The BYU Department of Residence Life is emailing students to remind them they have to comply with the Honor Code and live in sex-separated housing, even though housing policy changes have recently been made.
BYU announced in September that single, undergraduate students no longer have to live in BYU on-campus or BYU off-campus contracted housing after they complete their first two semesters. Students were notified of the change through an emailed letter which includes the specific details on the changes.
Students can now live anywhere, but 'Single students choosing to live in non-contracted off-campus housing after their first two semesters will continue to be required to abide by the CES Honor Code and BYU’s student housing policies,' the announcement said.
As residential properties started offering tenants renewal contracts for Fall 2022, some residential properties that will no longer be BYU off-campus contracted have told tenants because of the changes, they no longer can discriminate based on gender.
This rule is based off of the Fair Housing Act which states providers of housing cannot discriminate based on race, religion, sex, national origin, familial status or disability.
Cox Apartments, one of Halladay Living's properties, sent their tenants a survey detailing the decision to not be BYU contracted housing. The survey explained because they can't discriminate on gender, tenants have a possibility to end up in an apartment with someone of the opposite gender, or could be neighbors to an apartment with people of the opposite gender.
Cox Apartments said in the survey they will do their best to keep individual tenants' preference on gender within individual apartments, but tenants might have to be moved around in order to accommodate those preferences.
In a follow up email, Cox apartments clarified no student will be forced to live with someone of the opposite gender and they will accommodate everyone's preferences to the best of their ability.
This week, the Department of Residence Life emailed many single undergraduate students to notify them of their completion of two semesters in BYU contracted housing. Since this requirement is completed, those students are now allowed to live anywhere they want, but they are 'still required to maintain sex separation in your apartment and abide by the CES Honor Code and the new BYU Student Housing Policy effective Aug. 22, 2022.'
The new housing policy says, 'Single BYU students who find themselves in individual dwelling units where sex-separation is not maintained, that is, where a roommate (or apartment-mate or housemate) who is a member of the opposite sex has moved in, are required to find other housing arrangements, at the student’s cost.'
BYU Department of Residence Life encouraged students in the email to keep three things in mind. First, housing landlords cannot legally keep tenants sex-separate because of Fair Housing Act requirements, so it is the student's responsibility to maintain sex separation.
Second, students should thoroughly read housing contracts before signing so they know what they are legally bound to. Lastly, students should take time to find the rental agreement to best fit their personal needs.
Questions about on-campus housing can be answered on the BYU website. For questions about living in non-contracted off-campus housing or BYU off-campus contracted housing, contact the Off-Campus Housing Office through their website, by emailing och@byu.edu or by calling 801-422-1513.