Frequently asked questions

Summer residence at Chestnut runs from May 5 – August 17 2024.

1. If you are applying through Starportal

Students may apply for a full summer stay (4 months) or a monthly stay which is defined as a minimum 30-day booking. Student rates will apply.

2. If you are booking a room through an external website or through the Front Desk

You may book a room at Chestnut for any length of time during the summer session. Student rates will not apply. Regular Public Guest/Nightly stays and rate information is outlined on our Stay At UofT summer accommodations website.

Summer offers are typically sent in early to mid-March. If you meet our eligibility requirements and space permits, you will be contacted by email with an offer

1. If you applied through Starportal and you are a U of T student

Your first payment must be submitted through the application on Moneris. Once this payment is completed it unlocks the remaining sections of your application. You will pay the remaining balance through your ACORN account.

2. If you applied through Starportal and you are NOT a U of T student

Your first payment must be submitted through the application on Moneris. Payment for the remaining balance of fees can be made through the Account section of your StarRez portal, located under the hamburger menu at the top left.

The menus for the Chestnut Dining Hall (Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner) can be viewed on the University of Toronto Food Services website.

No. Your residence dining dollars can be used as follows:

• Purchase food + beverage items at the New College Dining Hall and/or Chestnut Dining Hall (tax exempt*).
• Purchase food + beverage items at selected retail outlets across campus that are operated by Food Services (tax exempt*)

*Only items prepared by Food Services will be tax exempt. For example, a pre-packaged product such as a bag of chips would not be tax exempt, but a sandwich and beverage prepared on campus using raw ingredients would be tax exempt.

Residents who determine that a different plan would better suit their needs will have up to 12:00 pm on September 12, 2024, to request an Access Meal Plan change. All approved changes will be effective September 15, 2024. Access Meal Plan change requests received after 12:00 pm, September 12, 2024, will not be processed. Chestnut Residence Access Meal Plan Terms and Conditions – 2024/2025 remain in full effect for all Access Meal Plan changes. Retroactive changes not permitted.
Plan holders who determine they need additional residence dining dollars during the academic year can add funds to their account – referred to as a “top-up”. Additional Dining Dollars can be purchased using E Accounts. Additional Dining Dollars are subject to the Terms and Conditions.

You can purchase food and beverage items at the New College Dining Hall and Chestnut Dining Hall. Your Access Plan will give you access to the Chestnut Dining Hall, while your Dining Dollars can be used at New College Dining Hall and other retail locations. Here, items prepared by Food Services are tax exempt (for example, a pre-packaged product such as a bag of chips would not be tax exempt, but a sandwich and beverage prepared on campus using raw ingredients would be tax exempt.)
You can also use your meal plan to purchase food and beverage items at selected retail outlets across campus that are operated by Food Services.

Meal plans are mandatory.  

Chestnut Residence does not have cooking facilities for residents so all food is served out of the residence dining hall. Don’t worry, the food is delicious!

The menus for the Chestnut Dining Hall (Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner) can be viewed on the University of Toronto Food Services website.

Meal plan and dining hall information is outlined at the Chestnut Dining Hall page.

You are also encouraged to visit the University of Toronto Food Services website.

Over the years we have accommodated many students with specific dietary needs who live in residence and dine with us multiple times a day.
If you wish to meet to discuss allergens/intolerances and/or dietary restrictions due to medical conditions, we ask that you fill out and submit the Allergen/Dietary Form on the Food Services website.

Yes! Balances of Dining Dollars may be topped up during the academic year using E Accounts.

For full details on refunds, please see the Food Services Meal Plan Terms and Conditions posted to the Chestnut Dining Hall page.

Please use this form to contact the Food Services team.

For those who are experiencing circumstances that are unavoidable and are requesting to arrive early, please refer to our Early Arrival section for more details.

Please see your Occupancy Agreement posted to our Residents Agreement section for the date by which you must take possession of and occupy your room. If you fail to do so, and we have not heard from you, it will be assumed you are no longer coming and your spot may be offered to another student.

