Coronavirus (COVID-19) On-Campus Housing FAQs

The License Agreement is binding at the time you agree(d) to its terms. From a financial perspective, however, only the provisions related to Housing Application Fees, Rent Down Payments and late cancellation fees (if any) are effective before you arrive on campus and move into your dorm. Under the terms of the License Agreement, if you cancel your housing application/assignment before you move in, or you don’t move in (you are a “no-show”), you will not be responsible for academic year rent charges beyond those application-related fees. If semester rent charges have already been posted to your account, they will be reversed at the time your cancellation/no-show is processed.

Rent is charged for the dorm room regardless of the modality of your classes. More specific details will be found in the Housing License Agreement and Addendum.

The Housing office does not have access to student’s medical records. Consequently, we cannot make room assignments nor re-assignments based on students' vaccination status. For more information, please visit covid19.arizona.edu.

If you think someone might be ill, please encourage them to seek care at Campus Health immediately. Please remember to be respectful, thoughtful, and considerate. We are all collectively responsible for our community’s well-being. Be sure that you are taking care of yourself and looking out for other campus community members.

There will be no temporary relocation of residents due to suspected positive cases, students should be directed to Campus Health.

The risk that COVID-19 poses can be reduced but cannot be eliminated at this time. On-campus activities and dorm living present additional potential risks which should be considered carefully against the many benefits of living on-campus.

That being said, Housing & Residential Life and the University of Arizona are going to great lengths to reduce that risk wherever possible.

Each resident must adhere to the guidelines and recommendations set forth by Housing & Residential Life, Campus Health, the University of Arizona, the City of Tucson, and the State of Arizona.

Once a student moves into their dorm room or apartment, their space is considered a domestic, private domicile and not a public space where they routinely come into contact with others. We consider dorm rooms or apartments the student’s private home and thus cannot guarantee what behaviors or practices are followed within these spaces.

Housing & Residential Life will continue to provide residents with educational messaging and guidance for communal living, however, it is ultimately the student’s responsibility to abide by the guidance and physical distancing recommendations within their dorm room or apartment. 

Housing & Residential Life enacted several building updates and modifications to align with CDC guidelines. We have been using our elevated cleaning protocols since March 2020. Additionally, we encourage students to review and follow our residential best practices.

If you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms after hours, you can call Campus Health's After Hours number at (520) 570-7898 and speak with a medical provider. 

If your roommate tests positive, you are strongly encouraged to get tested as soon as possible and to quarantine consistent with CDC guidance. The University will not be providing separate housing for students while they quarantine.  

• If you choose to relocate during a quarantine period, the University will not reimburse costs for a student to relocate while quarantining.

According to the CDC, people with COVID-19 have had a wide range of symptoms reported – ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness.
Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. People with these symptoms may have COVID-19:

• Fever or chills
• Cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Fatigue
• Muscle or body aches
• Headache
• New loss of taste or smell
• Sore throat
• Congestion or runny nose
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea

Please visit the COVID Response website for more information on signs and symptoms of the COVID virus. 

Please visit the COVID-19 testing page for more information. If you are currently experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, stay isolated, self-quarantine and call to make an appointment with Campus Health Services or your healthcare provider.

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Cleaning Packets and Buckets are available through your front desk for check out:

• Cleaning Packets consist of:

  • Disinfecting wipes

    • After cleaning with the wipes, you can keep or dispose of any unused wipes, you won’t return them to the desk.

• The cleaning buckets are for rooms with a private or suite bathroom and consist of:

  • Cleaning bucket

  • Cleaning rags

  • Gloves

  • Toilet bowl brush (for dorms with pod, suite-style or private restrooms)

  • Roll of paper towels

  • Spray bottle of disinfectant

• The cleaning bucket and spray bottle should be returned to your front desk upon completion of your quarantine

Best practices for disinfecting room surfaces

• If possible, wear reusable or disposable gloves for routine cleaning and disinfection

• Clean surfaces using soap and water, then use disinfectant

  • Cleaning with soap and water reduces number of germs, dirt and impurities on the surface

  • Disinfecting kills germs on surfaces

• Follow the instructions found on the disinfectant label (often the product must be left on a surface for 5 minutes before wiping to kill the germs)

• Practice daily routine cleaning of frequently touched surfaces

  • High-touch surfaces include tables, doorknobs, light switches, countertops, handles, desks, phones, keyboards, toilets, faucets, sinks, etc.

  • Shared items, like microwaves and refrigerators

Request for custodial staff to disinfect your room

• If you are unable to disinfect your space and need assistance with disinfecting after your or your roommate's isolation period, you can request assistance from Housing Custodial

• This request can be submitted through a maintenance request. Follow the instructions at Maintenance Request

  • Custodial is available from 7AM-3PM (Monday-Friday)

    • If you submit a request after 3PM or on the weekend, it will be addressed the next business day

    • If there is an emergency after 3PM or on the weekend and cannot wait until the next business day, please work with dorm staff to submit an after-hours request

• In preparation for the custodial staff’s arrival, please remove any of the following items from out in the open:

  • Food and drinks

  • Electronics

  • Any items that touch your face, such as makeup

• Once custodial staff has arrived, they will ask that you step out of the room for about 15 minutes while they disinfect the space

• Once you return to the space, please open your window and leave it open for about 30 minutes

Please review the University's Positive Case Protocol.

If a resident has a positive result, they will isolate in their assigned housing. University Housing will not be providing separate isolation spaces for residents. You are permitted to isolate off-campus however, the University will not reimburse costs for relocating while isolating.

See housing.arizona.edu/isolation for more information. 

Please visit the following University webpage for more information regarding vaccines on campus: https://covid19.arizona.edu/vaccine

Please visit the following University webpage for more information regarding vaccines on campus: https://covid19.arizona.edu/required-testing

If you experience any COVID-19 symptoms, we recommend you call to make an appointment to get tested by Campus Health or your health care provider.

Please review the current University guidance on the use of masks.

The best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to this virus. You can take steps to slow the spread:

• Face Coverings
• Physical Distancing (about 6 feet)
• Hand Washing/Sanitizing 
• Continuous Cleaning
• Stay home if you do feel sick!

Please visit the COVID Response website for further details on preventing COVID-19.