Our residence hall rooms come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and layouts depending on the building, but all come with similar amenities and furniture for your on-campus home. Each residence hall web page includes floor plans and virtual tours, and the information below offers a look at what it’s like inside our rooms.
See your University Residence Halls contract and the Community Expectations for complete rules and regulations pertaining to what you are allowed to have in your room.
Items Provided
Provided for Each Resident:
- Bed
- Mattress
- Desk
- Desk Chair
- Hanging clothing storage
- Folding clothing storage
Provided for Each Room:
- Compact refrigerator (3.1 cubic ft.)
- Note: triples and quads will have two refrigerators provided in each room
- Window coverings (corded or cordless)
- Closets or wardrobes
- Wastebasket
- Recycling bin
- Mirror
- High-speed wireless access points with optional wired connections
Items to Bring
In addition to the furnishings provided by University Housing, we encourage you to bring your own belongings to personalize your room. We encourage you to talk with your roommate during the summer and avoid duplication of large items and electronics. Before you move to campus, we recommend that you make a list of your valuable possessions and leave the list at home with your family for reference in case of loss or damage. You should also label these items with your name or initials.
Bedding
- Students must bring their own bedsheets, blankets, comforters, pillows, and mattress pads
- Mattress sizes are all either 33″ x 80″ or 36″ x 80″
- “Twin XL” sheets fit all beds
- Regular twin sheets with extra deep corners or jersey sheets (t-shirt material) also fit all beds
The University has partnered with Dormify to provide a convenient program offering brand new, high-quality, custom sheets for sale that are guaranteed to fit our beds. Value Paks, bathroom essentials, room décor, and more are also available.
Additional Items
- Computer
- Television (Smart TV for streaming)
- Carpet or area rug (see your hall’s room layout for details)
- Adjustable height portable ladder (if lofting bed)
- Cell phone (phones and landline phone service are not provided)
- Earphones
- Alarm clock
- Locker lock for lockable drawer
- Microwave
- Pillows/pillowcases
- Plastic food storage containers
Appliances
Please discourage high school graduation gifts of cooking appliances other than a microwave. Extensive food preparation is not allowed in resident rooms for sanitation and fire safety reasons. These restrictions are strictly enforced for the protection of all our residents.
Not Allowed*
- Electric grills (i.e. George Foreman, waffle iron, griddle, pizzazz pizza oven, panini maker, quesadilla maker, etc.)
- Pizza cooker
- Toaster oven
- Toaster
- Hot plate
- Non-portable air conditioner
- All-in-one breakfast maker
- Instantpot/crockpot/slow cooker/pressure cooker
- Air fryer
- Hoverboard
- Halogen lamp
- Space heater
- Electric fireplace
- Portable electric dryer
- Electric wax melt
Allowed*
- Microwave
- Rice cooker
- Coffee pot
- Keurig coffee pot
- Portable air conditioner
- Clothing iron
- Air popcorn popper
- Blender
- Personal blender/juicer
- Hot water boiler/electric kettle
- Hairstyling tools
- Vacuum cleaner
- Humidifier
- Dehumidifier
- Clothing steamer
*Note: lists are not exhaustive
Lofting
*Note: rooms in some residence halls have mixed furniture. Furniture, measurements, and dimensions may vary. Due to the variety of residence halls, rooms, furniture, closets, etc. in University Housing, we are unable to provide details and measurements for all possible situations and items. If the information you’re looking for isn’t shown on our website, we are unable to provide it at this time.
All provided furniture is able to be lofted or bunked. Single beds are normally set up at move-in at the standard (low) bed height. If the room is a triple, quad, or hextuple, then beds are bunked at normal heights with side rails attached to the top bunk. Bed parts to adjust bed heights to mid-loft and lofted are included in each resident room.
Housing staff are not available during move-in to loft beds. Residents and families are encouraged to loft their own beds during move-in. If residents would like assistance lofting their bed after move-in, a maintenance request can be submitted after move-in and will be completed in approximately a week.
Most rooms in Waters have building block style furniture where your desk, dresser, hutch, and bookcase become part of the lofting unit in the most popular setup. All other residence hall rooms have a mix of the upright styles of loftable furniture which allows for different bed heights to be chosen by moving the bed frame up or down on the bed uprights.
Tips & Guidelines
- Two or more people are required to lift and stack furniture
- In some residence halls, a soft mallet and pins may be required for assembly (hall desks have spares that can be used on a first come first serve basis)
- Remove the mattress before lofting
- Remove all items and furniture under beds before lofting
- Lift with your legs/arms, not with your back
- Safety rails should be used
- If you are lofting your bed away from a wall or in front of a window, you should use two safety rails — one for each side of your bed. (Request a second safety rail for the other side via our maintenance request form)
- Avoid using tape as it will leave permanent marks
- See your residence hall’s Building Services Supervisor or your House Fellow with questions
Tall Uprights
Tall uprights on this furniture allow for bed frames to be lofted or bunked at a variety of heights.