If you are experiencing circumstances that are unavoidable and are requesting special consideration to arrive late, please contact the Residence Life Office at: chestnut.residence@utoronto.ca as soon as possible, outlining the details of your situation.

Deposits #1 and #2 will be paid through the StarRez Portal via Moneris. You will be prompted to pay the deposits as you complete the application.

After selecting a room, your fees will be posted to ACORN, and you will make the final two instalment payments there. For more information about payment options, please review the University of Toronto Student Accounts website.

Deposits are to be paid while completing the application on the StarRez Portal, before the fees have been posted to ACORN.

Residence fees for upper year students will be posted to ACORN mid-July to early August.

For first year students, after July 14, when both you and your roommate have paid the second deposit, you will receive an email allowing you to select your room on the StarRez Portal. Your fees will be posted to ACORN mid-to-late-August.

Both Instalment #1 and Instalment #2 can be paid through ACORN as soon as your fees are posted.

Please refer to the Fees Schedule for applicable deadlines.

For Instalment #1 and #2, it takes about 5-7 business days for payments to post to ACORN, so be sure to pay 5-10 days before the due dates. International payments may take more time.

Outstanding charges on your account from prior sessions are subject to a service charge as of the 15th of every month until paid in full

If not paid in full, any outstanding account balance is subject to a monthly service charge of 1.5% compounded (19.56% per annum); please refer to the University of Toronto Student Accounts website for rate changes

Yes, you can make both payment installments at the same time.

ACORN takes all payments and automatically allocates them to the oldest charge

As long as your ACORN account has a payment in the amount of the first installment we count it as paid, even if the payment was not allocated to your Chestnut charges

Residence fees cannot be deferred (like tuition fees).

Please note as well that OSAP funding has not typically been able to cover the full costs of both tuition and residence fees. As such, you’ll want to ensure you plan accordingly and we suggest first connecting with your Registrar’s office to determine what options may available to you in terms of financial aid (grants, bursaries, etc.).

Under the Income Tax Act, universities are exempt from paying municipal property taxes. As such, Residence fees cannot be claimed as rent for income tax purposes.

The Ontario Income Tax Act stipulates that all students living in designated university (tax-exempted) student residences are limited to an Ontario Energy and Property Tax Credit claim based on an occupancy cost of $25 for the time they resided in the student residence. Therefore, the amount that can be claimed for income tax purposes is $25 and not the full amount of residence fees paid. On Line 6114 (Student Residences) of your income tax return, tick the box to claim $25 as your occupancy cost for the part of the year you lived in residence.

For more information, please visit the Ontario Ministry of Finance website.

Chestnut residence has a guest policy, as outlined in the Community Standards.
All guests must be signed in at the Front Desk by producing government issued photo ID and receiving a Guest Pass
A guest pass must be carried at all times and is dated and expires at noon the following day
A resident must accompany his/her guest(s) at all times and take full responsibility for the conduct of his/her guest(s) on the premises.

A student may host a maximum of 4 guests at a time.

Arrangements for a guest to remain overnight may be made providing prior agreement is reached with your roommate.
No guest may stay in the residence for more than three consecutive nights and for no more than a total of ten (10) nights during the Occupancy Period.
Any questions or concerns regarding overnight guests can be directed to your Don.

You can find out more details by reviewing the Chestnut Community Standards

1st year students are only offered double rooms unless there is a documented medical or accessibility need for a single room.

Once you have been accepted to residence, we encourage you to search for a roommate throughout the summer. You are able to message people through StarPortal.

It’s highly recommended that you pick your own roommate. If you choose not to, we’ll select one for you based on the students that are left. You will NOT lose your room though! We will have a place for you.

All students are marked room assigned; this simply indicates that they are in the residence database.
They have not been assigned roommates yet, and you are free to request them.

Absolutely, if you are both accepted to Chestnut Residence and follow all the application steps by the deadlines, you will be able to request each other on StarPortal roommate module.

