Housing and Residence Life

Move-out

Housing and Residence Life
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo MI 49008-5312 USA
(269) 387-4735

Residence Halls

Students checking out of their residence hall should follow the check out process and room preparation information below. Detailed information regarding residence hall closing in April is emailed to students. Students should attend their April move-out floor meeting for added information.

December move-out: Halls close at 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 13, 2024. Students continuing spring semester do not need to move out over winter recess. We do, however, recommend taking home valuables and items needed over break since students will not be able to access the residence halls Dec. 14, 2024 to Jan. 3, 2025.

Students leaving the university due to graduation, study abroad or withdrawing from classes will need to check out of their residence hall room. They should also complete a contract cancellation form in the .

April move-out: Halls close at 7 p.m. Friday, April 25, 2025.

Schedule a check-out time with a staff member. Remove belongings and clean your room as directed in the “Preparing your Room†section.

Unlike August move-in, there are no reserved loading spaces around the buildings. Students move out during the entire week vs. moving in two or three days. Parking Services will enforce reserved and handicapped parking spaces.

During the final inspection of your room, potential damages will be assessed. These will be itemized and charged to your student account. Any disputes about the damages must be received within 30 days of damage notification.

Limited cleaning supplies are available from the hall office and front desk.

  • Remove all belongings, including items in desks and dressers.
  • Remove all tape, putty and adhesive from the walls, ceiling, furniture, windows and other surfaces.
    • Western Heights - leave hooks, tape and stickers on the walls
  • Remove stickers, graffiti or other items from both sides of the door.
  • Wipe down all surfaces—furniture, radiator, window sill—to remove dust, debris and stains.
  • Sweep and mop the floor.
  • Deloft beds and set the bed in the second rung from the bottom on the head/footboard.
  • For suites: Clean the bathroom, including the shower and the toilet. In April, throw away your shower curtain, but leave the clips.
  • Clean and close windows.
  • Empty recycling bin.
  • Take all trash to the outside dumpster.
  • If you have a microfridge, clean, defrost and leave in your room.
    • December departures:  Contact via email to notify them to pick up the unit.
  • Turn off lights.
  • Lock door.
  • Check mail in mailbox. Pick up packages from the office/desk.

Items left in rooms will either be disposed of or sold at auction. A fee may be assessed for removal of abandoned property.

  • A few weeks before move out, start taking home items you do not need. It will mean less to pack and carry when you do checkout.
  • Allow about an hour to move everything to your car. It helps if everything is packed before any move-out helpers arrive.
  • 24-hour quiet hours begin at 11:59 p.m. the Saturday before finals week.
  • Look around your room/apartment. Enter any maintenance items into .
  • All policies are still in effect during finals week! Students with disruptive behavior may be asked to leave immediately.
  • You can leave any time during finals week. With the traffic around the residence halls and high demand for the elevators, leaving early may mean avoiding the congestion of the last day.
  • In April, large dumpsters will be outside for carpets and furniture. Items that can be donated like appliances and food will have separate collection areas.  Look at signage in your hall. 
  • Mops, brooms and other basic cleaning supplies will be available at the front desk. There will also be an adhesive remover to get things off the walls.
  • In April, bins are in the lobby or at the front desk to collect: 
    • Non-perishable donations to the 51¸£ÀûÉç Food Pantry 
    • Donation items like gently used clothes, appliances, furniture, kitchen supplies, etc. 
    • Hazardous waste like cleaning supplies, batteries, nail polish, laundry detergent, etc.  (Students moving out before April can contact Western's Division of Environmental Safety and Emergency Management at (269) 387-5590.) 
  • Large bins will be available, but on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Apartments

Before turning in their keys, students must remove all personal belongings and trash from their apartment, and ensure that the apartment is clean, including common areas and shared spaces. Additional fees will be assessed if the unit is not cleaned, or if trash or belongings are left behind.

When students are ready to turn in keys, they can do so by returning the keys to the Housing and Residence Life office during hours of operation, or at any time to the locked drop box located outside of the main doors to Faunce. Once keys are received, a Resident Manager will complete a final inspection. Items of value will be held for 30 days and, if not claimed, will either be disposed of or sold at auction.

During the final inspection of your apartment, potential damages will be assessed. These will be itemized and charged to your student account. Any disputes about the damages must be received within 30 days of damage notification.

Enter any maintenance items into .  Cleaning fees will be assessed if the apartment is not cleaned.

  • Remove all belongings, including items in cabinets, desks and dressers.
  • Remove all tape, putty and adhesive from the walls, ceiling, furniture, windows and other surfaces.
  • Remove stickers, graffiti or other items from both sides of the door.
  • Wipe down all surfaces—furniture, window sill, counters—to remove dust, debris and stains.
  • Clean the kitchen
    • Cupboards & Drawers - Clean inside and out including tracks; remove contact paper if ripped or stained; use a degreasing product or non-abrasive cleaner on drawer/cabinet fronts.
    • Stove Backsplash - Scrub with non-abrasive cleaner.
    • Sink/Faucet - Use non-abrasive cleaner.
    • Range hood and fan - Remove dirt and grease with non-abrasive cleaner, including the area under the hood and around the fan cover.
    • Stove - Be CERTAIN the stove is off and cool before you begin to clean.
      • Pull the range out from the wall. Clean sides and back of range and the floor and wall behind; clean oven according to directions on the oven cleaner container.
      • Burners tip up and pull out (DO NOT IMMERSE THE BURNER IN WATER), and the top of the stove tilts up to clean under the burners. Drip pans are replaced and do not need to be cleaned.
    • Refrigerator - Clean top and all sides with non-abrasive general purpose cleaner and clean the wall and floor behind. Clean all refrigerator racks, shelves, inside and under the vegetable bins. Wash and dry the inside and outside of the refrigerator, making sure to remove any marks or stickers. Turn the controls back to medium setting when complete.
    • Fire Extinguisher - Clean off all grease.
  • Vacuum or sweep and mop the floors.
  • Clean and close windows.
  • Take all trash and recycling to the appropriate outside dumpster.
  • Turn off lights.
  • Lock door.
  • Check mail in mailbox.

Please share any unneeded cleaning supplies with neighbors and dispose of all hazardous waste products properly. These include car care products, small batteries, degreasers, aerosol cans, and nail polish. For more information, contact Kalamazoo County's Household Hazardous Waste Facility at (269) 373-5211 or Western's Division of Environmental Safety and Emergency Management at (269) 387-5590.

Keys

You are considered to be in possession of your room/apartment until your keys are returned to the appropriate party listed below.

Residence halls: Hall office, to your resident assistant, or in the express check-out dropbox

Apartments:  Housing and Residence Life office, to your resident manager, or the dropbox outside of the Faunce Student Services Building

Mail Forwarding

Log on to Go51¸£ÀûÉç to change your mail forwarding address. Some items like magazines cannot be forwarded, so we recommend updating your mailing address with businesses and magazines too.

Go51¸£ÀûÉç > My Self-service > View/update My Personal Information > View/Updated Addresses and Phones

Damages

A staff member will check the room/apartment after it is cleaned and personal possessions removed. The room/apartment must be returned to a condition and safety level comparable to the beginning of occupancy; reasonable wear and tear excepted. Residents are held responsible for and reimburse the University for damages to the room/apartment and furniture/appliances. Photos are taken of any damages or cleanliness issues during the final room/apartment move-out inspection. Damages are billed to the student’s 51¸£ÀûÉç account.

Please be aware student staff do not final say on damages to the room/apartment. Professional staff will also check the room/apartment after departure.

Any disputes about the damages must be received within 30 days of damage notification.