The length of your contract is based on your academic program, category of housing, location of your housing assignment and when you are assigned. Your specific contract length can be found by selecting View All Contracts under the My Requests section of the myHousing portal after you are assigned.

The majority of contracts at Stanford are full-year contracts. However, some academic-year contracts are available in selected buildings. Each residence choice on the myHousing portal is displayed with a description of the contract length, if shorter than full-year. Pay close attention while ranking the residence choices on your application as there are sometimes different contract lengths available for the same type of housing.

Your selections this year may limit your options for next year. You cannot remain in continuous occupancy if you are living in an academic-year building, but you can terminate the summer portion of the full-year contracts. The move-in date options vary by quarter. Read more at Move-in Date Options.

Full-year contracts usually run from autumn through the end of summer term. If you move into your Stanford residence at the beginning of a term, your first month’s charges will be prorated to the first day of the term. If you are no longer enrolled and move out at the end of a term, your last month’s charges will be prorated to the last day of the term. The dates listed below are the general start and end dates for each quarter. If you are in continuous housing, there are no gaps in your contract between quarters. The housing charges for the next quarter start on the quarter end date of the previous term. If you renew your contract for a subsequent year, your contract is extended to September 1, the start of your new contract.

You may file a Request to Terminate Contract under My Requests section in the myHousing portal to end your full-year contract at the end of spring quarter, even if you are enrolled, as long as you file by the deadline and have not renewed your contract for the following year. If you fail to give notice by the applicable deadline noted in the Residence Agreement, you will be charged a $100-$450 late termination of occupancy fee. You are obligated to pay rent through the end of spring quarter as long as you remain an enrolled student. If you move out before the end of the spring quarter and remain enrolled, you will continue to be charged rent until the end of spring quarter.

Academic-year contracts usually run from autumn through spring term, though some contracts vary in length according to the residence to which you are assigned. Academic-year contracts are located in specific apartments that close for the summer. If you have an academic-year contract and want to continue in university housing during the summer, you’ll need to file a new summer housing application in the Lottery and move to a building that is open for the summer.

MSx students admitted for summer 2025: You will need to submit two applications during the First-Round Lottery: one for summer 2025 and another one for autumn 2025. The default summer contract start date is July 4, 2025 and will be extended to September 1, 2025 to match the start date of your autumn assignment. You will have continuous housing, but may be assigned to different housing for summer and the following academic year, if your autumn assignment is not available in the summer. Academic-year residences will close on June 15, 2026 (including GSB Residences, Escondido Village Graduate Residences (Building B floors 4 & 5) and Munger Graduate Residence (Building 4 and Jacobson-Sorensen Hall)). The contracts for MSx students living in other residences will end on June 28, 2026.

MSx students admitted for summer 2026: You will need to submit two applications during the First-Round Lottery: one for summer 2026 and another one for autumn 2026. The default summer contract start date is July 3, 2026 and will be extended to September 1, 2026 to match the start date of your autumn assignment. You will have continuous housing, but may be assigned to different housing for summer and the following academic year, if your autumn assignment is not available in the summer. Academic-year residences will close on June 14, 2027 (including GSB Residences, Escondido Village Graduate Residences (Building B floors 4 & 5) and Munger Graduate Residence (Building 4 and Jacobson-Sorensen Hall)). The contracts for MSx students living in other residences will end on June 27, 2027.

Contract Lengths for 2025-26

Full-year Residences

Academic-year Residences

Contract Lengths for 2026-27

Full-year Residences

Academic-year Residences