Frequently asked questions

You can find most housing information for the upcoming semester through the Housing Portal which is accessed through your Northeastern student account. We also send information such as housing assignments, including roommate and move information, to your Northeastern email. Please monitor your accounts regularly for updates.

The move-in date for fall 2024 first-year students is Thursday, August 29, and the move-in date for Global Scholars is Friday, August 30.

Visit Housing and Residential Life’s Oakland Policies and Publications web page for housing and dining information, including our 2023-2024 Guide to Residence Hall Living (PDF). 

Undergraduates who enter as first-year students through fall admission are required to live in university housing unless a residency waiver request is approved. To submit a residency waiver request, you will need to complete the Housing Application/Housing Preference Form where you can request a waiver that, if approved, enables you to live off campus. Please note that students with approved residency waivers forfeit all future housing guarantees.

Not all styles of housing may be available for incoming new students. More details on building and style locations will be shared with you when the Housing Application/Housing Preference Form is available. Many new students will live in traditional corridor-style housing options.

You will be able to create a roommate pair in the Housing Application/Housing Preference Form, but will not be able to request a specific building or suite.

When you complete the Housing Application/Housing Preference Form, please answer “yes” to the Medical Accommodation question, whether your accommodation has been approved or is still in review.

If you have not already begun the process of registering your medical condition with the Disability Resource Center, you should do so as soon as possible since the review period can take up to three weeks once all documentation is received. You can learn more from the Disability Resource Center’s Incoming and Unregistered Students web page.

For more information about accommodations on the Oakland campus, please email oaklandaccess@northeastern.edu or contact our Associate Director of Student Access and Support Services Courtney Gutierrez at c.gutierrez@northeastern.edu.

When you complete the Housing Application/Housing Preference Form, please answer “yes” to the accommodation question, whether your accommodation has been approved or is still in review.

If you have not already begun the process of registering your medical condition with the Disability Resource Center, you should do so as soon as possible since the review period can take up to three weeks once all documentation is received. Please note, you must also meet with a disability specialist for an intake meeting as part of the review process. You can learn more from the Disability Resource Center’s Incoming and Unregistered Students web page.

If you are approved for an emotional support animal, you must read and sign the Approved Animal Contract. In addition, each semester you must:

• Provide the university with a record of your approved animal’s vaccination records.
• Submit an updated Roommate Consent Form.
• Notify the university if your approved animal is no longer on campus.

Please note that failure to follow university policy regarding housing and conduct can result in loss of housing.

For more information about accommodations on the Oakland campus, please email oaklandaccess@northeastern.edu or connect with Associate Director of Student Access and Support Services Courtney Gutierrez at c.gutierrez@northeastern.edu.

You are allowed to have fish as pets if they are in containers with a maximum volume equal to or less than 25 gallons. Service animals and assistance/emotional support animals are not considered pets under Northeastern’s Animals on Campus policy.

Northeastern’s Oakland campus is a smoke-free campus. Smoking and vaping are NOT allowed in any student residence, any campus building, or within 30 feet of building entrances, doors, or windows.

The use of tobacco, cannabis/marijuana or other drugs, smoking-related products intended to mimic tobacco or cannabis/marijuana products, or the smoking or vaping of any other substance is prohibited on campus and in university housing. This includes, but is not limited to cigarettes, cigars, cigarillos, smokeless tobacco, electronic cigarettes, pipes, bongs, pens, bidis, and hookahs.

The majority of our mattresses are twin XL dual foam mattresses that are firm on one side and plush on the other side, enabling you to choose which side to use for your desired level of support.

Suggested items to bring:

• Twin XL bedsheet set
• Warm blanket or comforter
• Pillows
• Towels and washcloths
• Bathrobe and shower shoes
• Shower caddie for toiletries
• Clothing hangers
• Clothing iron
• Laundry basket or bag
• Liquid laundry detergent (powdered detergent generates excessive suds in our high-efficiency washers)
• Desk lamp
• Room or personal fan (no window fans allowed)
• Power strips/outlets with surge protection
• Flashlight, batteries, bottled water, and other personal safety supplies (also see recommended first aid items below)

First aid items to bring:

• Prescription and over-the-counter medicines such as:
  • Bee sting medication
  • Cold, flu, allergy, and insect bite medication
  • Pain relievers
  • Indigestion medication
• Instant hot and cold packs
• Antibiotic ointment
• Sterile/antiseptic wipes
• Bandages
• Elastic/ACE bandages
• Tweezers

Do NOT bring:

• Personal wireless access points/bridges (these conflict with the campus wireless network)
• Space heaters
• Hot plates, microwaves, air fryers, toasters, or other cooking appliances (student-owned cooking appliances are only permitted in the kitchens of campus apartments)
• Mini dishwashers
• Mini fridges
• Candles, incense, or any other items involving open flames
• Halogen lighting
• Pets (other than fish in a 25-gallon or smaller tank)
• Too many items—be selective

You can use push pins, small picture hangers, removable mounting strips, and painter’s tape or drafting tape. Products that leave adhesive damage or stains on paint, ceilings, walls, floors, doors, windows, or university furniture—such as glow-in-the-dark stars and adhesive putty—may not be used. Excessive use of pins is forbidden, as is use of screws and large nails. Bulletin boards should be hung to display small items. For safety reasons, no wall hangings or fabric are permitted on the ceiling or over plugs, lights, doorways, or heaters.

There is no curfew for the university’s on-campus housing. Exterior doors are always locked and each resident has their own key and/or keycard to access their residence hall or apartment building. All traditional halls are proctored and students are required to show their Husky ID to enter the building. Guest policies are in place for each individual building.

Overnight guests are allowed for limited stays (see the Guide to Residence Hall Living for details). All visitors must be escorted by their student host at all times.

Your first resource is your resident assistant (RA) or community assistant (CA). Each first-year Living Learning Community has an RA who is responsible for assisting you with questions and helping students to build a strong residential community. Global Scholars have CAs to support you during your semester living on the Oakland campus.

RAs and CAs will host community meetings within the first weeks after orientation. We encourage you to make an effort to meet your RA/CA and ask how you can get involved in your residential community and the greater campus community.

Upon moving into university housing, all residents are issued a Room Condition Form (RCF). You should complete this form in detail and return it to your resident assistant, community assistant, or the Housing Office in Sage Hall no later than three business days after you move in. Accurate and complete information on this form will prevent you from being charged for damages or loss of items that occurred prior to your move in.

Housing and Residential Life staff conduct health and safety inspections once each semester. You will be notified via email as to when these walk-throughs will take place. The purpose of the health and safety inspections is to identify health and safety hazards, policy violations, and maintenance concerns.

Contact Public Safety at 510.430.5555 to make a report. Then go to Sage Hall, room 107, to get replacement keys and/or a new Husky Card. A lock-change charge of $25 for a residence hall key or a $100 charge for an apartment key, in addition to a lost Husky Card charge, may be applied to your student account at the end of the semester.

Students do not have to move out during any breaks during the academic year, including winter and spring break. Our residence halls and dining services will remain open, possibly with limited days/hours.