Overview
Once students are assigned to housing, changes are inevitable—students withdraw, request room changes, swap with friends, or leave mid-semester. Managing these residency changes correctly ensures accurate occupancy tracking, proper billing, and clean historical records. This module teaches you when and how to use each residency operation: cancel, check-out, change bed, and swap.
Who this is for: Housing directors, residence life staff, and anyone managing ongoing residency assignments throughout the term.
What you'll learn: The critical differences between cancel, check-out, change, and swap operations; how to cancel residencies with proper refunds; how to transfer students between rooms; how to swap residents; and when to use each operation.
Duration: 20 minutes
Understanding Your Options
Housing.Cloud provides four primary operations for managing residency changes:
Operation |
Resulting Status |
Use When |
Frees Bed? |
|---|---|---|---|
Cancel Residency |
Canceled or Early Termination |
Student is leaving housing entirely (withdraws, moves off-campus) |
Yes |
Check-Out |
Moved Out |
Student departs at natural end of contract term |
Depends on contract dates |
Change Bed |
Transferred (old) + Assigned (new) |
Student moves to different room/bed on campus |
Yes (old bed) |
Swap Residency |
Transferred (both old) + Assigned (both new) |
Two students exchange room assignments |
No (both stay occupied) |
See detailed decision guide: When to Cancel, Move Out, Change, or Transfer a Residency →
Critical Distinction: The operation you choose affects billing, occupancy tracking, and historical records. Using the wrong operation can create billing errors or make beds unavailable when they should be. Always verify you're using the correct operation for the situation.
Canceling a Residency
Use cancel when a student is leaving housing entirely—they won't be living on campus for this housing cycle.
When to Cancel
Student withdraws from school entirely
Student moves off-campus and terminates housing contract
Student never arrives for move-in (no-show)
Administrative cancellation for non-payment or policy violation
Student changes plans before semester starts
How to Cancel a Residency
Navigate to Residents
Search for the student and click their name
Click Quick Actions
Select Cancel Residency
The cancel residency modal opens with a multi-step workflow.
Step 1: Cancellation Details
Required fields:
Effective Cancellation Date: When the residency ends (must be before residency end date)
Cancellation Reason: Text field explaining why (be specific for records)
Is this an Early Termination? Radio buttons (see detailed explanation below)
Optional fields:
Cancellation Fee: Administrative fee for cancellation (if your institution charges one)
Canceled vs. Early Termination
The cancel modal asks: "Is this an Early Termination?"
Your answer determines which status is applied and how the cancellation is tracked in reports.
Choose "No" (Canceled Status)
Use for:
Student withdraws from housing before ever moving in
Student cancels their application before the semester starts
Administrative cancellation for non-payment or policy violation before occupancy begins
Student changes plans and never occupies the space
Example: In July, a student assigned to fall housing decides to live off-campus and requests cancellation. They were assigned a bed but never moved in. Status: Canceled.
Choose "Yes" (Early Termination Status)
Use for:
Student moves out before their contract end date (mid-semester departure)
Student withdraws from school after already living in housing
Housing contract terminated early for policy violations after occupancy
Student transfers to off-campus housing mid-year after moving in
Example: A student checks in August 20 and lives in housing until October 15, when they withdraw from school. Their contract was supposed to end December 15. Status: Early Termination.
The Key Difference: Early Termination indicates the student actually occupied the space before leaving. Canceled indicates they never moved in or the assignment was voided before occupancy began. This distinction matters for billing, reporting, retention analysis, and occupancy tracking.
How to Decide
Ask yourself: "Did this student ever live in the assigned space?"
Yes, they lived there: Choose "Yes" for Early Termination
No, they never moved in: Choose "No" for Canceled
Reporting Impact: Early Termination status helps you track mid-year attrition separately from pre-occupancy cancellations. This distinction is valuable for retention analysis, budgeting forecasts, and understanding when students leave housing during the academic year.
Step 2: Application Status
Optionally update the application status to reflect the cancellation.
Options:
Leave as "Resident" (keeps historical record intact)
Change to "Canceled" (indicates application is no longer active)
Change to "Archived" (removes from active processing)
Other status based on your workflow
Most institutions change the application to "Canceled" when canceling a residency to keep records synchronized.
Step 3: Meal Plans
If the student has an active meal plan, you can remove it in this step.
What happens when you remove a meal plan: A full refund for the meal plan is queued for the next step (Refunds).
Step 4: Refunds
The system auto-populates full refunds for:
Housing charges (based on original transaction amount)
Meal plan charges (if you removed the meal plan)
Important: Refunds are for the full original transaction amount. Once processed, refunds cannot be partially reversed.
To remove a refund: Click the X icon next to it. You'll create prorated charges in the next step instead.
Step 5: Charges & Fees
This step allows you to apply prorated charges or custom fees based on actual occupancy.
