The University of Connecticut Department of Housing Administration and Finance announced new updates to the 2025-2026 housing contract last week in an email to students.
The Sept. 2 email stated three changes to the contract related to both fees and housing eligibility.
One change includes an increase in fees for damage and upkeep of facilities. If a student requests to be let into their dorm after being locked out, they will now be charged $50. According to UConn Spokesperson Stephanie Reitz, this is double the previous charge of $25.
Students will also see an upcharge during check-in and check-out. If a student does not return their door key, they will be charged $150. This is an increase of $50 from the previous charge of $100. The charge for an unreturned mail key remains the same at $15.
According to Reitz, the upcharges were overdue.
“The lock change charge has not changed for nearly 20 years and therefore hasn’t kept up with the increased labor and equipment costs associated with it,” Reitz said.
The fees go toward staffing these services and the equipment needed to carry out lock changes, according to Reitz.
The email also stated that students who have outstanding balances, bursar holds related to their fee bill or medical holds can be prevented from taking part in the housing process, including housing selection and room changes.
According to Reitz, information about outstanding balances was already included in the contract but was included in the email to add more clarity to the rule.
The housing contract is reviewed every year up until July 1 and is then finalized. Any changes made to the contract after that require UConn to send out an email to students about the change, according to Reitz.
More information can be found in the 2025-2026 housing contract.