Use the navigational links to easily navigate to access sections of the guide. Think about how you want to live and use this guide to have honest roommate conversations about sleep schedules, cleaning, socializing and more. See "Let's discuss" segments for tips on conversation prompts and points. This guide can help set your Roommate Agreement, to ensure a positive, comfortable, respectful and inclusive residence-living experience for everyone.
Your guide to living in residence
Living in residence is an exciting step toward independence — a chance to meet people from different backgrounds and create a home on campus. This guide outlines what you need to know to live comfortably, safely, and respectfully in a shared environment. From shared‑living expectations to visitor guidelines and safety procedures, you’ll find practical tips to help you settle in, have fun, and stay focused on your studies.
How to use the shared living guide
Living with people you have just met
Safety and security
At the University of Ottawa, creating a safe living and learning environment is a shared responsibility. While we’re committed to safety, your awareness and actions play a big role too. Be sure to lock your doors and windows, protect your student ID and room keys, and avoid letting others follow you into the building (also known as tailgating). Remember: Your actions can affect the safety of your roommates and other residents as well.
Important security resources:
- uOttawa Protection Services : An on-campus team of professional security guards is available any time, day or night (24 hours a day / seven nights a week). For emergencies, call 613-562-5411. For non-emergencies, call 613-562-5499.
- Download the uOttawa SecurUO app on to your phone to receive emergency alerts, safety tips and useful tools.
- For roommate conflicts, contact your building peer support (PS)
- If your residence building includes Community Advisers, be sure to take note of their phone numbers
- For residence buildings with no live-in staff (e.g. Mann), complete the Incident, Concern and Support Form. Your building’s Residence Life lead co-ordinator or a member of the Residence Conduct Management Team will respond.
Let’s discuss:
- What’s the plan if you or your roommate(s) are accidentally locked out of your unit?
Here are two options:
- Call or text your roommate to let you back in. In residences equipped with security doors and a reception desk, you will have to check in with reception to confirm that you are a resident of the building before heading back to your room.
- Call 613-562-5885 (Housing Reception 24/7 line) to request a door unlocking. You will be asked security questions to confirm your identity. A fee to unlock the door may apply.
- Do you or any of your roommates have serious or life-threatening allergies or any specific needs that you feel comfortable sharing (e.g., religious, cultural, medical or accessibility requirements)?
- How do you and your roommate(s) want to handle guests?
Reminder: All residence guests (max 2 per resident) must be always registered using the online Guest Registry. It’s strictly prohibited — and a security risk — to lend your student ID or room keys to anyone.
- How would you bring up concerns if a guest makes you uncomfortable?
- When was the last time you checked in with your roommate(s)? How often should you check in with each other?
Cleaning
Keeping a shared space clean is everyone’s responsibility. Roommates should talk about their individual standards and agree on a cleaning schedule that feels fair to everyone. Once it’s created, post the schedule somewhere visible in your unit so everyone can refer to it easily.
Use this Cleaning Tasks Checklist and Schedule (Link)
Residence staff will inspect your unit at least once per term. If any extra cleaning or repairs are needed and it cannot be determined who is responsible — during inspections or when you move out — the cost will be split among all roommates.
Let’s discuss:
- What do you consider to be a “clean unit”? How does this differ from my roommates?
- How will you share tasks, such as vacuuming, waste sorting and disposal, and bathroom cleaning?
- How often do you expect these tasks to be completed?
- Do your cleaning expectations change during midterm or exam seasons?
- What will be your unit’s policy about dirty dishes?
- How will you communicate with each other when you are not satisfied with the level of cleanliness?
- Is it OK for guests to use any of my roommate’s belongings and, if so, which (be specific)?
Guests and visitors
Having guests visit your unit is a privilege that comes with responsibility. A guest is someone who does not live in your unit or your residence building.
