Housing FAQs

HMDS stands for Housing Management and Dining Services. The HMDS Office is located in the center of campus, in Sage Hall 138. The HMDS staff can assist students with license agreements, room assignments, keys, meal plans and points, and Mills ID cards. For assistance call 510.430.2127 or email housing@mills.edu.

As part of our efforts to be sustainable, Mills has gone paperless with its residence application. The online housing application and information about the application process can be found on our applying for on-campus housing page. If you are unable to access a computer and need to fill out a paper application, please contact HMDS and we will mail one to you.

All undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in a minimum course load of one credit are eligible for campus housing (unless housing privileges are revoked due to policy violations). See the Eligibility for Campus Housing section of the Mills College Student Handbook for details.

All first-year students who are traditional-aged (17–19 years old) and are attending college for the first time live together in our first-year wing in Warren Olney Hall. Trained student staff and intentional programming are highlights of this experience. First-year students with families may apply for the Underwood Apartments (PDF).

Transfer students may request an assignment in any building except our first-year residence halls. You could live in some wings in Warren Olney Hall, Ethel Moore Hall, or in any of the specialty living areas such as the Prospect Hill Apartments. New students should be aware that continuing students have priority in room selection during our room draw process, held each spring semester to determine fall semester occupancy. Transfer students with families may apply for the Underwood Apartments (PDF).

Graduate women have the option of living in Warren Olney Hall, Ethel Moore Hall, and the Courtyard Townhouses. Graduate men may live in the Courtyard Townhouses. Graduate students with families may apply for the Underwood Apartments (PDF).

The Underwood Apartments are our on-campus housing option for students with families. Each apartment has two bedrooms, one bathroom, a living room, and an eat-in kitchen. The apartments house up to four individuals; there can be two adults and two children, or one adult and three or fewer children. You can apply via the Underwood Apartments Waiting List Application.

Mills offers both single and some double rooms. Some rooms are “porch rooms,” in which a porch is shared by students in one double or two single rooms. We have limited doubles on campus.

One of the special features about the residences at Mills is that each room is unique. These are not cookie-cutter halls with identical rooms; each one is slightly different. All rooms (with the exception of the Underwood Apartments, which are unfurnished) have a standard twin bed, desk, chair, small bookshelf, and dresser. In contrast to many other college housing facilities, Mills housing is spacious and charming. Check out our residential options web page for descriptions and pictures of our residential spaces.

In all cases, assignments for new students are made on a first-received, first-assigned basis. Each student’s preferences are considered based on room availability at the time the residence application. 

New students entering Mills in the fall who have submitted their residence application and housing fee before the priority housing deadline of June 1 are notified of their housing assignments by June 15. Applicants who apply after the priority housing deadline are notified as assignments are made. New students entering in the spring receive their assignments upon arrival in January.

A one-time application fee of $250 is required before the housing application can be accessed. The application fees will not need to be resubmitted by students who reapply for on-campus housing in the future, but the housing application fee is non-refundable. Application fees can be paid as the first step of the online housing application (accessed through the Mills Resource Portal) or by cash, check, Visa, or MasterCard through the HMDS Office (by visiting Sage Hall 138 or calling 510.430.2127).

The move-in date depends on whether a student is new or continuing and is usually one to five days before classes start each semester. The move-out date is the day after the last scheduled final exam of the semester, unless otherwise indicated in section E. of the License Agreement for On-Campus Housing: Terms and Conditions, found in the Mills College Student Handbook (PDF). You can also see the Mills Academic Calendar for quick reference dates.

All residence hall occupants are required to leave when the residence halls close during the winter break, but students returning for the spring semester do not need to remove their belongings from their rooms. Students may stay in the residence halls during the Thanksgiving and spring break periods.

Ross House, Larsen House Co-op, Prospect Hill, the Courtyard Townhouses, and the Underwood Apartments are open during the winter break. Underwood Apartments (family housing) are also open during the summer, as are some of the apartments at the Courtyard Townhouses.

Winter break housing may be available for a few days or the entire break period. There are additional charges for room and board during this period. Space is limited, and students do not live in their normal rooms. Those interested should call 510.430.2127 or email housing@mills.edu for details.

There is no curfew. Outer doors to residential spaces are always locked and each resident has their own key and/or keycard to the building.

