Contract Appeals

Do not sign another lease unless you have received a formal written release from your Residence Hall Contract.

If a contract (lease) is completed in addition to a student’s Residence Hall Contract, that student then becomes legally obligated to two different contracts (leases). Having another signed contract (lease) is not grounds to be released from the Residence Hall Contract.

The information on this page pertains to Applications for Contract Release from residence halls covered by the Undergraduate Housing Residence Hall Contract (Residence Hall Contract). For information regarding Graduate and Family Housing (Corry, Diamond, Maguire, UVS, and Tanglewood Villages) and/or the terms of the contract pertaining to those villages, please contact Villages@housing.ufl.edu. If you have questions regarding Graduate and Family Housing Billing, please contact GFHAccounts@housing.ufl.edu. If you have any questions regarding appealing area charges (ex. area damages, etc.), please contact your area desk or Professional Area Staff Member.

Your Residence Hall Contract is a legal contract. If you are, or will be, a registered student and have completed a Residence Hall Contract, you are obligated to the terms of the Contract and must therefore appeal to be released from the Contract if you wish to have your rental obligation removed. This obligation includes the payment of late charges and cancellation charges in a timely manner.

A pending appeal does not defer your rent payment. Please make all payments by your assigned due date to avoid late charges. If your appeal is approved, adjustments to your account will be made.

Residence Hall Contract Terms and Conditions

Appeal Information:

The submission of an appeal never guarantees release from a Contract.

Application for Contract Release appeals are any appeal for which a student has the goal of being released from a Residence Hall Contract. Reasons to submit such an appeal must include a significant unforeseen change in the student’s circumstances that prohibit the student from fulfilling their obligation under the Contract. Appeals must be initiated by the student resident responsible for the Residence Hall Contract.

Don’t forget to review the information on our Release & Appeals page!

Here are the quick steps to submitting an Application for Contract Release appeal:

1. Request Cancellation Online

You may only submit an Application for Contract Release Appeal if you have submitted an online request for cancellation and been denied.

2. Complete the Standard Required Documents

The Application for Contract Release must be completed by the student resident obligated by the Residence Hall Contract including the review and initialing of the Contract Release Documentation Guidelines (page 2). Page 2 of the Application for Contract Release details the types of documents required for this appeal. The student resident must initial the bottom of this page to verify that they have read and understand this information.

Standard Required Documents
  • Completed Application for Contract Release
  • Initialed Contract Release Documentation Guidelines (Page 2 of Application for Contract Release)
  • Residence Life Coordinator or Residence Director signature of review (at bottom of Application for Contract Release)
    • Students may request that the RLC or RD complete a Professional Staff Summary of their appeal documentation as additional supporting material for the student’s appeal (optional)
    • If a student has not yet moved to UF, this step is optional
  • Typed Personal Letter (as indicated in item #1 on the Contract Release Documentation Guidelines)
  • Completed Student Financial Statement (Financial-based Contract Release appeals only)

3. Supply Additional Information

Every Application for Contract Release appeal must be accompanied by Standard Required Documents. While the Standard Required Documents listed below are the minimum requirement for the submission and consideration of a Contract Release appeal, it is required that students supply additional information outlining their significant change of circumstances to the Appeals Committee. This additional information may further support the student’s case.

For every appeal that is submitted, the Appeals Committee looks at the documents presented to them and tries to answer the question, “What was the significant, unforeseen and/or unavoidable change that has occurred since this individual completed their Contract and that prevents them from fulfilling their contractual obligations as outlined in the agreed-to terms and conditions of their contract?” Therefore, it is often best to provide ‘too much’ dated documented evidence rather than ‘too little’. All appeals documentation is kept strictly confidential.

More information regarding dated documentation that may be submitted as support for Application for Contract Release appeals may be found in the Contract Release Application Guidelines (on page 2 of the Application for Contract Release) and at the links provided below:

4. Meet With Your Professional Area Staff Member

Please note that an appeal review meeting is NOT an emergency. This meeting is required for appeal documents to be completed, but students should bear in mind that Area Staff are often busy and require meetings to be scheduled in advance. If a student has not yet moved into on-campus housing, this meeting is not required.

Students must arrange a meeting with their Professional Area Staff Member to review the student’s appeal documents and sign the bottom of the first page of the Application for Contract Release. If the student’s Professional Area Staff Member is not available to meet within the preferred timeline, a student may meet with another area’s Professional Staff Member. If the student wishes, the staff member will complete an optional Professional Staff Summary regarding the student’s appeal and will submit it to HREAppeals@housing.ufl.edu. This summary will then be considered with the student’s appeal, so a student should meet with a Professional Area Staff Member in advance of the appeal consideration due date if they would like to take advantage of this option.

5. Submit Your Appeal

All appeal information must be submitted together, with the exception of the staff-submitted Professional Staff Summary. The deadline for consideration at each week’s Appeals Committee Meeting is Wednesday at 12pm (noon). Complete appeals may be submitted via email to HREAppeals@housing.ufl.edu, in person at the Main Housing Office, via mail to Undergraduate Assignments (Housing and Residence Education, P.O. Box 112100, Gainesville, FL 32611-2100) or via fax to (352) 392-2640. If sending documents via fax, please send a fax notification email to HREAppeals@housing.ufl.edu so that the appeals processor may be proactive in checking for your fax. Faxed information is not guaranteed to be received on the date sent due to potential transfer delay.

 

Need help? Please contact HREAppeals@housing.ufl.edu.