It will make it easier if you know each other’s student number, in order to search for each other and select the correct profile.

In any given year, there are approx. 800 students living in double rooms with a roommate, so we have an established procedure for dealing with roommate conflicts:

First: roommates are required to fill out a Roommate Communication Plan facilitated by the Don at the beginning of the year. The purpose of this plan is to create agreements around living habits, such as noise and light levels, cleanliness, sharing of spaces and things, and general routines. The plan also outlines how roommates will communicate with one another when they have disagreements around the established agreement.

Second: If a conflict arises, the roommates speak with each other using the guidelines set out in the communication plan. It is important that roommates are open and honest with one another and are willing to communicate effectively about their concerns. Both students have an equal right to use the space and to have their needs met, so they need to acknowledge that both of them should be willing to compromise on certain things.

Third: If the conflict continues, the roommates meet with the floor Don to discuss strategies to resolve the conflict. The Don can support them in revisiting the communication plan and making amendments where necessary.

Fourth: the Don facilitates a mediation between the two roommates where they have the opportunity to discuss their grievances and create a new agreement. The Don would follow up on this agreement to insure that it is being followed.

Finally, if the conflict persists and all of the outlined steps have been followed, the roommates may meet with the Residence Life Coordinator.

Please note: Roommate switches are rare and are a last resort and often not feasible as the residence is fully booked

If you are a 1st year student, the room/floor is picked after you have matched with a roommate and both you and your roommate have paid the 1st installment of fees.

To assist in your decision, you are encouraged to read more about our Floor Communities & Student Rooms.

Once you have selected a room, you cannot make changes. Please make your room selection carefully. You can view the Chestnut floor plan and details on our various communities on our Floor Communities & Student Rooms page.

Double Rooms

Double rooms are occupied by 2 roommates and are approximately 350 sq. ft.

All double rooms include:

• Ensuite bathroom
• 1 Double sized bed per student
• 1 Pillow per bed
• 1 Desk and Desk Chair per student
• 1 Dresser
• 1 Armoire
• 1 Closet
• Curtains for the room
• Shower curtain in the bathroom
• Waste and Recycling Bins
• Smoke Detector & battery

Single Rooms

Single rooms accommodate 1 student only and are approximately 320 sq. ft.

All single rooms include:

• Ensuite private bathroom
• 1 Double sized bed
• 1 Pillow per bed
• 1 Desk and Desk Chair
• 1 Dresser
• 1 Closet
• Curtains for the room
• Shower curtain in the bathroom
• Waste and Recycling Bins
• Smoke Detector & battery

Although most floors are co-ed, all rooms are single gender.

• 1 Double size bed per student
• 1 Pillow per bed
• 1 Desk per student
• Waste & recycle bins
• 1 Chair per student
• Smoke detector & battery
• 1 Dresser per room
• Shower curtain
• Curtains
• 1 armoire in double rooms
• 1 Closet per room

Students are not permitted to bring extra furniture into their rooms.

Students are also not permitted to remove any furniture from rooms.

Chestnut does not provide cooking facilities either in student rooms or on student floors.

You may bring a mini-fridge for your room (max. 1 metre in height).

No cooking appliances are allowed. This includes: microwave, hotplates, tea kettles, coffee makers

If you are experiencing a maintenance related issue within your room, or in a public space you can submit a Maintenance Request through the StarRez Portal.

For an immediate maintenance emergency (Ex. flooding, loss of heat, or electrical power) students can contact the front desk in order to request service.

Front Desk 416.977.0707, Extension 0

If Front Desk is closed, please contact Security 416.585.3155

Each room is equipped with its own unit so that you can control the heating in winter and cooling in summer.

• Quiet hours are in place to ensure a peaceful environment for all students to sleep and study.
• Quiet hours are in effect: Sunday to Thursday from 11:00 PM to  8:00 AM, and Friday to Saturday from 2:00 AM to 8:00 AM.
• Excessive noise at any time of day is not permitted; please be respectful and courteous of your neighbors.
• You can find out more information by reviewing the Chestnut Community Standards.