Common scenarios:
Full Refund (Student Never Moved In):
Keep the auto-populated full refund from Step 4
Don't add charges in Step 5
Student gets complete refund
Prorated Refund (Student Lived There Partially):
Remove the full refund in Step 4 (click X)
In Step 5, click Pro-Rate Charge
Enter actual move-in and move-out dates
System calculates daily rate and charges only for days occupied
Net result: Partial refund
Example: Student was charged $5,000 for full semester (120 days). They lived there 40 days before withdrawing. Daily rate: $41.67. Prorated charge: 40 days × $41.67 = $1,667. Refund: $5,000 - $1,667 = $3,333.
Step 6: Confirmation
The final step shows a complete summary of all changes:
Residency end date and status (Canceled or Early Termination)
Application status change (if any)
Meal plan removal (if any)
All refunds being issued
All new charges being applied
Review carefully, then click Confirm to finalize.
What happens after confirmation:
Residency status changes to Canceled or Early Termination
Residency end date updates to effective cancellation date
Bed becomes available for reassignment
Application status updates (if you changed it)
All refunds and charges post to student account
Student receives notification (if enabled)
Cancellation is Permanent: Once confirmed, you cannot undo a cancellation. If you cancel by mistake, you'll need to create a new assignment for the student. Always double-check before clicking Confirm.
See complete step-by-step guide: Cancel a Residency →
Changing a Bed (Transferring a Student)
Use change bed when a student needs to move to a different room on campus—they're staying in housing but switching locations.
When to Use Change Bed
Roommate conflict requires moving to different room
Student requests room type change (triple to double, etc.)
Accommodation needs require different room features
Building consolidation at end of year
Maintenance or facilities issues require temporary relocation
How to Change Bed
Navigate to Residents
Search for the student and click their name
Click Quick Actions
Select Change Bed
Assignment modal opens with current assignment shown in right sidebar
Browse and select new room/bed
Review ruleset violations
Review charges (may include rate differences or change fees)
Confirm the change
What happens after confirmation:
Original residency status changes to "Transferred"
Original residency end date updates to transfer date
New residency is created for the new bed with status "Assigned"
Old bed becomes available for reassignment
New bed shows as occupied
If room rates differ, appropriate charges/refunds are posted
Transfer Creates Two Records: Change Bed creates a complete audit trail. The original residency shows "Transferred" status with a link to the new residency. The new residency links back to the original. This preserves the complete history of where the student lived and when.
Managing Financial Impacts
When changing beds, you'll need to handle rate differences:
Moving from Double ($5,000) to Single ($7,000):
In Refunds step: Refund the full double room charge ($5,000)
In Charges step: Add prorated charge for time in double room (e.g., 30 days at daily rate)
In Charges step: Add prorated charge for remaining time in single room (e.g., 90 days at higher daily rate)
Moving between same-rate rooms:
No refund needed if rates are identical
May still add a change fee if your institution charges one
Swapping Residencies
Use swap when two students want to exchange room assignments—both beds remain occupied but with different students.
When to Use Swap
Two students agree to switch rooms
Students informally swapped during move-in; you're updating records to match
Resolving conflicts by exchanging incompatible roommates
Balancing building occupancy by swapping students between buildings
Requirements for Swap
Both students must:
Have active residency assignments (not canceled or checked out)
Be in the same housing cycle
Have residencies that are not in the past
How to Swap Residencies
Navigate to Residents
Search for and click the first student's name
Click Quick Actions
Select Swap Residency
Modal opens with Step 1: "Review Swap"
Search for and select the second student's residency
Review both residency details side-by-side
Click Next
Step 2: Review any ruleset conflicts between the new pairings
Click Next
Step 3: Add or remove refunds (typically for rate differences)
Click Next
Step 4: Add new charges or fees (prorated amounts if rates differ)
Click Next
Step 5: Review complete swap summary with all financial impacts
Click Confirm to finalize
What happens after confirmation:
Both original residencies change to status "Transferred"
Two new residencies are created with the swapped bed assignments
Student A moves to Student B's old bed
Student B moves to Student A's old bed
All charges and refunds post to appropriate accounts
Both students receive notifications
Same Rate Swaps Are Simple: If both students are in rooms with identical rates (two double rooms at $5,000 each), you don't need to issue refunds or create new charges. Just swap the assignments and confirm. The system handles the rest.
Handling Rate Differences in Swaps
Example: Student A in Double ($5,000) swaps with Student B in Single ($7,000)
Step 3 - Refunds:
Refund Student A's full double room charge: $5,000
Refund Student B's full single room charge: $7,000
Step 4 - Charges:
Charge Student A for time in double (e.g., 30 days prorated): $1,250
Charge Student A for remaining time in single (90 days prorated): $5,250
Charge Student B for time in single (30 days prorated): $1,750
Charge Student B for remaining time in double (90 days prorated): $3,750
Net financial impact: Student A pays more (upgraded to single). Student B pays less (downgraded to double). Both are charged accurately for actual occupancy periods.