Each resident can have up to two guests at a time (with noise remaining a limiting factor). If a guest stays overnight for more than three days in a row, or more than six days in one month (even if not in a row), they may be seen as “cohabiting.” This means living in the room or unit like a roommate but without signing the residence agreement contract or paying for the room — and that’s not allowed.
Note the following:
- Ensure all your roommates are comfortable with your guest’s visit.
- You must register your guest(s) using the residence guest sign-in form at all times.
- Remember that as host, you will be held responsible for the actions of your guests.
- You must ensure your guests are familiar with and adhere to the Residence Agreement, Code of Conduct, and Disciplinary Procedures.
- For the first three weeks of the term, no overnight guests are permitted in residence. Guests must leave by 12 a.m., even if they are signed in using the guest registry form.
Let’s discuss:
- How do we feel about overnight guests in our unit? How will we communicate when we intend to have overnight guests?
- Are there any times or situations when you’d prefer not to have guests who could be romantic or sexual partners in the unit? (e.g., after 11 p.m.)?
- How do we feel about guests who could be romantic or sexual partners using the bathroom in our unit?
- In alignment with Policy 67b — Prevention of Sexual Violence, what are our views on sexual activity (including masturbation) in the unit or apartment? Is sexual activity OK in shared common spaces within a unit (e.g., showers or living room areas of a residence unit or apartment)?
- How comfortable are we with social events being hosted in our unit?
- How much notice should each of us expect before a social event is hosted in our unit?
- Who handles cleaning in our unit after a social event?
Substance use - Alcohol, drugs and other
If you choose to drink, make sure it’s your own decision and that you’re with people you trust. In Ontario, the legal age to buy and drink alcohol is 19 years old — and you must also be 19 to consume alcohol in residence.
If drinking in designated common areas, use plastic or metal containers — glass is not allowed.
Practise safe consumption while drinking:
- Avoid drinking games or tools that encourage speed drinking (e.g., “beer pong”).
- Pace yourself (about one drink per hour is a good guideline).
- Have one glass of water each time in between drinks.
- Avoid mixing alcohol with other substances.
Drug and substance rules in residence:
- Selling or sharing illegal or controlled substances is not allowed.
- Smoking or burning anything — including tobacco, cannabis, incense, vapes and e-cigarettes — is prohibited indoors.
- Using residence appliances (e.g., stove or oven) or shared cooking appliances to make or create food containing illegal or controlled substances is prohibited (e.g., edibles).
- Smoking and vaping are only allowed outside, at least nine metres from any doors, windows or vents.
- Learn more about smoking and vaping rules on campus.
Let’s discuss:
How do we feel about alcohol or intoxication in the unit? Are there times, places or situations where we’d feel uncomfortable with it?
What’s helpful for your roommate(s) to know about your habits around drinking, smoking or other substances — especially so everyone can feel safe and respected in the space?
Cultural and religious topics
It can sometimes feel hard to talk about cultural practices and religion. However, for many people, their cultural practices and religion form a large part of their identity and how they live in the world. It’s important to make space for open and respectful conversations on this topic so everyone feels safe and seen.
Let’s discuss:
Are there any cultural or religious needs we should respect in the unit? (for example, views on drinking alcohol, having guests who could be sexual partners over, eating certain foods or doing certain activities at specific times)
If we disagree, how can we talk about our cultural or religious needs in a way that respects everyone’s rights and helps us live together peacefully?
Roommate Agreement
You must complete the mandatory Roommate Agreement (LINK) with everyone in your unit by September 10. You can also check in with your roommates throughout the year to update expectations in the agreement.
Resolving issues and conflicts
We encourage you and your roommate(s) to schedule a check-in every couple of weeks to talk about how things are going in your shared space. Even if there’s nothing urgent to discuss, it’s a good chance to connect and stay on the same page. Regular face-to-face conversations make it easier to address issues before they turn into bigger problems. Try not to use text, online or handwritten notes to communicate.
Let’s discuss:
- How are things going at school and in your personal lives?
- Are there any updates to names or pronouns
- What is going well in our unit?
