Housing Accommodation Application Guide

This page will guide you step-by-step on how to apply for housing accommodations through UCF Student Accessibility Services. Please note that there are four different housing accommodation applications, depending on what type of housing accommodation(s) you are requesting.

• Floor Plan Accommodations
• Housing Lottery Exemption/Waitlist Priority
• Emotional Support Animal
• Service Animal

Please be sure to complete the application(s) that match what you are requesting. SAS consultants will only discuss housing accommodations for the applications completed prior to the meeting. For example, students should complete the Floor Plan Accommodation Application and Lottery Exemption/Waitlist Priority Application if seeking both prior to their meeting.

Please note that approval of Floor Plan, ESA, and Service Animal requests does not guarantee placement in housing for the current or future academic year. It simply means that if a student receives a placement within on-campus housing through the applicable processes, then the student will be able to select a room that meets the accommodation requested or will receive permission for the animal in the residence hall. The placement process and the Floor Plan, ESA, and Service Animal review and approval processes are separate. 

UCF will accept and consider requests for reasonable accommodation in university housing at any time. Preferred deadlines are provided based upon the specific type of accommodation request below. For requests before the preferred deadline, SAS and Housing and Residence Life will have time to review the request and provide a decision prior to the start of the semester. If the accommodation is approved by SAS, and if HRL has availability, then the accommodation will be coordinated.

UCF cannot guarantee that it will be able to meet the student’s accommodation request during the first semester or term of occupancy if submitted after the preferred deadline. While accommodation requests will be reviewed by SAS after this deadline, approved accommodations may not be possible by the move in date selected, pending space and other variables. If the need for the accommodation arises when a student already resides in university housing, the student should complete the relevant application(s) as soon as practicably possible. However, UCF cannot guarantee that it will be able to meet the accommodation request during the semester or term in which the request is received.

For information on how SAS makes housing accommodation determinations, please review our Reasonable Accommodation Analysis for Academic and Housing Requests document.

Floor Plan Accommodation Requests

Floor Plan accommodation requests include modifications to the on-campus housing environment, such as, but not limited to:

• Physical accessibility features (such as but not limited to ground level access, accessible shower, toilet, and sink, and remote-control door access)
• Private Bedroom: A bedroom that is not shared between roommates for disability reasons
• Private Bathroom: A bathroom that is not shared between roommates for disability reasons
• Strobe Light Fire Alarm
• Access for Personal Care Attendant(s)

Preferred Deadline: Students should submit requests for Floor Plan Accommodation requests no later than:

• April 1st for Fall move in
• November 5th for Spring move in
• February 1st for Summer A/C/D move in
• March 1st for Summer B move in

Requests may take up to 8 weeks to fully review and implement, starting from the date the application is submitted. This timeframe does not include any time needed by the student to respond to inquiries from SAS and/or Housing and Residence life for additional information to support a request. Implementation may take longer for unique requests and depending on specific situations.

For students requesting floorplan accommodations, please complete the following steps:

1. If you are seeking a private room, private bathroom, or in unit kitchen and already have a confirmed housing agreement, check our Request Met by Agreement Type Quick Guide to see if your request may be naturally met by the agreement you have. If it does not meet your request or you are seeking other floor plan accommodations, proceed to the next step.
2. Submit the Floor Plan Accommodation Application (via Knights Access)
3. Provide Documentation (if available)
   After submitting your online application, you will be invited to submit documentation via electronic upload. SAS provides an optional Provider Form for UCF Housing Floor Plan Accommodation Requests that students can have a qualified professional complete to support their accommodation request(s).Please note that you should not delay meeting with us if you are concerned about not having the right documentation. Each consultant will discuss specific third-party documentation needs during the Welcome Meeting and steps you can take after the meeting. Our priority is meeting with you, not reviewing the documentation. Insufficient documentation will not delay the initial meeting but may delay the consideration and possible approval of certain accommodations.
4. Check UCF Email and Follow the Prompts
   After you submit your application, you will immediately receive an automated email informing you that SAS will review your application. SAS will then contact you via UCF email within ten business days regarding your next step. For students with a UCF email address, SAS will only send email communications via the UCF email system. After our initial application review, we may be able to approve some accommodation requests without needing a meeting. For those requests that require a meeting, keep these tips in mind:

• • It may take a minimum of three weeks to schedule a meeting. Students new to UCF are strongly encouraged to request accommodations from SAS as early as possible prior to attending UCF.
  • During the meeting, an SAS staff member will talk with you about the challenges you experience in housing relative to your disability, reasonable accommodations to address the barriers within housing, and potential next steps and accommodation options. Our goal is to keep the meeting relaxed and comfortable.
  • It may take time after a meeting to finalize and facilitate accommodations. We often need to work with UCF Housing and Residence Life to facilitate housing accommodations which can take some time to coordinate.

