What is an RMS ID?

Your RMS ID is a 5-digit number that is assigned to you for housing purposes.  It is used by the Residential Management System (RMS) that manages our housing assignments and is not your GWid.  This number is unique to you and stays with you for the duration of your undergraduate enrollment at GW. It is used to identify you as a roommate in a roommate group should you wish to apply for housing with other individuals. This number is not shared by our office with your desired roommates and it is up to you as the individual to share it with those students that you wish to live with.

How can I locate my RMS ID?

First, log in to the GW Housing e-Services. You will then find the RMS ID Lookup under the menu item with your first name. It is available on each webpage.

You can also contact GW Housing if you are unable to locate your RMS ID.

I need my roommates' RMS ID numbers for my application. How do I obtain them?

You must contact the individuals with whom you wish to live to secure their RMS IDs. Our office cannot provide you with other students' ID numbers for security purposes.

Who else should have my RMS ID number?

Your RMS ID number should only be shared with your desired roommates in order to ensure that your roommate group is valid.

Second- and third-year students are required to reside in on-campus housing in compliance with DC zoning restrictions and GW policy unless they have been approved for a Residency Exemption. Exemptions are rarely granted; however, students can request an exemption under specific conditions.

• The Residency Exemption request form will be available via GW Housing e-Services on January 16, 2018 and must be submitted, along with any supporting documentation by March 2, 2018.
• Students who register for classes for the Fall semester, do not apply for housing, and are not approved for a Residency Exemption will be administratively assigned to housing and will be responsible for all related housing and dining charges. 

The following buildings are available for  second- and third-year students for the 2018-2019 Academic year:

• 2109 F Street (Women Only)
• District House
• Fulbright Hall
• Francis Scott Key (FSK) Hall
• Guthridge Hall
• International House
• Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis (JBKO) Hall
• Lafayette Hall
• Mark Shenkman Hall
• Merriweather Hall (Women Only) - Mount Vernon Campus
• Mitchell Hall
• Munson Hall
• Philip Amsterdam Hall
• The Dakota
• West Hall - Mount Vernon Campus

The following building is available for third-year students:

• 1959 E Street (Fall Only & FOFAC housing)

• March 21-March 23: Housing application available to rising third-year students & roommate groups made up entirely of rising third-year students
• April 2 - April 6: Housing application available to mixed class year groups and rising second-year students. Mixed class year groups that contain rising third-year students will receive preference in the housing assignment process.
• April 20: Fall Only and Full Year housing application re-open for late applicants
• Students will be unable to apply if they have a hold on their student account.
• Students who apply after April 6, 2018 will likely be placed directly on the waitlist.

• Fourth-year students are not required to live on campus, are not guaranteed housing & should only complete an application if they wish to live on campus
• Fourth-year students are able to select from the following residence halls for the 2018-2019 Academic Year:
  • South Hall (Fourth-Year Only) - application will be available February 20-February 22, 2018
  • Greek Housing Options - application will be available March 1-March  5, 2018
  • All other Upperclass Halls and room types eligible to rising Second- and Third-Year students - application will be available April 2-April 6, 2018
    • It is important that rising Fourth-Year students understand that rising Second- and Third-Year Students will have priority in the assignment process due to GW's Residency Requirement.
    • Based on demand for housing and submitted applications, space in any Upperclass Hall may be made available to rising Fourth-Year students after rising Second- and Third-Year students are assigned.
    • If demand is greater than space available, GW Housing will maintain a waitlist for all students seeking housing.  Waitlist assignments will continue to respect priority to rising Second- and Third-Year students.
• GW Housing encourages students to preference any and all available room types from highest to lowest that they would be willing to be assigned to, if available.  A rising Fourth-Year student will only be assigned to a room type that is designated on their housing application.    
• Prior to applying, students should review their student account to ensure that they do not have a financial hold. Any student with a financial hold on their account will be unable to apply for housing until that hold has been removed.

GW Housing will offer a limited number of Fall Only housing license agreements for the 2018 Fall semester. Students who are studying abroad in the Spring of 2019 or graduating at the end of the fall term may apply for a Fall Only license term. This application option is available to rising third- and fourth-year students only.

• Fall Only Applications will be available March 1-5, 2018
• Students who apply for a Fall Semester Only lease may not also apply for an academic year license agreement.
• Fall Only housing will be offered in 1959 E Street.
• Students may preference roommate(s) by using RMS IDs on their online application.
• All roommate requests must be completely mutual to be considered.