A Mills ID is issued to each Mills student after account clearance and arrival on campus during Orientation. Students are encouraged to email ID photos (in a .jpg format) to housing@mills.edu by July 31 for the fall semester or by the end of the first week of January for the spring semester. If you want your preferred name on your ID card, you must make sure your preferred name is registered with the Registrar's Office before the above deadlines. By sending your image in advance, you will avoid waiting in line to have your picture taken during Orientation. 

When emailing a photo for your ID card, please keep in mind:

• The photo must be a close-up with your face and neck clearly visible.
• We need to be able to crop the photo to fit the required area (from the top of your head to the bottom of your neck) inside a square. Taking the photo in a square or landscape format is recommended
• No hats or sunglasses (religious headwear is allowed).
• No digital filters that alter the color and/or add in digital imagery
• This image will be the first impression many Mills employees (professors, Public Safety officers, etc.) will have of you; please select it accordingly.

The Mills ID card is also a keycard which lets you in to certain buildings on campus, and a meal card and points plan card, if applicable. This card is valid for a student’s entire stay at Mills College and must be presented at the HMDS Office each semester for an updated validation sticker. A meal card without a current validation sticker will not be accepted in the dining hall or by other departments on campus. Each student with a meal plan must present a Mills ID card to the cashier before entering the dining hall. A Mills ID card is for the exclusive use of the student to whom it is issued. Misuse of the Mills ID card may result in a fine of $20. A replacement fee of $20 will be charged for lost or damaged cards.

Items to bring:

• Sheets (beds are standard twin size, not ;extra-long twin)
• Mattress pad (mattresses have plastic covers for hygienic purposes, and are more comfortable with a mattress pad)
• Pillows
• Towels
• Alarm clock
• Bathrobe and slippers
• Hangers
• Iron
• Cleaning supplies such as: disinfectant wipe and solutions, a broom, a dust pan, a vacuum cleaner, a Swiffer-style mop, cleaning cloths, disinfectant wipes, and cleaning solutions
• Shower flip-flops
• Shower caddie for toiletries
• Desk lamp
• Laundry basket or bag
• Liquid laundry detergent (our laundry vendor reports that powdered detergent tends to generate too many suds in our high-efficiency washers)
• Electrical surge protector
• Coffee maker and/or electric kettle (no exposed heating coils, please)
• Mini-fridge (shared refrigerators are provided in the common areas, but some students wish to bring their own; fridges must be under 4.5 cubic feet in size, and the use of Energy Star appliances is strongly ;encouraged)
• Portable music device
• Digital converter box for personal television, if analog format (cable television is provided in recreation rooms, but not in individual student rooms)
• Flashlight, batteries, bottled water, and other personal safety supplies (also see First Aid items, below)

In light of COVID-19, please be sure to also bring the following items:

• Cleaning supplies (e.g., disinfectant spray or wipes, window cleaner)
• Washable face coverings
• Hand soap/sanitizer
• Facial tissues
• Non-perishable foods for your room
• Bottled water

First Aid items to bring:

• Bee sting medicine
• Medication for allergies and bites
• Instant hot and cold packs
• Bandages (in several sizes)
• Bandage wraps
• Pain relievers
• Something for an upset stomach
• Sterile cleansing wipes
• Tweezers
• First aid ointment
• Trash bags
• Toilet paper/Paper towels
• Thermometer
• Personal hygiene products
• Utensils
• Medical information (i.e., insurance information)
• COVID-19 Go Bag
  • Medicine box
  • Thermometer
  • Face coverings
  • Clothes
  • Extra phone charger
  • Water bottle
  • Hand sanitizer

Prohibited items or items not needed:

• Quarters for laundry (usage of laundry machines is included in housing fees)
• Laundry detergent sheets (they clog the pumps in the washing machines; dryer sheets are OK)
• Personal wireless access points/bridges (these conflict with the wireless network)
• Microwave oven
• Mini dishwashers
• Toaster
• Hot plate or other cooking appliances (student-provided cooking appliances are only permitted in the kitchens of independent living facilities)
• Candles
• Incense
• Halogen lighting
• Pets (other than fish in a 10-gallon or smaller tank)

All mattresses are standard twin size. There is no need to purchase extra-long sheets.

You can use push pins, small picture hangers, and painter’s tape or drafting tape. Products that leave adhesive damage or stains on paint, ceilings, walls, floors, doors, windows, or Mills College furniture—such as command hooks, glow-in-the-dark stars, adhesive liners or stickers, and adhesive putty—may not be used. Excessive use of pins is forbidden, as is use of screws and large nails. Bulletin boards should be hung to display small items. No wall-hangings or fabric are permitted on the ceiling or over plugs, lights, doorways, or heaters, for safety reasons.

