Room Condition and Upkeep

Proper Upkeep—Student Responsibilities
Students are responsible for the cleanliness of their own rooms and for their common spaces. In the residence halls, the common areas are the lounges and bathrooms, and in the apartments/mods they are kitchens (including the insides of stoves and refrigerators), living rooms, and bathrooms. Students may not store personal items in residence hall lounges and kitchens.

The cleanliness of all areas must meet the standards of fire and safety codes. Residence hall residents are responsible for bringing trash and recycling from rooms to the large bins in the lounges. Apartment/mod residents are responsible for bringing trash and recycling to the dumpsters. As recycling is the law in Amherst, all members of the community must comply. Recyclable materials must be clean before they are deposited in the recycling bins. Residents are responsible for bringing compost to public collection areas.

Students living in apartments/mods are responsible for providing their own cleaning materials and equipment. Residents in all areas may borrow vacuum cleaners from their area offices. residence life and student engagement staff conduct full health and safety inspections of each student’s room and common areas at least one time during each semester. Violations are cited and students are required to correct them in a timely way. Failure to do so could result in sanctions, up to and including housing relocation and removal from campus housing.

Room and Common Area Condition Reports
Room and common area condition reports detail the condition and content of those spaces at the beginning and end of a student’s occupancy of the space. These provide mutual protection for residents and the College.

When vacating a space it is strongly suggested the student and a residence life and student engagement staff member together compare the final condition of the room with the information on the original condition report. The staff member will give the student an opportunity to address any inconsistencies in order to avoid a cleaning or damage charge.

When a space is vacated, the room and common area condition reports are used to assess the condition of the facilities and to determine whether or not students are responsible for any damage beyond normal wear and tear. Any appropriate charges, including charges for necessary extra cleaning and/or missing furniture, are assessed. Damages will be billed according to a rate schedule, available from the office of residence life and student engagement.

Common areas are assessed and billed for damage and cleanliness at the end of both fall and spring semesters. Any student who does not complete their room condition report and/or review their common area condition report when moving into their room forfeits the opportunity to challenge the final assessment of the space and is liable for any damages that are charged.