Housing FAQs

Cal Maritime has five residence halls that you may reside in. All incoming students will live either in Upper Residence Hall (URH) or McAllister (MRH) with their divisions. All incoming students are placed in spaces on a first come, first served basis, while keeping specific needs in mind. 

Returning students will live in McAllister, Maritime North (MN), and Lower Residence Hall (LRH).

All students should plan on having a roommate. Throughout the processes of room changes and consolidation, some rooms may become available for single room occupancy. More information on single rooms can be found here.

Housing assignments are made approximately one month before the start of school. Residence Life will inform all students of their room assignment, roommate, and check in information through their CSUM email (@csum.edu). 

Check-in for returning students is the weekend before classes begin. For incoming students, they will receive their room assignment and specific check in appointment time via their CSUM email. Checking in to your residence hall will occur at the beginning of Orientation Week.

Check-out occurs during Finals Week in December and May. In most cases, all students are expected to check out during these periods. 

The residence halls are closed during Winter Break and all of summer. In most cases, Winter Break housing will be offered (at an additional daily rate, by application only) to residents needing to stay. Residence Life will provide more information on break housing each November. 

Students are not allowed to stay on campus during the summer as the residence halls are used for various summer camps and conferences. 

Yes - residential students must follow all rules and regulations outlined in the Residence Life Policies, Student Handbook, University Policies, as well as state and federal laws. 

Every room comes furnished with a bed, desk, desk chair, and dresser per occupant. Each residence halls has a different layout, so please plan accordingly. More information on residence halls can be found here. Any furniture you choose to bring should be considered with the limited space as you may not remove any university-issued furniture from your room. 

Students are encouraged to decorate and personalize their rooms within guidelines set by Residence Life. As with most rented living spaces, it is expected that any decorations used will not damage the room or furniture, nor interfere with fire safety systems. Students should check with their RA or Residence Life Coordinators for any decoration concerns. Students are not allowed to paint their rooms. Any damages to your room and furnishings that your personalization creates will be charged to your student account. 

In general, you are encouraged to bring items that will help you settle into your room. Freshmen students will be provided with their roommate's name and are encouraged to communicate with one another about items that each roommate will contribute to the living environment. This will eliminate duplication of large items that may take up an excess of space (stereos, televisions, etc.).

Items that are not allowed in student's rooms include but are not limited to: air conditioners, space heaters, hot plates, immersion heaters microwaves, hoverboards, halogen lamps, open-coil appliances.

In general, any appliance that has an exposed heating surface or draws a large amount of energy is not permitted. Use of all other appliances; popcorn poppers, hot pots, curling irons, coffee pots, etc. must be used in a safe manner so as not to cause a health or fire hazard.

Other items prohibited from the residence halls include weapons, drugs, alcohol, and pets. A full guideline of what to bring and not bring can be found in the Residence Life Handbook.  

At the start of each semester, there is a window for open room transfers where requests are accepted during the room consolidation period. After the room consolidation / open room transfer period is complete, any requests for a room change will be reviewed by Residence Life and subject to availability.

Should the room change request occur due to roommate conflicts, residents must address the conflict with your roommate directly. If issues continue, your RAwill conduct a roommate mediation and complete a Roommate Agreement between you and your roommate. If either roommate is not adhering to the Roommate Agreement, then notify your RA who will determine best course of action (either to amend the agreement or potential escalate to Professional Staff).

Invited guests may visit in your room at times mutually acceptable to you and your roommate, as long as they follow the guest policy for the building. Guests may stay overnight in student rooms (not to exceed 3 days) if the host resident's roommate gives permission. Residents are responsible for the behavior of their guests.

WiFi is available in all residence halls, and follow the same protocols as the campus internet. Your CSUM credentials will be your login and password. 

Card operated washers and dryers are available in all residence halls. You may use your debit or credit card with these machines.