- Remove the mattress from the bed frame.
- Five Foot Uprights: stabilizer bars are not required and do not need to be requested.
- Six Foot Uprights: apply upward pressure to the ends of the stabilizer bar to remove it (or tap with a soft mallet) and set it aside to reinstall later.
- Disengage the hooks on the bed frame from the uprights by applying upward pressure to the corners of the frame (or tap with a soft mallet).
- Lift the bed frame to the desired height on the top uprights
(while propping the top uprights against your body so they do not fall).- Six Foot Uprights: lean the uprights against the wall so they do not fall.
- Insert the two hooks on each end of the bed frame over the steel rods in the steel channel embedded in the uprights at the desired height.
- Apply downward pressure to the corners of the bed frame (or tap it with a soft mallet) to lock it in place.
- Six Foot Uprights: reinstall the stabilizer bar by inserting the steel hooks on each end to the uprights at the desired height. Apply downward pressure to each end of the stabilizer bar (or tap it with a soft mallet) to lock it in place.
- Install the safety rail by laying it flat on the bed frame. Engage the two brackets to the bed frame and raise it to the vertical position.
- Lift the mattress on to the bed frame. The mattress will hold the safety rail in its upright position.
Stackable Uprights
Uprights on this furniture are required to be stacked on top of each other to loft. Bed frames may still be lofted or bunked at a variety of heights.
- Remove the mattress from the bed frame.
- Disengage hooks on on the bed frame from the uprights by applying upward pressure to the corners of the frame (or tap with a soft mallet).
- Lift the bed frame to the desired height on the top uprights (while propping the top uprights against your body so they do not fall)
- Apply downward pressure to the corners of the bed frame (or tap it with a soft mallet) to lock it in place.
- Move the bed frame and top uprights aside.
- Install the stabilizer bar closest to the wall in the top two highest steel rods of the steel channels embedded in the bottom uprights.
- Slide the two pins on each end of the stabilizer bar away
from each upright to lock the stabilizer bar in place. - Lift the bed frame, top uprights, and safety rail up
and onto the round posts of the bottom uprights. - Apply downward pressure to the bed frame and top uprights
(or tap it with a soft mallet) to lock it in place. - Lift the mattress onto the bed frame.
- Lift the safety rail into place on the top uprights. You may need to briefly unhook one end of the bed frame to get the safety rail to fit.
- Insert the two brackets on the safety rail into the bed frame.
Building Block
This furniture features stackable furniture where your desk, dresser, hutch, and bookcase become part of the lofting unit in the most popular setup.
- Remove the mattress from the bed frame.
- Position the desk and dresser on the floor where you’d like to loft your bed approximately 56″ apart.
- Insert steel pins (extras are available at hall desks on a first come first serve basis) into furniture. Use long pins for beds and short pins for other furniture.
- Lift the hutch on top of the desk.
- Lift the bookcase on top of the dresser.
- The safety bar should not be removed. If the bar is not in the proper position for your setup, turn the bed frame over side-to-side or end-to-end to position it correctly.
- Lift the bed frame so that it sits level on top of the hutch and bookcase.
- Lift the mattress up into the bed frame.
Note: the bed frame(s) are reversible and can be lofted at different heights by turning the bed frame over or by stacking it directly onto the desk and dresser.
Futons
While futons are not provided, many residents choose to bring them. If you or your roommate keep your beds unlofted, you may not have space in your room for a futon or loveseat. As with all our furniture, your individual setup, as well as the size and shape of your room, will determine what size furniture will fit. Below are general guidelines:
- In Waters, your loft setup will determine your available width, however, a 56″ wide futon/loveseat will fit underneath a lofted bed with most setups using this furniture
- All other residence hall rooms will accommodate futons/loveseats up to 79″ wide placed underneath a lofted bed
Air Conditioners
Residents who are not assigned to a room with central air conditioning and have a medical or disability-related need for it must work with the McBurney Disability Resource Center to apply for Housing accommodations. After approval, Housing staff will install an air conditioner unit inside a residents’ room.
Students who do not have an approved accommodation can fill out a form in My UW Housing to agree to the terms and conditions to bring their own air conditioning unit from a list of approved units. Air conditioners that do not meet the below requirements and are not portable are not allowed.
Requirements:
- Fully self-evaporative portable air conditioner
- Cooling BTU needed (DOE standard): 5,000 – 6,000 BTU
- ETL/UL listed machine
- Standard 115-volt electrical plug (NEMA 5 – 15)
Acceptable examples of fully self-evaporative portable air conditioners include:
- LG Model: LP0621WSR
- Friedrich Model: ZCP08SA
- Frigidaire Model: FHPC082AC1 or FHPC102AC1
*Measurements
*Note: rooms in some residence halls have mixed furniture. Furniture, measurements, and dimensions may vary. Due to the variety of residence halls, rooms, furniture, closets, etc. in University Housing, we are unable to provide details and measurements for all possible situations and items. If the information you’re looking for isn’t shown on our website, we are unable to provide it at this time.
