The Dobie Center announced it will start offering short-term rental rooms for University students,  faculty, and parents. 

Under new management, the off-campus residence hall converted 75 of its dorm rooms into “hotel-type” rooms that can be rented for one day or up to a full semester, according to the center. The new rooms are intended for prospective students who are visiting the campus or for parents visiting students. 

“We are extending our brand to outreach to student groups, incoming students and parents to give them an opportunity to experience on-campus, freshman living to see the 360 view before making a decision,” a spokesperson said in an email.

The short-term rental rooms will feature the same services as the dorm rooms, including dinner service and access to the fitness center. 

Alison Kothe, marketing coordinator for the Division of Housing and Food Service, said the University does not offer short-term room rentals unless a student is experiencing an emergency housing situation. 

“For us, we’re full in the fall and spring, so we don’t really have the ability to have this kind of short-term rental unless it’s going through the Dean of Students’ office,” Kothe said. 

Kothe said students who were left homeless after a North Campus apartment fire requested short-term rooms earlier this semester. According to Kothe, students had to seek approval from Student Emergency Services before receiving a room. 

Business sophomore Noa Gadot, a two-year resident at Dobie, said the short-term room rentals would make her parents’ visits more convenient.

“That would definitely improve the [parent] experience in the campus overall, because going to hotel rooms is quite inconvenient for parents,” Gadot said. “If parents had a nice room to stay in on campus, that would definitely give them a different perspective when visiting.”