License Renewal For 2025-2026

We hope you’ve enjoyed living in your on-campus residence, and we invite all eligible residents to renew your housing through the housing portal before noon on Wednesday, March 19, to guarantee your spot for the next academic year.

In collaboration with campus stakeholders, Housing and Residential Services (HRS) has developed building-specific renewal policies that maintain renewal opportunities for current residents and preserve space for new graduate residents within select buildings. When completing the 2025-2026 Housing Plans form, you will either renew your license or terminate your housing. However, you may need to take additional steps if you are:

One of the following actions is required by noon on Wednesday, March 19, 2025, or your housing license agreement will automatically terminate, and you will need to move out by July 31, 2025.

Renewing your housing license

If you are a fully registered graduate student who will remain actively enrolled at the Institute for academic year 2025-2026 and eligible to renew your housing license agreement, follow these steps:

  • Visit the Housing Portal
  • After logging in using your MIT Touchstone credentials, click Forms
  • Click on 2025-2026 Housing Plans
  • Complete all sections of the form and submit by noon on Wednesday, March 19, 2025

Residents who do not renew by the deadline will automatically forfeit their on-campus housing renewal and must move out by July 31, 2025. If you do not renew your housing assignment but remain interested in on-campus housing for next year, you can participate in self-selection (subject to housing availability).

Moving to a new building (including graduate junction)

Residents who want to remain in on-campus housing but would like to switch to a different building or unit will need to participate in self-selection. You will not be guaranteed a unit if you participate in this process, as it is subject to availability. If you are a current Warehouse, Sidney Pacific, or Ashdown resident and need to switch because of your license type, follow the directions in the relevant section below. Others should follow these steps:

  • Visit the Housing Portal
  • After logging in using your MIT Touchstone credentials, click Forms
  • Click on 2025-2026 Housing Plans
  • Select the Termination Form
  • Complete all sections of the form and choose Terminating to Participate in Self-selection as your termination reason and May 31 as your termination date. Submit by noon on Wednesday, March 19, 2025
  • Apply for self-selection between April 16 and April 30, 2025
  • Receive confirmation of your self-selection window via email
  • Return to the Housing Portal during your self-selection window (Between May 5 and May 9, 2025) to select your new unit

Moving to Graduate Junction

If you intend to live at Graduate Junction next year, you can begin the application process through the American Campus Communities (ACC) website to be assigned a unit by the ACC team. Once you have started this process with ACC:

  • Visit the Housing Portal
  • After logging in using your MIT Touchstone credentials, click Forms
  • Click on Your 2025-2026 Housing Plans
  • Select the Termination Form
  • Choose Moving to Graduate Junction as the reason for your termination, and select July 31 as your termination date
  • Complete the form, and submit it by noon on Wednesday, March 19, 2025

Not renewing your license

If you do not plan to renew your housing license agreement, please review the policies on termination and moving out and submit the housing termination form no later than noon on Wednesday, March 19, 2025. HRS captures this information to understand student departure dates, housing vacancies, and housing availability for the next academic year. To do so, follow these steps:

  • Visit the Housing Portal
  • After logging in using your MIT Touchstone credentials, click Forms
  • Click on 2025-2026 Housing Plans
  • Select Termination Form
  • Complete all sections of the form and submit it by noon on Wednesday, March 19, 2025.

If your move-out date changes from what you originally submitted, please email graduatehousing@mit.edu with the updated date (subject: move-out date change) at least 30 days before your move. If you wish to return to on-campus graduate housing after terminating your housing license agreement and moving off campus, you will need to participate in the self-selection process.

Renewing a housing license for Ashdown House or Sidney-Pacific

Residents of Ashdown House or Sidney-Pacific receive a one-year renewable housing license agreement, which provides residents with the option to renew their agreement for a second consecutive year.

If you seek to renew your housing license agreement after your first year in MIT graduate housing, you can renew through the regular renewal process above.