The Office of Residential Life and/or HMDS staff may conduct a walk-through of any residential space with 48 hours' advance notice, to look for health and safety hazards, policy violations, and maintenance concerns. Walk-throughs of the entire independent living community (apartments, townhouses, and houses) will be conducted once per semester with 48 hours' advance notice. During inspections, staff will be looking at the cleanliness of kitchens and bathrooms including stoves, floors, and tubs, and will check each individual bedroom. After closing the traditional residence halls for winter break, staff will walk through all of the traditional halls to assess the safety and security of the building.

For information on forbidden items and potential policy violations, please see "What are some suggested items I can bring (and not bring) to Mills?" and the Mills College Student Handbook (PDF). In preparation for health and safety checks, students should also be sure that their living spaces are clean.

Mills College is a tobacco and smoke-free campus. The use of any tobacco, marijuana, or other smoke producing products (including, but not limited to, cigarettes, cigars, pipes, water pipes, vapes, electronic cigarettes, chewing tobacco, snuff, dissolvable tobacco products, and medical marijuana) is not allowed anywhere on the Mills campus including inside buildings, outside, or in a vehicle on the premises. See the Smoking Policy and Alcohol and Drug Policies sections of the Mills College Student Handbook (PDF) for details.

Yes. All faculty, staff, and students must have a parking permit to park on campus. Students can register their vehicles in the Mills Resource Portal and pick up permits in the Public Safety Office with proof of vehicle registration. Parking permits can be purchased from the Public Safety Office at CPM 113. The permit is valid for the entire academic year.

Each Mills residential student receives a Personal Mailbox (PMB) for the duration of her/his residence agreement. Students will register for a PMB with the Mail and Copy Center on campus at Adams Plaza. Mail should be addressed as follows:

[Your Name]
PMB [Your Personal Mailbox Number]
5000 MacArthur Boulevard
Oakland, CA 94613

Beginning three weeks in advance of your scheduled move-in date, you may send no more than five packages that do not exceed 50 pounds each to the following address:

[Your Name]
[Your Building Name and Room Number]
5000 MacArthur Boulevard
Oakland, CA 94613

After move-in, packages should be sent to your personal mailbox (see "Where will my mail be delivered?" above).

Pets or other animals, other than emotional support animals and service animals, are not permitted in or around the residence halls, Underwood Apartments, Prospect Hill Apartments, Courtyard Townhouses, Larsen House, or Ross House, with the exception of fish in a 10-gallon or smaller aquarium. See the Animal Policy section of the Mills College Student Handbook (PDF) for details.

Animals required as aides for students with disabilities must be registered with Student Access and Support Services (SASS) and the Department of Public Safety (DPS). DPS requires all canines on campus to have a current city canine license. The city license and all information regarding vaccinations must be presented to DPS for a Mills College canine license to be issued to the canine owner. Questions regarding service animals should be addressed to Student Access and Support Services at 510.430.2130. More information can be found on the Student Access and Support Services web pages.

Our guestroom housing will be mostly offline for fall 2021 and spring 2022. If you have a question regarding our on-campus guestrooms please feel free to contact us at guestroom@mills.edu. 

Lynn Townsend White Hall is our gender-fluid location; the bathroom setups there are single use and have gender-inclusive signage. In all other halls, they are multi-stalled bathrooms that are gender inclusive. The signs look like this.

Select wireless devices are permitted for use on campus. Certain wireless devices that are allowed but are not compatible with our network authentication method will need to be registered before they can authenticate and connect. Visit the Mills intranet for information about allowed network devices or to register your device(s).

Yes, please see the Mills College Student Handbook (PDF) for Mills College's policy regarding liability for loss.

Liability for Loss—Mills College assumes no responsibility, and does not provide insurance or any other financial protection, for residents, family member occupants, their guests, or their respective property. Residents are advised to obtain their own insurance protection against loss, theft, or damage of personal property (such as computers, stereos, cell phones, jewelry, cameras, etc.).

If you have a concern related to laundry machines, plumbing, door or window issues or general maintenance or safety concerns within your residential community/ room please fill out a Service Request to have the issue addressed as soon as possible. Our campus facilities team is a group of highly trained and knowledgeable staff who will be dispatched to address your concern once the issue has been reported through the service request system. Submitting a service request gives permission to the attending staff member to enter your residence to assess and address your concern.