Residence Halls Furniture Measurements
#Desk includes a 17″ pedestal that can be separated
##Desk includes a carrel shelf that is 40″ x 12″ x 23″
###Desk includes a 15″ pedestal that can be separated
*Furniture Photos
*Note: rooms in some residence halls have mixed furniture. Furniture, measurements, and dimensions may vary. Due to the variety of residence halls, rooms, furniture, closets, etc. in University Housing, we are unable to provide details and photos for all possible situations and items. If a photo of the furniture you’re looking for isn’t shown on our website, we are unable to provide it at this time.
Cleaning Supplies
University Housing provides vacuums for resident use. Vacuums are usually checked out at your hall desk or from House Fellows, and there may be limits on the times they are available. Be prepared to have your Wiscard (the official UW-Madison student ID) scanned when you check out a vacuum.
In addition, cleaning supplies including brooms, mops, rags, dustpans, and buckets are provided on each floor for your use. Our staff maintains common areas but students are responsible for cleaning their own rooms, including rooms with private bathrooms.
Triple & Quad Rooms
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Will there be triple and quad resident rooms this year?
Yes, with strong demand for on-campus housing for 2024-25, we expect to have many first-year students living in triple rooms, as well as some quads in converted lounges/dens. These spaces provide similar amenities for residents as traditional doubles and allow us to accommodate more students who want to live in the residence halls.
What are triples/quads like?
Triples are larger double rooms that can accommodate 3 residents. Quads are lounge/den spaces that have been converted to accommodate 4 residents. All of these spaces have been assessed to ensure they provide plenty of space, and all include similar furniture and amenities for each resident as what they would find in other resident rooms. Housing has used spaces like these in this way for several years with good success. We simply have more of these spaces being used in this way than in the past. Example images of many of these room setups can be found on our residence hall pages.
What rooms/buildings are going to have triple and quad rooms?
Triples are in Adams, Dejope, Leopold, Lowell, Ogg, Sellery, Smith, Tripp, and Witte. Quads are in Dejope, Sellery, and Witte. Close to ¼ of our residence hall spaces are triple/quad occupancy.
Do residents in a triple/quad pay a lower rate for housing?
Costs for triple and quad rooms are among our lowest resident rates on campus. All rates are approved by the UW Board of Regents. The rates for our building and room types can be found on our Billing & Rates page.
I was assigned to a triple room, but I only wanted one roommate. Can I be assigned to a double room?
With strong demand for on-campus housing, we have many first-year students living in triples and quads. These spaces provide similar amenities for residents as traditional doubles and allow us to accommodate more students who want to live in the residence halls. Our triple rooms have been verified by our Facilities staff to ensure that there is sufficient space for three students, their belongings and furniture in the room. To be fair to all students, our online room change process opens after move-in, on the first day of classes, in My UW Housing.
How can you fit three or four people in a room? Aren’t these triples and quads former double rooms?
Our Residence Hall Facilities team has assessed every individual room to ensure these rooms being used for three roommates provide enough space for extra furniture and general living space. These rooms have been configured to maximize the best layout and space for triple living. In addition, spaces used for 4 roommates are significantly larger as they were spaces that were formerly used for dens or study rooms.
Can we loft all three beds in a triple room?
The most common room arrangement in triples is to bunk two of the beds and loft the third bed, to make good use of the space. In most triple rooms, it is possible to loft all three beds if you place most other furniture underneath the beds. However, rooms may vary slightly and it is possible some would not accommodate lofting all three beds. Lofting information is posted on our “Inside Our Halls” web page.
Converted Den & Lounge Spaces
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Why do the University Residence Halls use these converted spaces as resident rooms?
We want to offer housing to as many students as possible, particularly students who are new to the UW-Madison campus. This is why we expand our capacity to offer more contracts to students, enabling them to be part of the on-campus experience. These spaces are something that we carefully plan for every year.
Who can be assigned to these converted spaces?
Any student who signs a contract to live in the University Residence Halls can be assigned to a converted den or lounge space.
Where are these converted spaces located?
Anywhere from 2-6 Badgers may be assigned to a den or lounge in various University Residence Halls depending on the size of the space.
What are the amenities in converted spaces?
All the same amenities and furnishings available to students in traditional rooms are available to students assigned to converted spaces. Students living in hall dens will be provided keys to the lockable door. Only students assigned to the den will have access to the space.
What social and academic resources are available in these converted spaces?
Residents living in these spaces can and should utilize all the same resources available to any student living in University Housing. You will have a House Fellow within your community to help with questions. Whether learning your way around campus or attending one of the Wisconsin Welcome events together, there are numerous ways to get involved.
Additionally, academic tutoring services are located in a number of locations across campus. Our staff is ready to direct you to a variety of resources to enhance your academic success.
*Rooms in some residence halls have mixed furniture. Furniture, measurements, and dimensions may vary from what is shown.