Students moving out of the residence halls should take the following steps;
- Remove all of your belongings leaving a bed, desk, closet, and dresser clear – depending upon the setup of your room.
- Clean your room and bathroom.
- Once completed, return your keys to the service center – please ensure you return them directly to the staff member, not drop them in a mailbox. Keys cannot be mailed. If not returned, a lock change will be initiated and charged.
If a student is requesting to move out before the end of the Housing Contract, they must complete a Contract Release Application or a Move-Out Request in their My Housing account. Residents who are still enrolled at Michigan State University and leave their housing unit during the Contract period continue to be liable for room and board charges that accrue until they have properly checked out of the hall and their Contract has been released or terminated.
If the Contract is terminated before its end date, residents will be notified of the specific time frame for check-out. No resident is allowed to stay in the halls after the Contract ends without prior written consent from Michigan State University.
Fall residents who are not returning for the spring semester must check out by removing all personal belongings and returning their keys by 8 p.m. on the Friday of finals week. Residents for spring or summer semesters who don’t have a Contract for the following semester must also check out by removing all personal belongings and returning their keys at check-out by 8 p.m. the Friday of spring finals week.
Room Conditions at Checkout
All residents are responsible for cleaning their room and returning it to its original condition before moving out, no matter the time of year.
At the end of each semester (fall, spring, and summer), REHS staff will inspect each vacant room. Any damage or repairs needed will be charged to the resident as "damage," unless it's due to normal wear and tear or has already been noted on the room inventory checklist at move-in. Damage charges will typically be split equally among the last residents of the room unless the person responsible for the damage takes full responsibility.
Room Damage Charges
Below are estimated costs for common room damages. Actual costs may vary depending on materials and labor required, but these give a general idea of what charges could look like:
- Bathroom cleaning: $150
- Residence hall door repair: $200
- Apartment door repair: $250
- Closet door repair: $200
- Fire door repair: $1,000
- Broken light fixture replacement: $200
- Window screen replacement: $60
- Mirror rehang: $30
- Window blinds cleaning: $60
- Removal of carpet: $100
Room Cleanliness and Setup When Moving Out
When one or more residents move out of a room, both the person leaving and the remaining residents are responsible for:
- Cleaning the room, setting up the furniture, clearing out drawers and closet space, and cleaning the bathroom (for suite-style halls).
- Making sure there is enough space in the room for new residents to move into a clean, properly set-up space.
- If these tasks aren't completed and REHS staff needs to clean the room or rearrange furniture, charges will be applied.
Residents are responsible for removing materials from the walls, doors, and ceiling, emptying wastebaskets, and placing all trash in the provided waste bags. Trash should be taken to designated areas, floors should be swept, and bathrooms should be cleaned. Beds can be left in their current position.
For questions related to specific operational periods, like Winter Break, please visit: liveon.msu.edu/hall-operations