Parties are not allowed in residence.

A party includes any combination of 2 of the following 3 criteria: i) 8 or more individuals in one room ii) the presence of alcohol iii) noise.

You can find out more information by reviewing the Chestnut Community Standards.

Chestnut Residence is a smoke-free environment.

If you choose to smoke, you will have to go outside and be at least 9 meters away from the entrance of the building.

You are unable to smoke under the driveway canopy.

This includes but is not limited to smoking cigarettes, hookahs, vaporizers and e-cigarettes.
You can find out more details by information the Chestnut Community Standards.

Security in residence is important to the community. If you get locked out of your room; you will need to speak with the Front Desk (or Security desk after hours) in order to regain access to your room.

Frequent lockouts are considered to be disruptive behaviour. For 6 to 9 lockouts, you will be charged $20.00 per lockout and on the 10th and any subsequent lockout, you will be charged $30.00 per lockout. Please double check that you always have your keycard.

You can find out more details by reviewing the Chestnut Community Standards.

Chestnut Residence is a community of over 1100 students, and therefore some level of noise is to be expected.

Residents are asked to refrain from making excessive noise at any time of the day including during quiet hours.
Quiet hours are in effect: Sunday to Thursday from 11:00 PM to  8:00 AM, and Friday to Saturday from 2:00 AM to 8:00 AM. During exam periods, 23 Hour Quiet Hours are in place (relaxed between 5:00 PM and 6:00 PM); You can find out more details by reviewing the Chestnut Community Standards.

The Study Commons (located on the 28th floor) offers quiet 24-hour study space to students.

Residents are encouraged to purchase ear plugs to ensure silence when sleeping or studying.

Residents should speak with their Don if a neighbour is making excessive noise

Community safety is the shared commitment and responsibility of all staff and students at Chestnut Residence. The following systems are in place to keep our residence as safe as possible:

Security Personnel

Two security guards are on duty 24/7
You can contact security anytime at 416.585.3155
You can always find at least 1 security guard at the kiosk in the lobby of Chestnut
Security guards patrol common areas, floors, and the exterior of the building
Residents are asked to show their room key each time they pass security in the lobby

Don on Duty

You can connect with the Don-on-Duty (DOD)
Current residents can find the Don-on-Duty phone number posted on their floor, or ask your don!
There are 2 Dons on duty each night from 8am – 8pm
DOD’s do rounds of the building to ensure quiet hours are respected
DOD’s wear red vests to be easily visible to residents
DOD’s carry a cell phone and respond to student emergencies and concerns

Campus Safety Walk Services

Download the University of Toronto Safety App. You can conveniently request a Virtual Walk escort or a Friend Walk along with many other resources and features.

The wireless U of T network is available throughout the building including common areas and student rooms
There are DSL modems and Ethernet cords available at the Front Desk if you wish to have a hard line connection
ResNet Helpline assists with any IT questions – you can contact them at 416.585.3182, or at resnet.chestnut@utoronto.ca

You can also speak to ResNet Staff on the main floor, next to the Front Desk, during posted hours.

• Your Internet Access
  • Get your computer ready for Chestnut
  • UofT Bandwidth Usage Classification History List
  • UofT Network IP Address Blocked List (wired connections)
  • UofT Network IP Address Blocked List (wireless connections)
  • UofT Network IP Address Quarantined List
  • U of T Antivirus
  • Microsoft Update website
  • Wireless Access

• Guidelines

  • Illegal download and/or distribution of copyrighted materials will result in denial of internet
  • For full details, review your Network Usage Agreement – Schedule C