See complete step-by-step guide: Swap Residencies Between Residents →
Check-Out vs. Cancel: Which to Use?
This is a common point of confusion. Here's the distinction:
Use Check-Out When:
Student is departing at the natural end of their contract
Residency dates are correct and don't need adjustment
You're logging departure for recordkeeping
Student completed their housing term normally
What Check-Out does:
Records check-out date
Changes status to "Moved Out"
Keeps original residency start and end dates unchanged
Bed may not be immediately available (depends on contract end date)
Example: A student's contract runs August 20 - May 15. They check out on May 15 as planned. You use Check-Out to log the departure. Status: Moved Out. Bed becomes available after May 15.
Use Cancel When:
Student is leaving before their contract ends
You need to update the residency end date
You need to free the bed immediately for reassignment
Student is withdrawing or moving off-campus mid-cycle
What Cancel does:
Updates residency end date to effective cancellation date
Changes status to "Canceled" or "Early Termination"
Frees the bed for reassignment
Optionally records check-out date
Handles refunds and prorated charges
Example: Same student contract (August 20 - May 15), but student withdraws October 1. You use Cancel Residency with effective date October 1. Status: Early Termination. End date changes to October 1. Bed becomes available October 1.
Bed Availability Matters: If you use Check-Out for a mid-year departure, the bed may remain unavailable because the residency end date is still in the future. Use Cancel (with Early Termination) to update the end date and free the bed immediately.
Adding Check-Out Dates After Cancel or Transfer
Both Cancel and Change Bed operations allow you to optionally add a check-out date after the fact.
Why this matters: The check-out date records when the student physically left the space, which may differ from when the residency officially ended.
Example: You cancel a residency with effective date October 15 (contract ends), but the student actually moved out October 12. Add October 12 as the check-out date for accurate recordkeeping.
This creates a complete picture: Residency officially ended October 15 (cancellation), but student physically departed October 12 (check-out).
Common Residency Change Issues
Issue: Cannot Cancel Residency - Button Not Visible
Cause: Residency is already in a terminated status (Canceled, Transferred, Moved Out).
Solution: Check the residency status. You cannot cancel an already-canceled residency. If you need to undo a cancellation, you must create a new assignment.
Issue: Bed Still Shows Occupied After Cancel
Cause: Residency dates may still extend into the future, or bed status hasn't updated yet.
Solution: Verify the effective cancellation date is in the past. Refresh the page. If issue persists, contact support with the residency details.
Issue: Student Has Two Active Residencies
Cause: System allows manual assignment to a new bed while student has an existing assignment. This is intentional for flexibility but can cause confusion.
Solution: Cancel or transfer the old residency. Use Change Bed instead of creating a new assignment to maintain proper transfer records.
Issue: Swap Fails or Hangs
Cause: Network timeout, conflicting ruleset violations, or system processing delay.
Solution: Wait for the operation to complete (may take 30-60 seconds). If it fails, try again. If persistent, contact support. Recent updates have addressed most swap timeout issues.
Issue: Transfer Shows Wrong Dates
Cause: When transferring, the system may set the old residency end date to the transfer date, creating a short occupancy period.
Solution: This is expected behavior. The old residency shows actual occupancy dates. Check the Activity tab for complete transfer history.
Best Practices for Residency Management
Use the Right Tool: Cancel for departures, Change Bed for moves, Swap for exchanges, Check-Out for normal endings. Using the correct operation ensures accurate billing and clean records.
Document Cancellation Reasons: The "Cancellation Reason" field is your institutional memory. Be specific: "Student withdrew from school 10/15/25" is more useful than "Withdrew." These notes help with future inquiries and annual reporting.
Check Financial Impact Before Confirming: Always review the Confirmation step carefully. Verify refunds and charges match your institution's policies. Once confirmed, financial transactions are posted and difficult to reverse.
Monitor Overstay Status: During closing periods, filter residents by status "Overstay" daily. These are students who should have checked out but didn't. Process their check-outs to keep occupancy accurate and free beds for reassignment.
Decision Flowchart
Student is leaving housing entirely:
Never moved in? → Cancel (Canceled status)
Lived there and leaving mid-cycle? → Cancel (Early Termination status)
Contract ending normally? → Check-Out (Moved Out status)
Student is staying in housing but changing location:
Moving to different room alone? → Change Bed (Transferred → Assigned)
Exchanging with another student? → Swap Residency (both Transferred → Assigned)
What's Next
You've completed all PLS-8 modules! You now have comprehensive skills for managing applications and assignments.
PLS-9: Finance Operations & Transactions - Learn to manage charge codes, track transactions, and monitor billing
Complete PLS-8: PLS-8: Managing Applications & Assignments
Operations Mastery Complete: You now understand the complete assignment lifecycle, how to review and approve applications, three manual assignment methods, automated assignment with rulesets, and all residency change operations. You have the operational skills to manage housing assignments throughout the entire academic year.