the Oliver Desk and then proceed to your room from there.

DIRECTIONS TO OLIVER DESK (FROM I-5)

  1. Take exit 169.
  2. Take the NE 45th Street exit and proceed east on NE 45th Street toward the University of Washington
  3. After a couple of blocks, move to the right lane.
  4. Take a right turn onto Memorial Way NE.
  5. After the UW Gatehouse, take a left on Stevens Way NE.
  6. Take a left on to Sluʔwiɫ (previously Whitman Lane). You will see McMahon Hall on the corner)

Park in the taxi drop off area, marked by signs on Little Canoe Channel NE, in front of Haggett Hall. Proceed up the pedestrian walkway to Oliver Desk.

Communications from HFS

Stay in the loop and never miss out on important updates. Be sure to keep an eye on your mailbox, room door, and UW email account for essential information! It is your responsibility to read the important information HFS provides to you. 

  • 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, hfsfac@uw.edu, and wrproc@uw.edu to your email address book or list of approved contacts.
  • You may also receive emails from Residential Life staff members, such as your Resident Adviser or Community Manager.

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

You can protect your belongings and ease your worries by ensuring you have insurance coverage for your property. Check with your family's insurance policy or explore the option of adding renters’ insurance for extra protection. If needed, consider independent insurance plans tailored to suit your needs.