Residence Life Policies

In addition to policies listed in the Code of Conduct, Housing and Residence Life's policies include:

• Alcohol cannot be possessed or consumed in rooms, suites, or apartments where any guest or resident, present or assigned, is under the legal drinking age.
• Alcohol may not be possessed or consumed in a public area of the residence halls. All areas in a residence hall, except for private rooms, are considered public areas. When the door of a private room is open, the room is considered a public area. Only those of legal drinking age may transport closed containers of alcohol.
• Individuals may not provide alcohol to anyone under the legal drinking age. Those who do are subject to penalties under University regulations and under New Jersey state law.
• Residents under the legal drinking age may not possess alcohol paraphernalia. Drinking containers associated with alcohol including but not limited to shot glasses, flasks, cocktail shakers, or other barware are prohibited.
• The display of empty alcoholic beverage containers including but not limited to bottles, cans, and cases are prohibited in public areas and student rooms, which includes containers used as decoration. This applies to all residents regardless of age.
• Drinking games (whether or not alcohol is involved) or other behaviors designed for the purpose of rapid and/or excessive consumption of alcohol are prohibited.
• At no time should activities which encourage excessive drinking and/or lead to the endangerment of the individual served take place in the residence halls.

No animals are allowed in residence halls or apartments except approved service animals, service animals in training, and ODS-approved emotional support animals.

 Our decorations policies include:

• Live evergreen trees, as well as readily ignitable materials such as evergreen branches, boughs, etc. are prohibited in all areas.
• Combustible material such as wrapping paper, fabrics, etc. is prohibited when fastened to doors as well as when attached to walls, ceilings, or furniture.
• Combustible party decorations, gift wrappings, etc. must be disposed of promptly after use. 

Artificial Holiday Trees

Artificial holiday trees must bear Underwriter's Laboratory (UL) listing labels for fire resistance. Artificial trees meeting the above requirement are permitted in residence hall rooms, suites, and apartments subject to the following safety guidelines: 

• The artificial tree must be placed in a suitable stand to prevent it from falling.
• The tree may not obstruct any corridor, exit doorway, or other means of egress.
• No flammable decorations, combustible tree skirts, or decorative gift packages may be placed on or under an artificial holiday tree except in an area protected by automatic sprinklers.
• Only UL-listed lighting sets may be used, and they shall not be decorated with paper or other combustible materials.
• Only non-combustible trimmings are permitted.
• Prior to departure for Winter recess, all holiday decorations must be removed from the residence hall.
• Decorative lights shall be turned off when occupants are not in the immediate area of the tree.

Lighting Sets

• All lighting sets must bear UL listing tags.
• Lighting sets are prohibited in corridors.
• All lighting sets must be physically examined before use to detect frayed wiring and other conditions that might create a shock or fire hazard. Defective sets must be discarded; sets showing evidence of repair are not permitted in the residence hall.
• Lighting sets are prohibited around room doorways.
• All lighting sets displayed in sleeping rooms must be turned off when the room is unoccupied.
• Lighting sets may not be in contact with draperies, paper, or combustible decorations.
• Lighting sets may not be hung from ceilings.
• All lighting sets must be removed from the residence hall when departing for Winter Recess. 

Additional items and actions may be added at the discretion of Rutgers University and/or Housing and Residence Life.

More Information

We prohibit the following:

• Painting, damaging, or otherwise altering or modifying the private and public spaces of the residence halls.
• Disposing of personal trash in a bathroom or laundry room trash can.
• Leaving trash in common areas of the residence hall (i.e., outside of the trash rooms).
• Repairing or attempting to repair any damages.
• Using bicycles or any other non-ODS-approved transportation device in the residence hall.
• Storing bicycles in the common areas of the residence hall, such as stairwells, hallways and lobbies.
• Mounting a television or any other entertainment device on a wall.
• Depositing bodily waste in an area not designated for such use.
• Sleeping in common areas outside of individual bedrooms and apartments.
• Using both sets of furniture in a space where it is intended for more than one individual to reside.
• Lofting beds.
• Storing or using satellite dishes, exterior radios, or television masts or aerials.
• Using video doorbells or other hallway surveillance cameras.
• Using locks, latches, or similar devices for interior or exterior doors beyond what is provided by the University.
• Not maintaining clean living spaces by following a regular cleaning schedule, disposing of trash properly, securing food in closed containers, and managing laundry.
• Entering or occupying any roof, mechanical room, basement, data closet, housekeeping closet, or other space not intended for resident access.
• Tampering with or removing screens from windows, using windows as a point of entry or exit, and throwing, hanging or dropping any objects from or into any window.
• Not leaving room in move-in condition (i.e., no trash; personal items removed; no damage; all items and furniture that was present at move-in remains) upon checking out.
• Participating in any activity that could cause damage to property or harm to others.

The following items are prohibited and will be confiscated if found:

• Any non-UL certified rated appliance.
• Kitchen appliances that have no automatic shut-off capabilities in spaces without a kitchen.
• Transportation devices with rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, including but not limited to hoverboards, scooters, and e-bikes.
• Flammable liquids or chemicals, including gasoline (this also includes anything powered by gasoline or any chemicals).
• Unprotected outlet extenders or anything with homemade electrical wiring.
• Non-LED light bulbs (including halogen or incandescent/fluorescent light bulbs).
• Torchiere lamps.
• Non-university-approved refrigerators, microwaves, or portable air conditioners.
• Wall or ceiling hangings made of burlap or any other flammable materials, tapestries, fish netting, flags, and wicker ornaments.
• Any appliance or object producing or sustaining an open flame or intense heat. This is including but not limited to candles, wax warmers, space heaters, hot plates, toaster ovens, immersion coils, hot pots, oil lamps, fireworks, sparklers, incense, smoke bombs, electric toaster ovens, broilers, skillets, hot dog/hamburger cookers, electric woks, and rice cookers.
• Waterbeds and water chairs.
• Humidifiers of all types unless there is documented medical need.
• Cinder blocks.
• Any decoration or item, including welcome mats, in the hallway.

