Loyola University Chicago

Residence Life

Room Care + Facility Policies

The Department of Residence Life encourages you to make Loyola home by decorating your living space and making it your own. For your safety and the longevity of our facilities, we also ask that you abide by the following policies related to room care and facilities.

For detailed information, please refer to the LUC Community Standards.

Room Care Guidelines

Certain guidelines and standards concerning room care and safety aspects have been established by Residence Life. Be sure to read this section as residents are responsible for the following information:

  • The only furniture that should be stacked in your room are beds that are either bunked or lofted as set by the Department of Residence Life and bookshelves that are placed on top of desks or dressers. Stacking other furniture could result in serious injury to students and/or damage to the furniture.
  • Do not disassemble any furnishings, or detach them from the wall or floor (such as removing closet doors, detaching sinks, removing the hardware that anchors wardrobes to the wall, etc).
  • Residents are responsible for all of the furniture that is currently in their room/apartment. Under no circumstance will Residence Life remove and/or store any furniture from the facilities. 
  • Lounge and lobby furniture is meant to be enjoyed by the residence hall community as a whole, and should not be moved into student rooms. Violators may face disciplinary action, a charge for removal of the furniture, or both.
  • Waterbeds or other water filled furniture is not allowed. 
  • Exercise caution and good judgment in the decoration of room windows, as this area is considered public and visible to both University and non-university community members. We reserve the right to ask you to remove from public view any signs or objects deemed offensive to others or prejudicial to the overall goals of the university.
  • At the time of check-out students are expected to leave their rooms in the same condition as when they moved in.
Abandoned Property Policy

Purpose

Personal Property of any kind that remains in a room/suite/apartment after the student has checked-out/vacated the space, or after the residence halls have been closed will be considered Abandoned Property. This policy outline how Abandoned Property will be handled.

Policy

Items deemed to be of a perishable nature or for which storage would constitute health, safety, or sanitation issues, will be properly disposed of immediately. Items that violate Community Standards or local, state, or federal law will be disposed of in accordance with the policy or law. Student may be documented for such violations. Only personal property deemed to be of value or essential items and documents will be stored. Items deemed trash, recycling, or refuse (according to the sole discretion of Residence Life Staff) will be disposed of immediately. All other abandoned personal property discovered in the residence halls will be collected and stored by the area’s Resident Director for a period of seven (7) business days, unless otherwise approved.
 
If ownership can be determined, the Resident Director of the area will attempt to contact the owner of the property via email and/or phone listed in LOCUS.
 
If ownership cannot be determined, items may be released to any resident assigned to the unit during the term in which the property was abandoned.
 
Two (2) attempts will be made to contact the owner or presumed owner(s) of the abandoned property.
 
To claim items, the student will need to provide proper photo identification. Items will only be released to the owner or presumed owner(s) as outlined above, unless the owner has provided written notification via their Loyola email account to the Resident Director, granting explicit permission for another individual to retrieve the items. Said individual will need to provide photo identification. The Abandoned Property Inventory Form must be signed by the person retrieving the items as well as the staff member releasing the items. Residence Life will not be responsible for mailing/shipping any items to students.
 
Personal property remaining unclaimed after seven (7) business days will be permanently donated or disposed of.
 
Residence Life is not responsible for any abandoned items that are lost, damaged, or unclaimed. Residence Life will provide no reimbursement for the value (real or perceived) of any abandoned items.
Appliances
Residence halls have varying design and construction. The University reserves the right to impose reasonable requirements with respect to the use of appliances or equipment in the residence halls.
 
Some examples of items prohibited in the first year traditional residence halls are listed below. This list is provided as a guideline and is not all-inclusive. Residence Life reserves the right to ask students to remove any appliance deemed unsafe for the residence halls.
  • Any appliance exceeding 800 watts 
  • George Foreman type grills (except in apartment areas) 
  • Power tools (i.e., drills, saws, sanders, etc.) 
  • Refrigerators with internal dimensions no larger than 4.2 cubic feet 
  • Air conditioners, ceiling fans, fixed window fans, washing machines, freezers, or other high voltage equipment 
  • Mopeds, motorbikes, motorcycles 
  • Waterbeds 
  • Hot plates, toaster ovens, deep fat fryers, electric grills, high wattage microwaves (University provided MicroFridges or microwaves under 800 watts are the only microwaves permitted in student rooms), open flames (candles), combustibles, open coil appliances. 
  • Kerosene heaters or electric heaters, electric blankets, candles or incense, open flame self-igniting or explosive apparatus 
  • Halogen lamps 
Students may purchase a microwave and/or refrigerator to use in their room only if there is not a university provided refrigerator or microwave already in the room (or apartment). If you would rather rent a microwave and refrigerator, Micro-fridge units are available for rent at from University and Student Services. Any refrigerator that is brought into the residence hall must be 4.2 cubic feet or smaller and microwaves must be less than 800 watts.
 