• Housekeeping staff will enter your room weekly.
• Your housekeeping schedule will be given to you at the beginning of the year.
• Dons will communicate the weekly cleaning schedule to all students on each floor.
• The weekly cleaning service entails vacuuming and bathroom cleaning.
• Residents are responsible for ensuring that their floors are free of any clothing or other items, prior to vacuuming (cleaning staff will Not move personal items left on the floor).
• Residents must clear the counter tops in the bathroom.
• Your bathroom tub, toilet, and sink will be cleaned, and the available counter spaced will be cleaned as well, so long as housekeeping does not have to move any items.
• Toilet paper replenished each week, 1 roll per person/per week (students are responsible for providing their own soap and other toiletries).
• Students are responsible for removing garbage, recycling, and dusting.
• Students are not permitted to refuse cleaning service from housekeeping staff for 2 or more weeks in a row.

If you have any questions about cleaning please speak to your regular cleaning staff or to your Residence Don.

Operating through the day in conjunction with a 24 hour security team, Front Desk assistance includes:

• Check-in/Check Out
• Mail sorting
• Answering/transferring calls
• Parcel pick up
• Guest sign in
• General inquiries
• Bike room key set up
• Iron/drying rack sign out
• Board game sign out (Checkers, Monopoly, Scrabble etc)

Contact info: 416.977.0707, Extension 0

For safety reasons, bicycles are not permitted in student rooms.

You can store your bike in 1 of 2 bike rooms located on the concourse level.

Register your bike at the Front Desk and they will program your key card to allow access to bike rooms.

Remember to keep your bike locked up, even in the bike room.

Laundry costs are not included in residence fees.

• You will need to provide your own laundry bag and HE (High Efficiency) detergent
• The Laundry facility is located on the concourse level of the residence
• Open 24/7
• Pay per use washers & dryers: 1 load of laundry is $2.25, 1 load in the dryer is $1.75
• Laundry card ($5) – you can add money on it through machine in laundry room
• Irons are available at front desk
• Waiting area has TV, vending machines, ice machine, tables and chairs

The gym is located on the concourse level and is open daily, 6:00 AM – 12:00 AM (MIDNIGHT).
The gym provides cardio machines and weights, with newer equipment installed as of Fall 2019.

• Urban Lounge (located on the main floor) – Watch tv, socialize, play foosball or pool. This space is used for social activities and events for students
• The Lookout (located on the 27th floor) – Study, grab a snack or take in the amazing views
• Study Commons (located on the 28th floor) – Offering quiet 24 hour study space to students. This space is proctored by upper year students for six weeks prior to both the fall and winter exam periods
• Laundry Room (located on the concourse level) – Open 24/7 with pay-per-use washers and dryers. Machines are operated with a loadable laundry card
• Gym (located on the concourse level) – Basic workout facility with cardio machines, free weights and universal machines
• Fitness Studio (located on the concourse level) – Moderately sized studio with hardwood floors, mirrors, and balance bars
• Music Rooms (located on the concourse level) – 5 music rooms for student use, with 2 pianos and 1 drum set available
• Wellness Room (located on the 28th floor) – Intended as a space for residents to relax, meditate or do yoga.

Chestnut Residence boasts a wide variety of student spaces – from student lounges and social areas, to fitness spaces, to academic study areas.

Please visit our Bookable Spaces section for specific details on how to reserve a space.

• Each residence floor has its own Floor Council.
• There are three roles, including President, Vice President, and Social Rep.
• All students living on the floor are eligible to run for positions and participate in events.
• Floor Councils run events on the floor and work alongside the Chestnut Residence Council and the Floor Don.Each month your Don runs a Floor Program and a Floor Meeting.
• Floor events are fun ways to interact with your neighbors, and get to know the city of Toronto, and U of T community.
• Past programs include: Escape Room, Community Outreach, indoor trampoline park, movie nights and Toronto tours.

Chestnut Residence is home to many student-led groups and clubs that organize activities and are fun for students to be a part of. You will be able to find out which groups and clubs are available during move-in/orientation or you can inquire with the Residence Life Office about starting your own!

