Religious Observance Requests in Undergraduate Housing
Stanford is a diverse community with students from many religious backgrounds. We understand that some students may desire specific housing placements or modifications due to their religious beliefs or practices. This page outlines what religious observance requests can be made at Stanford in undergraduate housing and the process for registering such a request.
Be sure to read this page carefully and follow all of the steps below if you are interested in making a religious observance request for housing.
The deadline to apply for housing is April 8 for students submitting religious observance requests.
Students making religious observance requests are unable to form or join a group.
These are the religion-based housing requests that we are able to support:
| 4'x4' personal use space | Most standard double and triple rooms allow for personal use space. If you make this request you should expect to be assigned to a one room double or triple. |
| Access to a single-gender restroom | Available in all residence halls and in single-gender apartments and suites. If you make this request, you should expect to be assigned to a room near a single-gender restroom. Your placement will be based on your housing rankings and your class. Sophomores should expect to be placed in sophomore priority spaces, which are shared rooms in RF houses. |
| Access to a shared kitchenette | Available in most locations, but not available in most Row houses. If you make this request, you should expect to be assigned to a residence hall with a kitchenette. Your placement will be based on your housing rankings and your class. Sophomores should expect to be placed in sophomore priority spaces, which are shared rooms in RF houses. |
| Physical key | Students whose religious observance prohibits them from using electronic card access may request a physical key. Student room physical keys are available in most undergrad housing locations, but not all. Physical keys are used for both room and exterior doors at the Suites, however card access is used at Suites Dining. Based on an approved religious request, a physical key can be provided for most undergrad housing exterior doors with card access except Trancos, Soto, and EVGR-A. Trancos, Soto, and EVGR-A have all-electric doors, and physical keys are not possible. Use of a physical key is only permitted during hours of religious observance. If you make this request, you should expect to be assigned to a residence hall where use of a physical key is possible. Your placement will be based on your housing rankings and your class. Sophomores should expect to be placed in sophomore priority spaces, which are shared rooms in RF houses. |
| Lower level floor | Possible in all locations. If you make this request, you should expect to be assigned to the first or second floor of a residence. Your placement will be based on your housing rankings and your class. Sophomores should expect to be placed in sophomore priority spaces, which are shared rooms in RF houses. |
| Near Kosher dining | Assignment to Florence Moore. Your placement will be based on your housing rankings and your class. Sophomores should expect to be placed in sophomore priority spaces, which are shared rooms in RF houses. |
If you have religious needs that are not on this list, you should submit a request through the Office of Religious & Spiritual Life and submit your housing application by April 8, 2026.
These are some of the religious need requests that we are not able to support:
- Private bedroom for observances
- 2-room double for observances
- Private kitchen
- Room with a sink
- Assignment to shared room with groupmate of same religion
- Random assignment with roommate of same religion
Here is the process to make a religious observance request for housing:
Students who would like to make a religious observance request for housing may do so on their housing application. Only the religious observance requests listed above as being supported can be honored.
To apply for undergraduate housing:
- Log onto MyHousing.Stanford.edu
- Select Undergraduate Housing Application
- Select the quarter for which you are applying (when you will move in)
- Follow the instructions to apply for housing
- Be sure to submit the application
How it works
- Students who wish to submit a religious observance request should indicate this on their application and then select their request type.
- Students submitting a religious observance request must submit their housing applications by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, April 8. On their application, they should sign the residence agreement, select their gender, and indicate that they are submitting a religious observance request.
- If you are also requesting a disability accommodation for housing, the earlier March 13 housing application deadline applies.
- Students who indicate that they are submitting religious observance requests will be prompted to rank their housing options. Housing Assignments staff will use these choices when assigning students to houses and rooms. Students are strongly encouraged to keep ranking choices until they have no preference regarding the choices left unranked. If you have a limited number of choices and cannot be placed in any of them, you will be assigned to a residence and/or room type not listed on your application.
- In order to be fair and equitable, students' assignments will be commensurate with their class year.
- Students assigned through this process do not have the option to reject their housing assignment and participate in the self-select process.
- Religious observance requests submitted after the deadline will be considered on a rolling basis, if and when space becomes available. Students submitting late requests should not expect to receive an assignment that matches their request until the summer months at the earliest.
- NEW THIS YEAR - Like other students who do not select their residence in Self-Select during General House and Room Selection, students submitting religious observance requests are not eligible to form assignment groups. If you indicate that you are submitting a religious observance request, you will not have the ability to form or join a group on your housing application. We understand living with friends is important. Because students who make religious observance requests will learn their assignments prior to General House and Room Selection, they can share their assignments so that their friends can attempt to select a room in the same residence during General House and Room Selection.