Moving & Breaks

May 3 – 8, 2026
All Halls Close: Saturday, May 9, 2026, at 4:00 p.m.

We hope you’ve had a wonderful experience living in the University Residence Halls. Check bulletin boards, digital signage, and with University Housing staff for additional information regarding quiet hours and details specific to your hall. Have questions? Contact your House Fellow or Residence Life Coordinator.

We ask that you vacate your room within 24 hours of your last final exam. Those staying until May 9 must move out by 4 p.m.

Extra Nights

If you are unable to leave by May 9 at 4:00 p.m., you will need to complete the Extra Nights application in My UW Housing no later than Monday, May 4. Most residents will be able to submit a request to stay up to two* (2) extra nights at the end of the Spring 2026 semester. If approved, you will be billed a fee of $40/night. If you have questions about the Extra Nights process, please email reslife@housing.wisc.edu.

*Residents of Waters Hall will not be allowed an extra night and must check out by 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 9.

Checklist to Complete

Before leaving, all residents must complete and sign the following spring move-out checklist and attach it to the outside of their door before moving out. A printed version of this checklist will be provided on resident doors. Staff will inspect residents’ rooms and document any concerns after residents depart. Failure to complete the checklist may result in additional charges. If you have questions about the condition of your room, contact Housing staff.

1. Remove all belongings from your room/hallway and donate/recycle/trash unneeded items outside at the dumpster location nearest you (see maps posted in your hall)
2. Retrieve items placed in kitchen areas, empty and clean/wipe down waste bins, recycling bins, and drawers
3. Remove all items (tape, stickers, poster putty, nails, etc.) from walls, ceiling, and both sides of doors
4. Empty, clean, defrost, and leave the Housing refrigerator(s) unplugged and open (do not use sharp objects to pry ice out of the freezer)
5. Ensure all University Housing furniture is in your room, assembled, and returned to its original layout, including bed height (view room layouts on your hall’s web page under “room types” to see your room’s original layout)
6. Clean and sweep/mop or vacuum your room (do not sweep dirt into the hallway) and leave closets/drawers open
7. Close windows, open blinds, turn off your lights, and lock your door
8. Take your bike with you when you leave
   1. Bikes left for more than 72 hours are considered abandoned, including those at the Elm Drive bike shelter. Abandoned bikes are subject to being impounded beginning immediately after move-out. If you aren’t living on campus this summer, or if you plan to stay on campus but aren’t using your bike, take your bike home! See the Transportation Services website for more information on bike impoundment. We are not responsible for abandoned bicycles left on bike racks.
9. Check your mailbox and/or collect any packages from your hall desk
10. Update your mailing address to your summer location in My UW by clicking Student Center→ Profile→ Addresses
11. Return your room key to your hall desk or key drop box
    1. All residents must return their room keys before leaving. Unreturned keys will require a lock change and a $75 charge.
    2. Remove key chains or rings from keys
    3. Return your room key directly to your hall’s desk staff
       — OR —
       Place your room key in the black key drop box on the counter at your hall’s desk (at Holt, the dropbox is outside the west entrance, and at Carson’s, it is outside the lower entrance door)

Parking

Traffic will be busy around the residence halls due to spring move-out from May 2 – 9, 2026. UW-Madison Transportation Services will allow 30-minute pick-up and loading for residents and their families in areas around the residence halls. For details, view our parking map.

Free Parking Areas

• 30-Minute Parking: Visitors may park for up to 30-minutes in lots 2, 5, 26, 34, 35, 37, 44, 48, 58, 69, 106- Dayton St,  110, 136, and at mobile payment stations located on Babcock Dr, Observatory Dr, and adjacent to Barnard, Chadbourne, Ogg, Smith, and Witte, and outside of designated stalls on Elm Dr, Kronshage Dr, Willow Dr, and East Campus Mall near Ogg. Vehicles that are left unattended for over 30-minutes are at risk of being ticketed, as this accommodation is meant for pick-up and loading only.
• Side Streets Near Campus: Some City of Madison streets near campus offer visitor parking with time limits. Checked posted signage for hours of operation, required payments, and time limits.
• Other Campus Parking Lots: Some campus lots offer free parking on weekends and on weekdays after 4:30 p.m. Check posted parking lot entrance signs for hours of operation and permit requirements.