Students applying for a Fall Semester Only lease will be notified via e-mail of their room assignment on March 20, 2018. Information can also be viewed by logging onto GW Housing e-Services.

GW Housing and the Office for Study Abroad have partnered to offer the Focus on Fall Abroad Community (FOFAC).  This living and learning community is made up of students who studied abroad during the fall semester and return to campus for the spring semester of the same year to live with other study abroad returnees as well as exchange students. Participants in this program will be offered housing in 1959 E Street upon their return for the 2018 Spring semester.

Important Dates

You must apply to join the Focus on Fall Abroad Community by early February on the Office for Study Abroad website.

March 1-5, 2018: iHousing special application period for FOFAC participants

How to Apply

Participants must apply via GW Housing e-Services & may preference roommate(s) on the housing application. Roommate requests must be completely mutual to be considered and prospective roommates must also be applying to live in FOFAC housing. Prospective roommate(s) should exchange RMS ID numbers to select each other on the online application.

Students wishing to cancel their FOFAC housing must do so by the published deadlines. If a student drops out of the FOFAC program after the published housing cancellation deadlines, they will still be required to live on campus.

Spring-Only License Agreements afford rising third- and fourth-year students who are studying abroad in the Fall of 2018 and not participating in the FOFAC program or who simply wish to reside on campus for only the spring semester the opportunity to select a one-semester license agreement.

Students who apply for a Spring Only agreement may not also apply for an academic year agreement.

Students may preference roommate(s) by using RMS IDs on their online application. All roommate requests must be completely mutual to be considered. A student applying for Spring Semester Only housing is not able to live with a student applying for full academic year housing.

The application for Spring Only housing will be available March 7-9, 2018.

Students applying for a Spring Only Housing License Agreement will be notified via e-mail of their room assignment on March 20, 2018. Based on previous years, students who apply for Spring Only housing will likely be placed on a waitlist and assigned to a space during the fall semester.

Students who wish to cancel their assignment may do so within the published deadlines.

Preferencing by Room Type

Students are able make building and room type preference choices on the application so that they are able to share more information with GW Housing about what type of housing assignment they would like. For example, students who wish to live in a double will be able to choose all double room options within each of the buildings available to them before selecting triple or quad options. We also recommend that students think about the housing experience they wish to have. For instance if it is most important to be in a particular building, list all room types in that building first. If it is most important to you to be in a particular room size, list all choices with that room size first.

It is still recommended that students select all the preference types available to them from highest to lowest preference. Any buildings that are not listed as a preference will be considered as a student's last preference. Not listing a particular building or room type does not mean that you will not be assigned there.

**Due to a lack of availability, single apartments and single units with private bathrooms will not be available as a room preference on the general housing application. The only single options will be Mitchell Hall single with common bathroom or West Hall single suites.**

Requesting Roommates

Students are able to request up to four (4) roommates on the housing application. Please keep in mind the following when you are requesting roommates:

• Only share your RMSID with the people you want to share a room with
• All roommate requests must be mutual
• Make sure the number of roommates you are requesting matches the room size you are preferencing (for example, if you are a group of three, your top choices should be 3 or 4-person units)
• All roommates must apply by the deadline.

Common reasons roommate groups are split up:

• One person is a member of multiple roommate groups
• Everyone in the roommate group did not request the same people
• Not applying for housing by the deadline

The process for selecting roommates on the housing application has changed. Here is a guide with information on the new process.

GW Housing and our partner offices provide numerous living options for students on both the Foggy Bottom and Mount Vernon campuses. A number of first-year Academic Residential Communities are located on the Mount Vernon Campus for students who are looking for an experiential living and learning experience.