Cooking is not allowed in student rooms without in-unit stoves.  Appliances with open heating elements such as hot plates and toaster ovens are also prohibited (coffee pots are allowed).  All residence halls without in-unit kitchens have a central kitchen area where students are able to prepare meals.   Small kitchen appliances (toasters, hot plates, etc.) are allowed in the kitchen areas of apartment units.  Please consult your RD with specific questions on whether or not an appliance is allowed.
Bicycles
Bicycles may be stored at designated bike racks outside the building or in the Bike Corral at the main parking garage on campus. Bikes are not allowed in student’s rooms or apartments and may not be stored in hallways or other common areas within the halls. For safety reasons and to meet fire codes, bikes must not be attached to stairways, gates, fences or entry/exit areas. Bikes located outside the buildings may only be locked to designated bicycle racks.
 
All bikes stored on campus should be registered with Campus Safety.
Computer Usage
In accordance with university guidelines, please note that Loyola University Chicago maintains an Access and Acceptable Use of University Computing, Networking, Telephony and Information Resources Policy.
 
The policies listed below apply specifically to the use of computers in the residence halls. Any violation of these policies is grounds for having network access removed from your room. Students may print papers in the computer lab, but they will be charged the following rates: $0.07 per Black & White page $0.10 per Black & White double-sided page (Duplex) $0.50 per Color page. The charge for printing goes toward paper and toner replacement.
 
The following activities are some of those that are prohibited:
  • Accessing another student's computer without permission
  • Installing software on a lab computer
  • Illegally downloading copyrighted files
Decorations
Student are encouraged to personalize their rooms but need to recognize that for building maintenance and fire safety reasons they are restricted from excessive interior decorations as determined by university personnel. Exterior door decorations should be limited to 20% of the door surface (including dry erase boards and name tags).
 
As you move into your new room we would like to make you aware of the residence hall decoration guidelines. It is the expectation of Residence Life that the condition of your room upon checkout is the same as when you moved in. To avoid damage charges it is important to take a few precautions when decorating your room.
 
  • Do not put holes in the wall. 
  • Only use blue "painter’s tape" to affix decorations to your walls. Blue painter’s tape is specifically designed to prevent damage to walls and painted surfaces.
  • Any marks left on your walls by other tape or adhesives will not be considered normal wear and tear when you check out and you may be charged for damages. 
  • Do not use any kind of tape on the floors or carpeting. 
  • When moving furniture, lift it to move it, do not drag it.
  • When you place furniture against a wall, check to see that it will not rub/scrape the wall when in use. 
  • Fire alarm pull stations, fire extinguisher cabinets, smoke detectors, sprinkler heads and exit signs cannot be covered and exits cannot be blocked. Nothing should be hung from a fire sprinkler head. 
  • Decorations, unless nonflammable, cannot be used to cover entire hallway areas, walls, or doors due to the fire hazard these decorations present. Some portion of the hallway, wall and door must be left uncovered. 
  • Decorations cannot be hung from the ceilings. Ceiling tiles cannot be moved or removed. (Nothing should be hung from the metal frame around the ceiling tiles.) 
  • Any supplemental lighting such as holiday lights or lights on a string must be UL approved and low wattage or LED. 
  • No more than 4 strings of lights per room. 
  • Light bulbs must be 100 watts or less and must not exceed wattage limitations for the lamp. Light bulbs in permanent fixtures cannot be removed and replaced with colored lights. Light fixtures that are incandescent (with bulbs) or fluorescent (long tubes) cannot be covered nor have any materials draped around them. 
  • Halogen floor lamps (torchiere lamps) are prohibited.
Specific guidelines regarding Holiday trees and public area decoration (which are only allowed in lounge/lobby areas) are available from the Resident Director. In order to ensure the safety of everyone, please adhere to the guidelines when decorating service desks, hallways, stairwells, room doors, bathroom doors, etc. These guidelines also apply to resident rooms and doors. If you have any questions, please contact the Resident Director of your building.
Furnishings
Students residing on campus are welcome to keep personal furniture/items such as small futons/chairs, tables, lamps, etc. to make the room feel more like home. Any room furnishing added by a student must be free-standing, and no part of one's personal furnishings may be attached, wedged, or secured in any manner to the ceiling, floor, or walls of the room. No item may be located so as to obstruct direct access to the door or windows so that evacuation is hindered. Large furnishings are discouraged, and any damage caused by these items will be the responsibility of the student. No room furnishings may be altered from their intended design or removed from the room by the student or his/her guest(s). No furniture should be stacked on cinder blocks or the like. Non-university lofts are prohibited.
 