In addition to clubs and groups, Chestnut has many intramural teams you can take part in. There are a number of other opportunities such as committees, working groups, and focus groups where you have an opportunity to talk about your experiences at Chestnut and provide valuable feedback to make improvements and life for students at Chestnut even better.

Keep an eye out for postings on our social media channels and your email throughout the year!

The Chestnut Residence Council is a Student governing body plans social, athletic and community events and organizes:

• The annual Chestnut semi-formal
• Coffee houses and open mike nights
• Ski and snowboarding trips
• Rent out equipment such as PS4
• Intramural sports tournaments and much more!
• Each floor has representatives on the council along with executive members
• Just under $20 of the residence fee is for the council operations (collected in Residence Fees)
• Residence Council elections are held each year at the end of March. Any Chestnut student can run for a council position, provided that they have a clear financial record, and have completed the admissions process for the coming year

Learn more about the Chestnut Residence Council. 

The Urban Crew is involved in the day-to-day operation of Urban Lounge, Chestnut Residence’s large, multi-use student space.

Urban Crew members are responsible for a three-hour shift once a week where they help maintain a friendly and welcoming atmosphere in Urban Lounge.  They also help students use the AV equipment to watch movies, TV, or play video games as well as sign-out equipment for playing pool, table tennis, Foosball and board games.

If you are interested in being part of the Urban Crew, keep an eye out for postings on our social media channels and your email when the applications become open (typically in September).

The University of Toronto work-study program provides students with an opportunity to gain meaningful work experience by working part-time on campus and is open to all full-time undergraduate students, both domestic and international.

Chestnut Residence will have multiple opportunities available in late August/early September. Make sure to check your email and postings on social media to find out about these opportunities.

The CCR is a database of activities that allows you to search for opportunities beyond the classroom and keep track of your accomplishments.

You can use the CCR to craft a resume that will get an employer’s attention.

The CCR provides an official University of Toronto document that validates your many activities and experiences. Involvement opportunities at Chestnut Residence are CCR validated! Get involved and recognized for it!

Find out more about the CCR.

You can find out more details about Student Leadership opportunities on our Residence Life – Student Leaders section.

Please refer to our recorded information session on Fraud Prevention, presented by Toronto Police (Fraud Unit) and Campus Safety. You’ll find it under ‘Past Events and Recordings’.

No. Although cannabis has been legalized, Chestnut Residence remains completely non-smoking. Smoking and smoking-related activities (including, but not limited to, cigarettes, cannabis, vaping, e-cigarettes, hookahs, or other smoking devices) are not permitted anywhere inside the residences, including student rooms, common areas, and dining areas.

Outdoors, smoking of any kind is not permitted within 9 metres of any residence entrance including the front entrance and emergency exits.

The legal age to possess or use cannabis in the Province of Ontario is 19.  Under the Province of Ontario’s Cannabis Act (2017), individuals of legal age may possess up to 30 grams (1 ounce) of legal cannabis.

Within Chestnut Residence, students who are over the age of 19 may possess up to 30 grams of legal cannabis within their private residence room.  Cannabis is not permitted in any common areas within the residences (e.g., common rooms, laundry rooms, study rooms, dining areas).

No. Cannabis plants are not permitted to be grown in residence.

No. Cooking with cannabis is not permitted in residence. Please note that cooking or baking of any kind is not permitted in student residence rooms.

No. Similar to alcohol, the Front Desk staff will not accept deliveries of cannabis on behalf of residents.

Medical cannabis is subject to different regulations than recreational cannabis.  Students who require the use of medical cannabis should register with Accessibility Services and an Accessibility Advisor will work with you to develop an accommodation plan.  For more information please visit the Accessibility Services website. If you require assistance connecting with Accessibility Services, please contact the Residence Office at  chestnut.residence@utoronto.ca or 416.585.3160 and we would be happy to assist you.

If you have any questions about residence policies related to cannabis, please speak with your Residence Don or contact the Residence Life Office at chestnut.residence@utoronto.ca or 416.585.3160 and we would be happy to assist you.