Free Campus Bus Route

Madison Metro Transit’s campus bus route #80 is free and runs throughout the UW-Madison campus area from approximately 8 a.m. to Midnight year-round.

Paid Parking Areas

• Campus Parking Lots: In lots 6, 7, 17, 20, 27, 29, 36, 46, 67, 76, 80, and 83, visitors will take a ticket on entrance and pay when leaving the lot. Hourly rates vary by location. No trailers are allowed.
• Long-Term & Day Parking: long-term and day parking can be purchased in advance through Transportation Services. Complete the daily permit order form or call Transportation Services (608) 262-8683. Please allow two weeks for processing.

No Parking Areas

Parking is prohibited at all times on grass, sidewalks, in front of trash dumpsters, in fire lanes, roadways, service vehicle stalls, and disabled stalls (unless a proper permit is displayed).

Note: storage pods/containers are not allowed.

Recycling & Donations

Did you know that anything from your room could be donated or recycled? In 2025, residents and their families diverted nearly 175,000 pounds of material during Sustainable Move Out. Outdoor donation & recycling areas are located at every waste area near your building and will have volunteers on site to help you sort your items. Sites will be open for donation from 10 am-2 pm Friday, May 1, to Tuesday, May 5, and 9 am-4 pm from Wednesday, May 6, to Saturday, May 9. Please contact sustainability@housing.wisc.edu with any questions!

What can be donated or recycled?

Accepted Donations

• Futons, furniture, and rugs in good condition
• Books
• School Supplies
• Nonperishable food (near your hall desk)
• General (clothes, shoes, housewares, bedding, decor)
• Decorative pillows
• Working electronics
• Microwaves

Accepted Recycling

• Plastic bags (near your hall desk)
• Metal
• Broken electronics
• Broken wood or metal futons
• Unwanted carpet, pillows, & mattress toppers
• Single Stream Recycling (cans, glass, mixed paper, cardboard, & plastic containers #1-7)

Be a Recycling Volunteer

Want to help direct students and their families on how to recycle during move-out? Check out the volunteer flier and if you are able, sign up to staff one of the sites.

Summer Term Housing

For students taking UW-Madison Summer Term courses, housing is available in Waters Residence Hall for all summer term sessions. Plus, the Summer Housing Boost Program can help students cover the cost of living in the residence halls over the summer.

Learn more about Summer Term Housing

Address Changes

Use MyUW to change your mailing address for the summer and fall. Your mail will then automatically be sent to this new address. If you want newspapers and magazines forwarded, you must send a change of address to the publisher. If your mailing address is not updated after you move out, any mail or packages sent to the residence halls will be returned to the sender.

Changing your mailing address:

1. Log in to your MyUW Student Portal
2. Click on Student Center
3. Click on the PROFILE tile
4. Edit your mailing address

Rental References

If you would like to use University Housing as a rental reference, leasing agents can send their housing verification questionnaire to the UW Housing Cashier’s Office inbox.

Wiscard Account Balances

We encourage you to closely monitor your Wiscard balances as the end of the semester approaches. Additional information about what happens to your Wiscard Account and Dining Dollars balances at the end of the school year is available on our website, and information about how to close your account is available on the Wiscard FAQs page.

Quiet Hours

All residence halls will have 24-hour quiet hours starting no later than Friday, May 1, at 12 a.m. Overnight guests are not permitted in the residence halls during 24-hour quiet hours.

Desk Hours

Hall desks will remain open for regular hours until Saturday, May 9. Remember to forward all your mail and packages to your summer address and cancel newspaper and magazine subscriptions.

• Saturday, May 9: desks open 7 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Dining

As part of your dining plan, your Dining Dollars will expire at the end of the academic year on Saturday, May 9. Any remaining funds after that date will be forfeited, so consider using that money at any eligible campus dining location soon before it goes away.

Dining Hours

Find the Dining hours for the spring move-out period here.

Convenient Storage and Pickup

If you need summer storage, Lazybones is an authorized service provider affiliated with UW-Madison, offering storage and shipping, pick-up from your room, and delivery. Lazybones can store your possessions for the summer and deliver them to your new address in the fall, even before you arrive. To use the Lazybones service, sign up online, email wecare@mylazybones.com, or call 877-215-2105.