• Affinity Housing (Upperclass students only)
• Academic Residential Communities
• Gender Inclusive Housing
• Female Only housing (Merriweather Hall & 2109 F Street)
• Sober Housing (First-Year Students Only, Mitchell Hall)
• Greek Letter Organizations
• Focus On Fall Abroad Community (FOFAC)
• Fall Only License Agreements
• Spring Only License Agreements

2018-2019 Application Dates

Please pay particular attention to the application period designated for your class year, program or interest:

• January 16-March 2, 2018: Residency Exemption Request form available at GW Housing e-Services
• February 14, 2018: Affinity Housing application must be submitted by 5pm
• February 20-22, 2018: South Hall application available to rising fourth- and fifth-year students
• March 1-5, 2018: iHousing special program application for FOFAC participants, Fall Only, Greek Housing, Affinity Housing, Academic Residential Communities, students with DSS housing accommodations & CSE Resident Advisor staff
• March 6-8, 2018: Rising third-year residency exemption lottery available
• March 7-9, 2018: iHousing special program application for Spring Only housing
• March 20, 2018: Special group housing assignment notification & Exemption lottery winners notified
• March 21-23: Rising third-year student and roommate group housing application period
• April 2-6, 2018: Mixed class year and rising second-year housing application period
• April 19, 2018: General iHousing assignment notification
• April 26, 2018: First cancellation deadline with a $150 fee (fourth- & fifth-year students only)
• May 30, 2018: Final cancellation deadline with a $300 fee (fourth- & fifth-year students only)

GW Housing anticipates that there will be a number of rising second-year students who are placed on a waitlist for housing for the 2018-2019 Academic Year.  Offers from the waitlist will begin on a rolling basis after May 8, 2018 and will continue until all students have been assigned to housing. Any student who applies after April 6, 2018 will be automatically placed on the waitlist.

How Does The Waitlist Work?

Due to the large number of second- and third-year applications coupled with the uniqueness of preferences, a population of unassigned students are placed on a waitlist. As second- and third-year students are required to live in on-campus residential housing, all second- and third-year students will be assigned housing. Students on the waitlist are assigned as space becomes available. Each student on the waitlist will be assigned a professional staff liaison who will be their contact for any questions about their housing assignment. Students on the waitlist have first priority when assigning any vacant spaces that become available.

Typically, students who applied by April 6 and placed on the waitlist receive a housing assignment by mid-June.

Where is the Housing Application located?

• The Housing Application will be available via GW Housing e-Services. There are multiple application periods, so make sure you are applying during the correct timeframe if you are taking part in a special housing program.
• The GW Housing e-Services link is always available on the GW Housing website.

I am having problems accessing the housing application.

• Ensure that you do not have any holds on your student account. If you do have a hold, you will not be able to apply for housing until this hold has been cleared.
• The application works on any browser, but from our experience it works best in the Google Chrome browser. Make sure you are running the latest version of any browser you are using and that pop-up blockers are turned off.
• If you continue to have technical issues, contact GW Housing at [email protected] or 202-994-2552. Our office is open Monday-Friday from 9am-5pm EST.

How do I find my RMS ID?

• You can find your RMS ID on GW Housing e-Services. Once you have logged in, select the "RMS ID Lookup" button.

How does the housing assignment process work?

• The housing system uses a random selection process, meaning that it will randomly select an application and then look at the preferences listed.  If your first preference is available at the time your application is pulled, you will be assigned to that space. If it is not available, the system will look at your next preference and see if that space is available and then assign you there. This process continues until you are assigned. If you have requested roommates, the system will assign you together as long as there are enough spaces together available.
• If a student only selects three or four preferences and they are unavailable at the time the application is pulled, the system will consider all unselected preferences as your last choice and place you into any available space in based on the alphabetical order of the buildings. Choosing to leave a building or room type off of your list does not mean you will not be assigned there. 

​Are housing assignments made on a first come, first serve basis?

• No, you can complete the application at any point before it closes and it will not affect the order in which you are assigned.
• If you apply after the deadline, you will be assigned after students who completed the application on time.
• If you are part of a roommate group and you do not complete your application on time, it is likely your roommate group will be split up.

Why it is suggested that I list so many room preferences?

• Selecting a higher number of room preferences gives you more control over where you are placed. If you have only selected three room preferences and they are all filled at the time your application is pulled, every other room type will be treated as your final choice and you will be placed into any available room. Having more room preferences means that our system has a better idea of your choices from top choice to last choice. If you do not list any preferences, you can get assigned to any space on campus.
• We also recommend thinking about the housing experience you would like to have. If it is important to you to be in a two-person unit, then list all two-person units before listing any larger rooms. If you would prefer specific buildings, list all room types available in that building before listing any from other buildings.
• Work with your roommates to ensure that you have listed your building and room type preferences in the same order. 

What are the most popular residence halls?