If you are seeking to renew your housing license agreement after at least two years in MIT graduate housing, you need to participate in a housing lottery. To start the process, follow these steps:

  • Visit the Housing Portal
  • After logging in using your MIT Touchstone credentials, click Forms
  • Click on 2025-2026 Housing Plans
  • Select the Termination Form or click Continue to Next Step
  • Choose Participating in Ashdown/Sidney Pacific Renewal Lottery as your termination reason, complete all other sections, and submit it by noon on Wednesday, March 19, 2025.

If a lottery is required, HRS will notify you of the results by Friday, April 18. If you are successful in the lottery, you will be able to sign a renewable housing license moving forward.

If you’re unsuccessful at renewing through the lottery, or if space does not permit a lottery process, you will be given priority access to select an alternative on-campus housing assignment through the self-selection process (excluding units in Ashdown House, Sidney-Pacific, and The Warehouse) on Tuesday, April 29, 2025.

Renewing a housing license for the Warehouse

Given that the Warehouse is a first-year graduate living community, we are only able to renew housing license agreements for members of the resident assistant (RA) team.  If you are a Warehouse resident who wishes to remain in on-campus housing, you will receive priority access in self-selection on Tuesday, April 29, 2025, before the general graduate housing selection process. To participate:

  • Visit the Housing Portal
  • After logging in using your MIT Touchstone credentials, click Forms
  • Click on 2025-2026 Housing Plans
  • Select the Termination Form or click Continue to Next Step
  • Choose Participating in Warehouse Priority Selection as your termination reason, complete all other sections, and submit it by noon on Wednesday, March 19, 2025.
  • You will receive follow-up guidance on how to start the priority self-selection process.

Renewal for Resident Assistants or House Officers

Ashdown House and Sidney-Pacific officers who have lived in MIT graduate housing for more than two years and Warehouse resident assistants cannot renew their housing assignment within the housing portal. The House Team from these communities will forward a list of officers and the appropriate housing assignments to HRS to add to the housing management system. HRS will share additional housing assignment information with confirmed officers in April.

Renewal for visitors, researchers, postdocs, affiliates, and cross-registered students

Licenses for visitors (researchers/postdocs/cross-registered students) in residence are for one year at a time and automatically expire on July 31, 2025. We ask that visitors complete the following steps if they are interested in remaining in on-campus housing for the 2025-2026 academic year.

Step 1: Submit a Housing Termination Request Form by noon on Wednesday, March 19

  • Visit the Housing Portal
  • After logging in using your MIT Touchstone credentials, click Forms
  • Click on 2025-2026 Housing Plans
  • Select the Termination Form or click Continue to Next Step
  • Complete each section of the form and select July 31, 2025, as your termination date unless you would like to choose an earlier date to move out).
  • Within the form, ensure Visitor Renewal Interest is checked to request on-campus housing for the next academic year.
  • Upload your updated appointment letter with a start date no later than August 31, 2025
  • Submit the completed form by noon on Wednesday, March 19.

Step 2: If your current apartment is available after the self-selection process for MIT graduate students, HRS will inform you of your unit availability. You may then renew your housing assignment between May 27 and May 30, 2025.

  • Please visit the Housing Portal
  • After logging into the portal using your MIT Touchstone credentials, click Forms
  • Click on the Visitor Housing Renewal Form
  • Complete all sections of the form and click submit

Step 3: If you are unable to renew your current assignment, you may participate in the self-selection process beginning on June 3, 2025.

  • Visit the Housing Portal
  • After logging into the portal using your MIT Touchstone credentials, click Forms
  • Click on the Visitor Self-Selection Application
  • Complete all sections, select your desired unit, and sign your housing license agreement

 

June Degree List continuing as an MIT postdoc or researcher

Choose the termination option while completing the 2025-2026 housing plans form, and indicate your interest in renewing your current assignment (pending availability). Attach your appointment letter indicating a start date no later than August 31, 2025. If your unit is no longer available, you will need to participate in Visitor Self-Selection to live on campus for the 2025-2026 academic year.

September Degree List students

You are eligible to remain in your current housing assignment until August 31 to complete your degree requirements. Since your current license ends on July 31, if you would like to extend your stay, you will need to renew your current assignment for the next academic year and sign an updated license agreement at the AY 25-26 rate. At the end of the renewal process, you should then fill out a termination request form and select September graduation as the termination reason.