Housing
The University of Cincinnati provides housing accommodations in university-managed residence halls for students with disabilities, supporting full access to and participation in the residential university experience. These accommodations are provided in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA)
1. Requesting Housing Accommodations
Students who wish to request housing accommodations due to a disability must:
- Apply for housing through the UC Housing website.
- Complete the New Student Registration Form using our online system, UC Accommodate.
- Upload documentation or a Housing Accommodation Medical Professional Form [PDF] (completed by a qualified medical professional) through the Documents section in your UC Accommodate account (under Accommodation in the menu). Requests will not be reviewed until appropriate documentation is provided.
2. Review and Approval
Requests are reviewed case-by-case. Incomplete applications, including applications submitted without the required medical documentation, cannot be processed.
Accommodation decisions or requests for additional information are sent to the student's UC email. Typically, reviews take 7-10 business days. Housing assignments to fulfill approved accommodations come from the Housing office.
2a. Considerations for Approval
A diagnosis or medical documentation recommendation on its own does not guarantee approval. Decisions consider the condition's nature, symptoms, and all available accommodations and supports on campus and in the residence halls.
Important considerations for approving housing accommodations include:
Is the accommodation request an integral part of the treatment plan for the disability?
Are there other effective means that would achieve similar benefits as the requested accommodation?
Does the disability create a barrier to equally accessing housing or components of residential like that is guaranteed to all students living within university residential communities?
If Housing Accommodations Are Approved
When a housing accommodation is approved by Accessibility Resources, the accommodation information is shared with Housing Services. Housing Services then uses this information, along with the student’s housing application, to assign spaces that meet approved accommodations. For Fall 2026, students with approved accommodations will be placed in appropriate housing prior to general room assignments whenever possible.
Accessibility Resources does not assign housing locations, manage residence hall placements, or coordinate roommates.
For accommodations approved after initial housing assignments have been completed, Housing Services will review available space and determine appropriate placement options. Any updates regarding reassignment or relocation will be communicated directly to the student by Housing Services.
Roommates
Requesting a specific roommate is not considered a disability-related accommodation and is not processed through Accessibility Resources. All roommate preferences and groupings are managed through Housing Services within the housing portal.
Students who wish to live with a specific roommate should ensure their roommate group is verified in the housing portal as early as possible to improve the likelihood of being placed together. While Housing Services makes every effort to honor verified roommate groups, placement is ultimately determined by the need to meet approved housing accommodations, which may limit the ability to accommodate all roommate requests.
For questions related to roommate assignments, please contact Housing Services directly.
Housing Accommodation FAQ
- First-year and Transfer students moving to campus in Fall 2026 can submit a Housing Accommodation beginning February 2, 2026 using our external request form
- Currently enrolled students who are requesting campus housing for Fall 2026 may submit a housing accommodation request for Fall 2026 through Accommodate, after they have completed an Intent to Renew through Housing Services. Housing's Intent to Renew will open February 2nd and closes February 9th.
- Housing requests are accepted during the semester. Students should be aware that making a housing accommodation mid-semester may not be able to be fulfilled depending on available space.
- Housing accommodations approved mid-semester may require you to move to a new location.
There is no formal deadline to submit a request for housing accommodations. However, first-year students seeking accommodations for Fall 2026 are strongly encouraged to complete the request and obtain approval prior to housing assignments being made by Housing Services on July 16.
Students who do not complete the process and receive approval before assignments are finalized may experience delays in receiving their approved accommodations due to limited available space and may not be able to be placed until a later semester.
To allow sufficient time for review and coordination, we recommend submitting all Housing Accommodation Requests by June 30.
Approved housing accommodations only apply to the student with the disability. Housing accommodations address environmental barriers and impacts related to disability, but do not guarantee placement with a particular roommate.
Roommate groups and housing assignments are managed entirely by UC Housing. All students can create a verified roommate group through the housing portal before assignments are made.
Housing makes every attempt to maintain roomate groups when finding locations that best provide approved housing accommodations. However, there are times when an approved accommodation cannot be met in a location that can also house a roommate group.
If a student was not assigned with their verified roommate group, or wants to request a specific roommate, they must contact Housing directly, regardless of the reason they wish to live together.
For the best chance of being placed with someone you've chosen, we'd recommend verifying a roommate group through the housing portal as early as possible.
For any specific questions about your current assignment, please contact Housing directly at uchousing@uc.edu.
University Housing communities enforce daily Quiet Hours. See Housing Rules and Regulations for details on Quiet Hours.
Residence halls across campus offer quiet study rooms/lounges. If you aren't sure where they are located, contact your RA or Resident Education & Development.
By virtue of shared facilities, resources, and number of people living under one roof, UC communities cannot be guaranteed to be distraction-free spaces.
There are multiple Libraries around campus that offer study rooms for students to use. Students may need to reserve them in advance. Consult each library for their procedures.
Approved housing accommodations can usually be provided in a variety of locations. A specific location is not typically part of an accommodation request. Housing will locate a placement that best meets the approved accommodation(s)
Please see the Meal Plan petition process information on the Sodexo website.
Early move-in requests are handled directly through the Housing portal during the move-in selection window and do not require special accommodations or approval from our office to request.
You'll receive an email from Housing when the move-in selection window opens, and you'll be able to submit your request at that time.
Students who receive their housing assignment and then later identify a need for a housing accommodation should follow the standard Housing Accommodations request process.
Accommodations requested after housing assignments are confirmed may not be fully fulfilled until a later semester, depending on availability within the housing portfolio.