Keys & IDs (Room Lock Out, Lost Keys and IDs)

Residents share in the responsibility of maintaining a safe and secure living environment. With this in mind, students are encouraged to close and lock their door whenever they leave their room. Students may not give their room/apartment key(s) or student ID to any other person. Please take your room key when you leave the room. Never leave your keys or valuables out in the open.

 

If you are locked out, go to the residence hall front desk to check-out a temporary key. Residents may check out this key two (2) times each semester at no cost. Thereafter, residents will be assessed a $25.00 charge for each additional time that they check out the lockout key. If a resident needs a loaner key after 10:00 pm they must contact the hall RA on duty. The temporary key must be returned within 24 hours. Failure to return the key within 7 days will result in an immediate lock change with an assessed fee of $150.00. The cost of the lock change will be assessed to the student’s account.

 

If a resident loses a key, they are required to obtain a temporary replacement key immediately from the residence hall front desk. A lock change will be submitted to change your lock for security reasons. Residents will be assessed a $150.00 charge for the lock change. The cost of the lock change will be assessed to the student’s account. New keys can then be obtained at the residence hall front desk.

 

If you misplace or lose your ID, go to the residence hall front desk to check out a temporary ID. 

Resident may check out this ID two (2) times each semester at no cost. The temporary ID must be returned within 24 hours. Failure to return the ID within 7 days will result in an assessed fee of $25.00.

Painting

Painting of student rooms is prohibited. Residents wishing to paint public areas (e.g., floor lobbies and hallways) should submit a proposal to the Assistant Director of Residence Life for Facilities that includes a drawing, colors, dimensions and purpose. If approved, the proposal will be referred to the maintenance staff for consideration. Upon final approval, painting public space is subject to general guidelines and supervision of the maintenance staff.

Removal of Lounge Furniture

Lounges are designed for the use and enjoyment of all residents. As such, no common area furniture may be taken from the lounges or designated areas and placed in student rooms or moved to other locations. Students found responsible for removing lounge furniture will be referred to disciplinary actions and charged the cost to repair or replace damaged or missing furniture.

Restricted Areas

Residents are restricted from accessing unauthorized areas of buildings (i.e. elevator shafts, roofs of buildings, mechanical rooms, other non-public areas, etc.) where they are not clearly and willfully allowed. Students who enter these areas will be subject to disciplinary actions as this is considered trespassing and places their safety in jeopardy.

Room Entry & Safety Inspections

Room entry and safety inspections will occur periodically. The university balances the right to privacy of the resident students with the responsibility to maintain a safe environment for all students and staff in the residence halls. The university will take all reasonable steps to ensure the residents of a room receive adequate notice prior to entry by university personnel for the purposes of verifying occupancy, repair, inventory, construction, and/or inspection. The university also reserves the right to enter a residence room without notice for responding to real or reasonably perceived health and safety emergencies, and/or to ensure evacuation during fire alarms, during vacation period and/or to respond to situations where there is a reasonable suspicion that a violation of the law or university policy is occurring or has occurred inside a particular room. Under such circumstances, it is not necessary that the room’s resident(s) be present; nor will a resident’s refusal, either verbal or physical, prevent an entry or inspection. By entering into the Student Housing Agreement, the student consents to the room entry and inspection under those circumstances indicated.

Sprinklers

Sprinklers have been installed in the majority of our residence halls to provide maximum protection from fire. It is imperative that this equipment be properly respected and maintained. A student tampering with sprinklers, which includes hanging things from pipes or sprinkler heads, places the residence hall at risk and these situations are taken seriously. Students found responsible for tampering with sprinklers may be subject to a disciplinary fine and additional disciplinary action will be taken. Students are responsible for any damages that may occur from tampering with a sprinkler system.

Supplied Appliances

The supplied appliances in student rooms/apartments are for the convenience of the residents. Because of the damage that occurs to these appliances and for the safety of the residents, appliances may not be disassembled or taken apart in any manner. Disassembling appliances will result in minimum of a $100 fine.

Windows & Balconies

Removal of windows, screens, and window safety devices is prohibited. Individuals are restricted from entering or exiting a room or building through windows/balconies, even with the consent of the resident residing in said room. For health and safety reasons, nothing may be thrown into or out of windows (see Breaking the Plane, Article II, Section 202, Item 4 of the Loyola University Chicago ). Removal of window screens or window safety devices will result in applicable charges to cover labor, materials, etc. and the student will be in violation of the university Community Standards.