Within the Room

Every semester, Housing and Residence Life staff conducts a room inspection to ensure your room meets health and safety standards. Students will be notified of inspection dates in advance via email and posted flyers in the residence hall. During the inspections, your room, outlets, wall decorations, and general cleanliness will be assessed. Your personal items will not be searched.

Illegal or prohibited items found during the inspection may be confiscated. Students with confiscated items may be assessed a fine, reported to Ohio University Police, or referred to the Office of Community Standards and Student Responsibility. Confiscated items may be claimed at the end of each semester with permission from hall staff. Unclaimed confiscated items will be donated or disposed of 30 days after the end of each semester.

Commonly confiscated items include, but are not limited to:

• Candles
• Wax and candle warmers (Scentsy, etc.)
• Hot plates, grills, etc.
• Extension cords, outlet splitters, multi-plug adapters
• Empty alcohol bottles used for decoration
• Halogen, “octopus,” torchiere lamps with exposed bulbs
• Hover boards

Painting of residence hall rooms is not permitted, including murals. It is not permitted to paint in a room to fix or improve. This kind of activity needs to be completed by Facilities Management & Safety.

Housing and Residence Life staff inspect all rooms before residents arrive in August. After you move into your space, you will be asked to complete a Room Condition Report to document the room's condition upon arrival. By completing the Room Condition Report, you agree that you will leave your room in the same condition it was in upon arrival. Any damage that occurs between move-in and move-out may result in a monetary fine assessed to the student or divided amongst those living in the space. If you wish to take responsibility for damages, please contact hall staff to complete a Damage Responsibility Form.

Although the University understands that regular wear and tear will occur, you should immediately report any vandalism or damage to your RA, RD, ARD, or GRD.

Decorating and personalizing your room allows your personality to shine and makes the space feel a little more like home. Feel free to decorate your space with posters, rugs, pillows, and other reflections of your interests. Work with your roommates or suitemates to determine style, functionality, and what items can shared. Remember that you live in a community with others of varying backgrounds and experiences. Certain items or displays that you may find funny or appropriate may offend your roommates or those living around you.

You are encouraged to personalize your room to make it feel like home, but adhere to these safety concerns:

• Painting of residence hall rooms and other residence hall spaces is prohibited. Painting to fix or improve a space is prohibited. Students should contact Facilities Management if a space needs to be painted.
• The installation of removable wallpaper on walls, furniture, fixtures, or other residence hall spaces is prohibited.
• Mounting shelves, TVs, or other items to residence hall walls or furniture is prohibited.
• Covering more than 25% of wall space with decorations, paper, posters, or other items is prohibited.
• Hanging tapestries, lights, or other items from the ceiling is prohibited.
• 3M Command products should be used to attach items to walls. Students should closely follow product directions to avoid damage. Damages may result in a monetary fine assessed to the student.
• 3M Command products are prohibited in Carr, Luchs, Sowle, and Tanaka Halls. Finishing nails are recommended to install decorations in these halls. Putting holes in walls or furnishings is prohibited.
• The use of duct tape is limited to hanging plastic on windows during winter months. The use of duct tape to hang wires or decorations is prohibited. Residue left from duct tape residue may result in a monetary fine assessed to the student.
• Tart warmers, candle warmers, and candles are prohibited. Candles are prohibited even when not lit.

Furniture is provided in residence hall rooms and common areas. Each residence hall room includes the following for each occupant: bed, bed safety rail (for bunked beds), mattress, desk, desk chair. Each room includes the following items that may be shared amongst occupants: built-in or stand-alone dressers and/or cabinets, trash and recycling bins, microfridge unit. If you notice missing furnishings or damage, contact hall staff.

• Removing university-provided furniture from your room or moving it between a suite or quad rooms is prohibited. Removing university-provided furniture from the room may result in a fine, report to Ohio University Police, or referral to the Office of Community Standards and Student Responsibility.
• Disassembling university-provided furniture is prohibited.
• Additional refrigerators and microwaves are prohibited. If you need an additional refrigerator to store medical supplies, contact Accessibility Services to request an accommodation. 
• Portable sinks or camping sinks are prohibited in the residence halls. 

The university respects students’ right to privacy. University officials, hall staff, or Facilities Management staff may enter a student room without permission under the following circumstances:

• During an emergency (e.g., fire alarm)
• To check on the well-being of a resident
• To inspect, maintain, and renovate rooms
• To address a nuisance to the community

Failing to respond to a reasonable request by a university official (such as being asked to open your door) will result in a referral to the Office of Community Standards and Student Responsibility. University officials include all levels of in-hall staff.

• Unauthorized or unapproved room changes are prohibited. All room changes must be approved by the SRA or RD/GRD/ARD of the building or complex. Moving into a room prior without approval may result in the cancellation of the room change request, a referral to the Office of Community Standards and Student Responsibility, or financial responsibility for both spaces.
• Only the student(s) assigned to a room can live there. You may not sublet your Housing and Residence Life room.
• Actively seeking and/or operating any aspect of a business from your residence hall room or anywhere inside a residence hall is prohibited. 

• Soliciting in residential communities is prohibited. Should you observe sales or solicitation occurring in your hall, contact hall staff or the Ohio University Police Department.
• Individuals or outside agencies, businesses, or product events are prohibited from using residence hall rooms, residence halls, or adjacent grounds for any commercial purpose or business, unless written permission has been granted from Housing and Residence Life.

Some of the residence halls on campus are part of a heating/cooling system powered in part by chilled water and steam circulating through the buildings. Once outside temperatures begin to decrease in the late fall, OHIO’s Facilities Management department turns off the chilled water and turns on the steam system that controls heating. The opposite occurs in spring. Please be aware that this may limit temperature control in residence hall rooms. If you have a concern regarding the temperature, please talk with hall staff to help troubleshoot the issue.

Rooms with Window Air Unit

• If your room gets warm in the winter, we suggest that you, if able, open another window. Do not run your air conditioner and leave your window open simultaneously as this may cause your AC unit to freeze. If your room is cold in the winter, check the heating vent on the bottom portion of the heating unit in your room. If the vent is covered or blocked, then air cannot properly circulate in your room.  Vents should be kept clear for at least 18 to 24 inches around the vent. This allows the heating system to properly “breathe.” Supplies are available in staff offices to help seal any area around your window that might allow cold air in. Contact your hall staff to obtain these materials.

Rooms with Central Air Units

• Some rooms are equipped with central air systems. These units provide residents with the ability to set the temperature within a given range. To help ensure proper function of these units, keep air unit vents clear of obstructions. Vents should be kept clear for at least 18 to 24 inches around the vent.
• If temperature issues persist after you have properly cleared the area around the vent, submit a maintenance request to Facilities Management.

The following actions regarding your windows and screens are prohibited:

• Obscuring or blocking windows.
• Throwing, dropping, projecting, or hanging anything from windows.
• Use of windows as an entrance or an exit, except in cases of emergency.
• Tampering or removal of window screens, latches, or apparatus.
• Opening windows while running the AC system.
• Not having a screen in an open window.