The following actions are prohibited:

• Storing or using any of the prohibited items listed above.
• Failure to evacuate building during an actual fire alarm or evacuation drill.
• Tampering with the building fire alarm system or a fire extinguisher.
• Tampering with electrical wires or cable lines.
• Hanging items from the sprinkler head or pipe, heat detector, smoke detector or alarm.
• Cooking in rooms other than the kitchens of the apartments.
• Unattended cooking, burning candle, or other open flame.
• Not using a surge protector with any device where more than one plug can be inserted.
• Bed or furniture reducing the required width of the exit.
• Bicycle chained to the exitway element.
• Hanging anything from the ceiling or draping anything from one wall to another, including but not limited to flags, posters, wires, cables, string lights, etc.
• Overloading electrical receptacles (more than three appliances per outlet, or piggybacking/adding multiple plug adapters or power strips with more than two cords attached)
• Using electrical cords (extension cords) as a substitute for permanent wiring.
• Plugging appliances into something other than an electrical outlet or an approved and listed surge protector.
• Smoking/vaping or evidence of smoking/vaping.
• Posters and decorations with combined coverage of more than one-third of the available wall space.
• Adding to, replacing, or interfering with any building fixture.
• Securing electrical cords to building surfaces or furniture. Electrical cords must be in plain view and not run under rugs or closet doors.
• Using sleeping pods, capsules, or enclosures that interfere with hearing a fire alarm.
• Placing any furniture directly up against HVAC units.
• Not maintaining proper ventilation when completing academic or personal projects.
• Additional items and actions may be added at the discretion of Rutgers University and/or Housing and Residence Life. Visit http://rues.rutgers.edu/fireguide.php for a more comprehensive listing of prohibited items.

In compliance with New Jersey state law, gambling of any kind is prohibited in the residence halls. Wagering activities including, but not limited to betting on poker, card games, sports pools, or any wagering where money or something of value is risked upon the uncertain outcome of a contest or future contingent event, may not be held or advertised within any public space in the residence halls or any residence hall room. 

Guests are defined as anyone who is not currently assigned to a resident’s designated room or apartment. Parents, family members, friends, Rutgers students, and residents of other buildings are all considered guests and must follow this policy. Each guest must have a single, designated resident who is their host.

• Residents should inform their roommates and suitemates of visitors prior to the guest visiting the space.
• Residents are allowed a maximum of 2 guests at any given time.
• Individuals who are 16 years of age or younger are not permitted entry under any circumstances.
• Any individual who has been banned from the residence halls, campus or University is not permitted entry under any circumstances.
• Residents must meet their guest(s) at the building entrance and sign them in at the computer station by the front desk. Guests must provide a physical state ID, federal ID, or Rutgers ID to the front desk.
• All guests must always be escorted by their resident host while in the building.
• Residents are responsible for the behavior of their guest(s) at all times.
• Guests are permitted for no more than three nights in a seven-day period.
• When a guest leaves, the resident and guest must complete the guest check-out process at the front desk.
• A resident may not permit guests to live in their assigned room or apartment for any period of time. It becomes a source of complaint by other residents or university staff, or when its use becomes, through duration or frequency, a de facto subcontracting of space to an unauthorized person.
• All residents are responsible for monitoring who they allow into the building. Residents are not permitted to allow non-residents access to the building. Persons making deliveries are not allowed in the facility unless met and accompanied by a resident.

Guest privileges may be revoked at any time by Housing and Residence Life if residents and non-resident guests violate any policies.

• Residents are responsible for the key to their assigned room.
• We prohibit duplicating keys.
• We prohibit residents from sharing their key with anyone else.
• We prohibit residents from sharing their RUID with anyone else.

Every student living within a residence hall at Rutgers University has the right to privacy in their own room. Just as a student has the right to reasonable protection against unwarranted physical intrusion, residents also have the right to reasonable protection against the uninvited intrusion of noise. Each student should expect to be able to sleep, study, converse, listen to the music of their choice, etc. within the privacy of their own room, reasonably free from disruption resulting from the activities of others.  

Courtesy hours are in effect 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Quiet Hours are in effect, Sunday through Thursday from 11pm to 10am.Quiet Hours are in effect on Friday and Saturday from midnight to 10am. 24-hour Quiet Hours are in effect during reading days and exam periods.

Policies include:

• Noise, particularly sustained, must not be readily audible within the private living quarters of other students.
• Instruments or amplification devices producing excessive volume, including, but not limited to subwoofers, are prohibited in the residence halls.
• Noise emanating from within one hall must not be audible within any other hall or University building, or outside.
• The general noise level within the hall must be such that it does not interfere with the above-mentioned rights.

Only authorized and approved postings provided to Housing and Residence Life, by recognized student organizations and University departments, will be posted in the residence halls. All postings that are not approved will be removed and reported to the appropriate personnel. Housing and Residence Life will only display postings that have been provided 7+ days from the event.

• Students may not coerce, intimidate, or force another student to vacate their assigned room.
• Students are not permitted to change rooms without completing a formal Room Change with Housing and Residence Life
• Students may not occupy any assignable space that was not assigned to the designated student.

• Smoking is prohibited in all areas of all residence halls.
• Vaping and the use of e-cigarettes is prohibited in all areas of the residence halls.

No soliciting or canvassing is allowed in residence halls or apartments at any time. This includes door-to-door soliciting and canvassing, sliding flyers under the doors within the residence halls, and related activities.