- Are there any stressors that need to be addressed?
- How often do we want to review the roommate agreement? Minimum: September, January, May (if in 12-month lease building)? What dates and times work for us to chat?
- Are we comfortable communicating in person, via email or via a group chat?
- What are your preferred conflict resolution techniques?
- If there are issues or a conflict, how would you like this to be brought up with you?
Four JEDI tips for respectful conflict resolution
An approach, inspired by the University’s Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI), to address differences with empathy, accountability and a commitment to building inclusive spaces.
- Separate beliefs from behaviour: Focus on how to support someone’s practice in shared spaces, even if their belief system differs from yours. For example: “I don’t follow the same practice, but I want to make sure you have the space you need for prayer. Want to talk about what that looks like in our unit?”
- Centre impact over intent — especially when someone feels harmed: If someone expresses discomfort, it’s not a judgment of you — it’s a call to reflect. JEDI work invites us to look beyond what we meant and take responsibility for the impact of our words or actions. Stay curious, not confrontational. This means asking questions to learn, not to challenge. For example: “I didn’t realize that would be upsetting. I want to understand more about how what I said or did affected you.”
- Use compromise as a tool, not a win: Ask “What would a respectful middle ground look like for both of us?” The goal isn’t to “win” the conversation — it’s to find a solution that lets everyone feel seen, heard and respected.
- Remember: Rights and responsibilities go hand in hand: Everyone in the unit has the right to feel respected and included, and the shared responsibility to help make that possible. Creating a welcoming space takes mutual effort, even when beliefs or routines differ.
Formal Residence Life conflict resolution process
Firstly, refer to the terms of your Roommate Agreement.
If that doesn’t work, or you’re having trouble completing a Roommate Agreement, speak with your CA (community advisor), PS (peer support) or your building’s Residence Life co-ordinator (RLC). They listen, offer guidance, may help you and your roommates complete a Roommate Agreement, and can help mediation.
If there is no live-in student staff in your building (e.g., 45 Mann for 2025–26 academic year), complete the Incident, Concerns, and Support Form LINK and your building’s Residence Life Lead Coordinator or a member of the Residence Conduct Management team will respond.
Roommate mediation - How mediation works
Mediation is designed to be a peer-to-peer space, supported by trained Residence Life staff. Individual meetings are conducted with each roommate ahead of the mediation to allow everyone to explain their perspectives. Mediation gives roommates the opportunity to speak for themselves, hear each other out and work toward practical, respectful solutions together. Here’s how mediation works:
- All roommates must participate.
- A resident may prepare before a mediation session or a conversation with roommate(s), by speaking with a peer support, community adviser or a trusted person outside the situation (known as a third party). During mediation, however, they speak for themselves.
- To respect your privacy, Residence Life can’t share in-depth details about your situation with anyone else unless you give us permission. If you want us to speak with someone or give them information to help support you, please fill out the online Third-Party Authorization Form.
- Roommates must live with the arrangement outlined in the Roommate Agreement for a minimum of two weeks.
- After two weeks, any roommate can contact their CA, PS or RLC to report if the arrangement isn’t working.
Do and Don'ts of third parties in a roommate mediation
Do
- Help students reflect before the meeting (e.g., talking through what they want to say or what outcome they hope for)
- Encourage students to approach the conversation with openness and a willingness to find common ground
- Support students in processing the outcome and keeping boundaries after the meeting
Don’t
- Attend the mediation meeting unless they are directly involved (e.g., they’re another roommate)
- Speak on a student’s behalf or intervene in the process
- Attempt to act as an intermediary between a student and their roommate(s)
- Make assumptions or decisions based solely on one perspective
- When a parent or other third-party contacts or pressures a student directly, it can create a significant power imbalance and undermine the trust-building process.
Note: Room changes are based on availability and level of severity and are at the sole discretion of the Residence Life team. There is an admin fee for a room change. See the room change section on the housing website or the “Room Change & Assignment” section of the Residence Agreement for details.