Lottery Exemption/Waitlist Priority

Due to limited housing capacity, not every student who applies for housing will receive a space. For example, current residents who wish to return to campus housing participate in a lottery process. Students who are seeking an exemption to the lottery process due to their disability will make that request via Student Accessibility Services (SAS). If the lottery has already occurred in a given academic year, students may request waitlist priority instead.

Preferred Deadline: Students should submit requests no later than:

• January 1st for Fall move in
• November 15^th for Spring move in
• March 15^th for Summer A/C/D move in
• May 15^th for Summer B move in

Requests after the preferred deadline: While Lottery Exemption requests will be reviewed after this deadline, a review may not be able to be completed before the lottery process occurs. After the lottery occurs, waitlist priority is the only option available. Waitlist priority does not guarantee a spot in on campus housing but depends upon space becoming available through cancellations.

Requests may take up to 3 weeks to fully review and implement, starting from the date the application is submitted. This timeframe does not include any time needed by the student to respond to inquiries from SAS and/or Housing and Residence life for additional information to support a request.

For students requesting a lottery exemption/waitlist priority, please complete the following steps:

1. Submit the Lottery Exemption/Waitlist Priority Application (via Knights Access)
2. Provide Documentation (if available)
   After submitting your online application, you will be invited to submit documentation via electronic upload. SAS provides an optional Provider Form for UCF Lottery Exemption & Waitlist Priority Request that students can have a qualified professional complete to support their accommodation request. Please note that you should not delay meeting with us if you are concerned about not having the right documentation. Each consultant will discuss specific third-party documentation needs during the Welcome Meeting and steps you can take after the meeting. Our priority is meeting with you, not reviewing the documentation. Insufficient documentation will not delay the initial meeting but may delay the consideration and possible approval of certain accommodations.
3. Check UCF Email and Follow the Prompts
   After you submit your application, you will immediately receive an automated email informing you that SAS will review your application. SAS will then contact you via UCF email within ten business days regarding your next step. For students with a UCF ID and UCF email address, SAS will only send email communications via the UCF email system. Sometimes a meeting is needed after the initial application review. For those requests that require a meeting, keep these tips in mind:

• • It may take a minimum of three weeks to schedule a meeting. Students new to UCF are strongly encouraged to request accommodations from SAS as early as possible prior to attending UCF.
  • During the meeting, an SAS staff member will talk with you about the challenges you experience in housing relative to your disability, reasonable accommodations to address the barriers within housing, and potential next steps and accommodation options. Our goal is to keep the meeting relaxed and comfortable.
  • It may take time after a meeting to finalize and facilitate accommodations. We often need to work with UCF Housing and Residence Life to facilitate housing accommodations which can take some time to coordinate.

Emotional Support Animal

Under the Fair Housing Act, students may request to have an Emotional Support Animal (ESA) in their living space. An ESA is an animal that an individual with a disability utilizes solely for emotional support, well-being, or comfort. Students are encouraged to review UCF’s Service Animal and Emotional Support Animal Policy to become familiar with UCF’s guidelines and expectations for those bringing ESAs to on campus housing.

Students may not bring the ESA to campus prior to approval from SAS & Housing and Residence Life. Doing so is a UCF policy violation.

When submitting a request for an ESA, please note that:

• In most cases, the student should have an established “relationship” with the requested ESA so that the student is familiar with the ESA-related disability benefits that the ESA provides and so that the student understands the care the animal will need while living in the residence hall.
• Only one animal will be approved as an ESA except in extenuating circumstances in which the need for more than one animal is clearly crucial for a student due to disability.
• Non-domesticated and Exotic Animals: Dogs and cats are the most frequently requested ESAs. Requests for other types of animals, particularly non-domesticated and exotic animals, will warrant a more in-depth assessment of the safety and well-being of our residential communities. Non-domesticated and exotic animals include reptiles (other than turtles), barnyard animals, monkeys, kangaroos, and other animals that are not considered common household animals. Requests will also be assessed relative to State of Florida regulations on keeping wildlife as pets. Students must provide strong supporting documentation that clearly describes why a typical household animal would not meet the student’s needs. Animal size, space needed for containment (such as a crate), daily animal care needed, behavioral temperament, and immediate and potential risks to the residential community are all considered before approval. These additional factors may supersede any medical recommendations for a non-domesticated or exotic animal ESA.