• The popularity of residence halls changes from year to year and each residence hall offers a unique housing experience.

I need special accommodations for housing, what should I do?

• GW Housing works closely with Disability Support Services (DSS) to find a configuration of space that fits the accommodation needs of students who have medical or disability concerns regarding their housing. Students must register with DSS prior to the housing application process.
• Students who have other accommodations questions or concerns should visit the Housing Resources page to find the correct staff person to contact.

Can I live off campus?

• All first-, second-, and third-year students are required live on campus. However, there are situations where students do qualify for a Residency Exemption. Exemptions are typically granted for students commuting from home, students who are married, student veterans who are over 20 years old, and students who have children. For more information, please review the Residency Requirement policy.
• Requests for Residency Exemption must be made prior to applying for housing and before a student receives their housing assignment.
• Once a student has completed a housing application, they are not able to apply for an exemption in the middle of the academic year.

I lived on the Mount Vernon Campus or in Thurston my first year. Do I get priority housing my second year?

• All students are given the same priority for housing. Only students who are participating in a special housing program (Affinity Housing, Academic Residential Communities, Greek Housing, etc.) have an earlier housing selection process. Housing assignments for all remaining students are made randomly based on the preferences in your housing application.

Why are some roommate groups not assigned together?

• There are many reasons that a roommate group may not be placed together. The most frequent reason is that the group is not valid. This means that not all of the people in the group selected each other on their application or someone in the group did not apply. If you have given your RMS ID number to someone you do not want to live with and they select you on their housing application, it will make your roommate group invalid as well.
• If someone in your roommate group has a hold on their account and will not be able to apply until after the housing application is closed, this will likely cause your roommate group to be invalid during the assignment process.
• If you and your roommates did not select the same buildings/room types in the same order you may be assigned separately. For instance, if someone in your group selects a single room as their first preference and receives it, the rest of the people in your group would not be assigned together. This is why it is important to make select your building and room type preferences in the same order as your roommate group.

Can I cancel my housing? Is there a fee?

• First-, second-, and third-year students are required to live on campus unless they have been approved for a Residency Exemption.
• Any student, regardless of class year, who is no longer attending GW is able to cancel their housing without a fee by completing the online housing cancellation form via GW  Housing e-Services and submitting the appropriate documentation.
• Fourth-year students not assigned to South Hall are able to cancel their housing. Students who cancel by 5pm on the day prior to assignment release will not be charged a cancellation fee. Students have until April 1st or five business days after receiving an assignment to cancel for a $150 fee and until May 4th to cancel for a $500 fee.
• Students who leave the university mid-year will be subject to the terms and conditions outlined in the Housing License Agreement.

I am not happy with my housing assignment, how can I change rooms?

• GW Housing has a system called Room Swap, which is designed to give students the chance to find and swap to the room they have been looking for. The Room Swap process allows students to connect with other students on campus looking to change rooms.  Room Swap will be available beginning at 1pm on assignment release day through the first Friday in August. It will then re-open after the first three weeks of each academic semester. The Room Swap process is available to all students wishing to swap room assignments who do not live in a specialty housing option.
• These swaps are processed daily throughout the spring semester and summer.
• Housing will be extremely full for second-year students and there will most likely be a waitlist of second-, third-, and fourth-year students. It is unlikely  GW Housing staff will be able to move you into a vacant space in a different room  as we do not anticipate vacant spaces will be available. 

Why is there a waitlist when second- and third-year students are required to live on campus?

• After housing assignments are made, there is a certain portion of the second- and third-year class that will decide not to return to GW because they are taking a leave of absence, transferring, or not returning to the university.
• In the past, students on the waitlist who are required to live on campus have received housing by mid-June.
• Students on the waitlist will be assigned before students who have housing assignments are offered vacant spaces.

The following staff are available to answer your questions regarding living options at GW:

Kevin Gates: Housing Cancellations and Residency Exemptions.

Kristen Franklin:

• Gender Inclusive or LGBTQIA+ housing
• Housing accommodations for students with disabilities (please review the Disability Support Services policy)
• Affinity Housing
• Academic Residential Communities
• On campus housing for nontraditional students
• On campus housing for veteran students

Seth Weinshel: Housing that meets religious needs

Harry Knabe: Greek Housing

Off Campus Student Affairs: Off Campus Housing Options