Employee Housing
At University of Idaho (U of I), Housing and Residence Life (HRL), a division of Auxiliary Services and DFA, is committed to supporting the academic and personal growth of our students, with a particular focus on accommodating all first-year students as per the university’s live-on requirement. This commitment to our students takes precedence, especially as ongoing remodeling of residence halls has temporarily reduced our housing capacity. We recognize the challenges this may pose to employees seeking on-campus housing in Moscow and strive to balance firm policy enforcement with understanding and support for our employees’ housing needs.
Eligibility
- Employee Definition: Employees eligible for housing are those with a board-appointed or permanent appointment classified as exempt or non-exempt under the Faculty Staff Handbook, Section 3080.
- Ineligibility: Temporary, part-time employees working less than 50% of full-time and student positions do not qualify for employee housing.
Policies for Employees Housing
Employees are not eligible for traditional residence halls, such as Wallace and the Tower. Eligible employees may apply for housing in our South Hill Vista apartments on a space-available basis after student housing needs are met.
- Duration of Stay: Employees can reside in on-campus apartments for a maximum of two years. An employee may renew their apartment license once, allowing for a total occupancy of 24 months.
- Rent: Employees will pay the market rate for rent, which is higher than the student rate listed on our website. The student rate is subsidized by the overall housing program and is unavailable to employees. Employees who are also full-time students are subject to the market rate.
Housing Availability and Priority
- Securing Housing for First-Year Students: Our primary commitment is to house all first-year students in accordance with the university’s first-year live-on requirement.
- Allocation of Remaining Spaces: Once housing is secured for all first-year students, any remaining spaces are allocated according to the following priority:
- Full-time students with dependents
- Graduate and law students
- Post-Doctoral fellows
- Full-time undergraduate students, prioritized by class standing: seniors, juniors, then sophomores
- Full-time employees
Application Process
- How to Apply: Interested employees should contact apartments@uidaho.edu for more information and access to the online application.
- Application Opening Dates: For the 2025-2026 term, applications will open on May 1, 2025. Employee applications are processed after all student housing needs are met.
- Short-term, Transition Housing: Available for up to 12 weeks at our North Campus Community. This option provides studio/efficiency accommodations on a space-available basis. Interested employees should contact housing@uidaho.edu for more information on rates and availability.
Frequently Asked Questions About Faculty and Staff Housing
Our apartment communities are primarily for students. The U of I lacks purpose-built housing for employees. When available, we can offer housing to employees, but we aim to return these units to students as quickly as possible. Employees may renew their apartment license once for a total occupancy of two years. This policy applies to the entire apartment regardless of the student status of other members. Employees cannot transfer their apartment license to a family member who is a student.
No. If a full-time employee occupies the apartment, the market rate must be applied.
The cost for on-campus apartments is subsidized for students by the entire housing program. State law and IRS code prevent offering below-market rental rates to employees without reporting it as a taxable benefit. To avoid additional administrative reporting and tax withholding, any apartment housing a full-time, board-appointed employee must charge market rate rent.
Housing and Residence Life provides short-term, transition housing at our North Campus Community, a hotel converted into a residence hall for overflow housing. This option offers studio/efficiency rooms and is available on a space-available basis for up to 12 weeks. For more information on rates and availability, contact housing@uidaho.edu.
The area offers a variety of housing options including apartments, condos and houses tailored to university professionals. Options range from furnished to unfurnished units, with various amenities. For more details, visit the university’s off-campus housing page, rentalsearch.uidaho.edu.
To apply, email apartments@uidaho.edu with your first and last name, gender, birthdate, Vandal ID number, U of I department and U of I email address. We will create an account and provide further instructions.
Applications open on May 1, 2025. Employee housing applications are considered after meeting the housing needs of all eligible students.
Yes, but only if you are no longer employed by University of Idaho. If you cease employment and transition solely to a full-time student status, you may qualify for the student rate and the employee two-year limit will no longer apply. However, if you continue to work as an employee at the university while studying full-time, the market rate and the two-year occupancy limit under the employee housing policy will remain in effect.
The market rate is set by assessing comparable rental rates for similar apartment units in the Moscow area, ensuring the rate reflects the current local housing market. This rate is communicated to all employees residing in the on-campus apartments and included in the application.