Preferred Deadline: Students should submit requests for ESAs in housing no later than:

• April 1st for Fall move in
• November 5th for Spring move in
• February 1st for Summer A/C/D move in
• March 1st for Summer B move in

Requests may take up to 8 weeks to fully review and implement, starting from the date the application is submitted. This timeframe does not include any time needed by the student to respond to inquiries from SAS and/or Housing and Residence life for additional information to support a request. Implementation may take longer for unique requests and depending on specific situations.

Approval for a student to bring an ESA to on-campus housing does not automatically grant permission for students to bring the ESA to any non-Housing spaces at UCF. Students seeking to bring their ESA to class or other non-housing UCF spaces should complete our Application for Academic Accommodations to request the presence of an ESA in the classroom. Bringing a housing-approved ESA to other locations on campus without SAS approval is a UCF policy violation.

For students requesting an ESA in housing, please complete the following steps:

1. Submit the Housing ESA Application (via Knights Access)
2. Provide Documentation (Required)
   After submitting your online application, you will be required to submit documentation via electronic upload.

• • Required: The Medical Provider Form for UCF Housing ESA Request completed by your healthcare provider OR all information requested in the form must be answered in a separate letter before SAS can make a final determination.
  • Required: Documentation with up-to-date vaccination information.
  • Potentially Required: For all requested animals who must be taken outside of a student’s assigned housing unit for natural relief (such as a dog), the UCF ESA Animal Behavioral Assessment Form OR all information requested in the form must be answered on separate paper before SAS can make a final determination. The behavioral assessment should be conducted by a veterinarian, animal trainer, or other animal expert and indicate that the particular animal requested is suitable for the high-density residence hall living environment where the student may have assigned roommates and where the animal will regularly be in close contact with other individuals unknown to the animal. Individualized Documentation: Documentation should be specific to you, your animal, your symptoms experienced due to disability, and how your specific animal mitigates those symptoms. Some websites sell certificates, registrations, and licensing documents for assistance animals to anyone who answers certain questions or participates in a short interview and pays a fee. Beware that these websites do not provide documentation that meets SAS requirements. Under the Fair Housing Act, SAS may request reliable documentation when an individual requesting a reasonable accommodation has a disability and disability-related need for an accommodation that is not obvious or otherwise known. Be sure to upload all required documentation before submitting your application. Failure to provide a required document will result in a denial of your request until you provide all required documentation. Furthermore, all ESA questions for students and medical providers must be sufficiently answered for applications to be considered complete. Incomplete responses to questions will lead to an automatic non-approval of the ESA request until sufficient information is provided for reconsideration.

3. Check UCF Email and Follow the Prompts
   After you submit your application, you will immediately receive an automated email informing you that SAS will review your application. SAS will then contact you via UCF email within ten business days regarding your next step. For students with a UCF email address, SAS will only send email communications via the UCF email system. ESA applications and subsequent SAS decisions are primarily managed through a document review. Individual meetings are less common, though SAS may follow-up by email with questions or initiate a meeting request.

Service Animal

Students can request to bring their service animal into their living space on campus. Service animals are dogs individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability. The work or tasks performed must be directly related to the individual’s disability. Students are encouraged to review UCF’s Service Animal and Emotional Support Animal Policy to become familiar with UCF’s guidelines and expectations for those bringing service animals to campus.

We recommend submitting these requests at least six weeks before a student intends to bring the service animal into UCF housing to give time for review.

For students requesting to bring their service animal into housing, please complete the following steps:

1. Submit the Housing Service Animal Application (via Knights Access)
   While documentation may be submitted, no documentation is required for students seeking to bring a service animal to campus. However, based on the information provided in the request form, SAS may have follow-up questions that must be answered before a final decision can be made.

2. Check UCF Email and Follow the Prompts
   After you submit your application, you will immediately receive an automated email informing you that SAS will review your application. SAS will then contact you via UCF email within ten business days regarding your next step. For students with a UCF email address, SAS will only send email communications via the UCF email system.