Damage Billing

With your cooperation, our campus and its residences will continue to be safe, attractive, and enjoyable.

How to avoid damage billing

• When you receive your “Room/Townhouse/Suite Condition Report,” take time to fill it out carefully, noting any paint chips, nail holes, missing or damaged furniture, etc. Do not use duct tape or double-sided foam tape. When in doubt, ask a staff member. Do use the “Poster Mounts” provided by the Office of Residence Life.
• If you change rooms, make sure the “Room/Townhouse/Suite Condition Report” is checked for both current and new assignments. Before you move out, clean your room in order to avoid the cleaning charge ($78 minimum).
• When you notice items that need repair in your room, suite, apartment, townhouse, or common area, report them to your RA, RHC, or Townhouse Coordinator.
• Residents are responsible for items that are damaged or missing in common areas (hallways, bathrooms, laundry rooms, recreation rooms, computer labs, lounges, lobbies, stairwells, etc.).
• Furniture in student rooms, suites, apartments, townhouses, lounges, and recreation rooms may not be moved to other locations. Removal of furniture may result in expensive individual or common-area billings and/or disciplinary action. College-owned furniture should not be taken outside. If furniture is left outside in the weather, the furniture will be replaced and the students will be billed as noted below.
• Fire safety equipment is for the well-being of everyone in the community. The misuse of this equipment (fire extinguishers, smoke detectors, pull stations, etc.) could result in a minimum $100 fine and suspension from the residence hall, suite, apartment, or townhouse.
• If you know who is responsible for causing damage to either College property or personal property, report it to a residence life staff member or to Public Safety. You benefit directly by reporting any other person who damages College or personal property!
• When you see damage occurring, step in to prevent it from going any further.

Reporting Damages

Any existing damages must be listed on the “Room Condition Report,” “Suite Condition Report,” or “Townhouse Condition Report” and should be reported to the Residence Life Staff. Students are held responsible for damages they cause or are caused by their guests to their rooms and their contents, and for damages to public areas in the residences. The College will not raise room rent for all students in order to pay for damages in common areas (stairwells, hallways, bathrooms, lobby, and recreation rooms). Rather, it will assess those members of a living area (suite, wing, floor, building) when the responsible individual(s) is not identified.

It is the responsibility of all residents to exercise their influence in the student community to prevent damage or require responsible individuals to pay. Excessive damages to rooms or areas may result in disciplinary action and possible non-renewal of the housing contract.

Billing for Damages

If you have incurred a damage charge, you will receive a statement from the Business Office via your Portal account. Bills must be paid within 30 days. The one-hour minimum labor charge on any damage call during normal work hours is $26.00. Based on Union rules, if a staff member must come in after hours, the staff member is entitled to a minimum of three hours of overtime pay at the rate of $37.00/hour ($111 minimum pay). Student costs for damage repair equal the cost of materials, shipping, and delivery plus the cost of labor.

If damages are discovered during check-out at the end of the semester, billing will take place then. If these charges exceed the $50 non-refundable maintenance fee (billed at the beginning of the academic year), the student will be billed the difference.

• Vandalism: If the individual(s) responsible for the damage have neither come forward nor been identified by others, then the cost of the damage (materials and labor) will be divided evenly among all residents of the affected area.
• Sanctions: Individuals found responsible for vandalism face disciplinary action that may include financial restitution, work hours with Maintenance, disciplinary probation, and suspension or expulsion from the residence hall, suite, apartment, townhouse, or College.

The costs listed below were determined by the Maintenance staff and the Facilities staff.

Residence Halls & Suites Repair & Replacement Costs