Our abandoned property process is initiated when a student leaves items in their room upon cancellation of this Agreement by the University or student; upon a student's separation or departure from the University; and/or upon the date a student officially checks out.

Residents must remove all items when moving out of the residence halls. Students who withdraw or take a leave of absence during the academic year must remove all personal belongings by the scheduled check-out date.  All items not removed from a resident's room assignment will be considered abandoned property. Residential Life will hold abandoned property for 48 hours. After 48 hours, abandoned property will be disposed of or donated. After 48 hours, students who leave abandoned property will be charged the actual cost for removal as determined by Facilities Management.

Thomas Jefferson University does not offer storage for personal items between the end of the spring semester and beginning of the fall semester. If a student is contracted to live on campus during the summer term, the items must be relocated to the new space of residence following the timeline set forth by Residential Life.

All residence halls on the East Falls campus close during University break periods as outlined in the Housing Application & Agreement and the Academic Calendar. The Office of Residential Life (ORL) offers limited spaces in Martin Hall on the Center City campus for students who apply for Spring, Thanksgiving or Winter Break housing. Students must live more than three (3) hours away in order to be eligible for such housing.

Applications for break housing will be available online through the Housing Portal on the ORL website. Only those students who apply prior to the announced deadlines will be considered for break housing. 

Students are financially obligated for the full academic year (both semesters), unless otherwise approved by the Office of Residential Life. The high demand for campus housing requires that we strictly enforce the cancellation policy. This Agreement may be terminated by the University only for one of the following reasons:

1. Graduation, Study Abroad, or withdrawal from the University.
2. As a result of disciplinary action or breach by the student of this Agreement.
3. An approved Appeal.

Students in traditional hall-style buildings are housed in single-gender spaces according to gender identity. Apartments and/or Townhouses may be selected as all-male, all-female or all-gender inclusive spaces. Co-ed groups must completely fill any apartment that they wish to select for the entire academic year. If there is a subsequent cancellation in a all-gender apartment, the University reserves the right to assign another student to the space of any gender at the University's discretion or students may be offered the chance to secure a replacement.

If current occupants are unable to secure a replacement within ten (10) business days, the apartment will be reclassified as single-gender, and residents will be required to relocate to another available space on campus. ORL reserves the right to designate some areas as single-gender during the room selection process in order to preserve the balance of genders in a building or for other programmatic reasons.

• In general, damages other than normal wear and tear will be assessed to the resident(s). In the event that two or more persons occupy the same room and it cannot be ascertained who is responsible for the loss or damage, the assessment and/or disciplinary action shall be shared equally among those assigned to the space.
• Charges for moving furniture back to its proper location or for the replacement costs of furnishings will be assessed against the responsible resident(s).
• Students are required to report any information regarding specific acts of vandalism or damage (including accidental damages) to ORL staff, or Public Safety within 24 hours. Reports can be made by submitting a Work Order, contacting a Resident Assistant or other ORL staff member, or calling Public Safety.
• Residents cannot paint, damage, or otherwise alter the private or public spaces of the facility or property.
• Residents must keep the exterior of facilities (including porches, lawns, etc.) free of garbage, unapproved furniture, and flammable liquids and gases.
• Residents are prohibited from causing unnecessary garbage or debris in the hallways, public spaces, egresses, etc.
• Residents are held responsible for the condition of the room that they are assigned. Each room is inspected during check-in and a Room Inventory is completed. Residents should check the information on the Room Inventory for errors, add additional information, and sign it. As residents check out of their spaces, damage inspections will occur using the Room Inventory as guidance.
• Residents are not permitted to repair or attempt to repair damages.
• Residents must agree to satisfy any damage assessment charges billed to them within ten (10) business days of receipt of the bill.

Final determination of all damages will be determined by a ORL professional staff member after the final inspection of the room. Charges are made on the basis of estimated replacement costs of existing University property along with, estimated labor charges.

• All students share in the responsibility for the upkeep and damage of any common area space, both building-wide, on floors, and in houses. As such, damages are charged to all residents responsible for the particular common area. The University asks students to report information leading to the appropriate individual(s) responsible for damage and encourages students to take responsibility for the damage in which they, themselves, were involved.
• Damage that cannot be assessed to the appropriate individual(s) will be divided equally among the residents of the hall, house, or floor, as applicable.
• Common area damages may not be appealed unless the specific resident(s) responsible for the damages accepts responsibility.

• The University is not liable for any loss or damage incurred to residents' personal property, whether by flood, fire, theft, or any other cause.
• Residents of University Housing are required to acquire adequate insurance coverage for all personal property by their move-in date. Students are required to ensure their property has the necessary coverage whether by coverage through a parent/guardian's homeowner's insurance policy or through individual renter's insurance coverage.
• Residents assume any and all liability for damage or claims that result from their own negligence, as well as any negligence of their guests.
• Residents are liable for any damage and/or loss to a room, its furnishings, or any other part of the residence hall.
• Misuse, abuse, theft, or damage to personal property by one resident or group of residents to another is not permitted.

Eligibility for housing is determined by student enrollment and the location of the college in which a student is enrolled. The students below may apply for housing in specific areas as described below:

Full-Time Undergraduate Students: Applications for housing are accepted on the campus housing the student's program for current full-time (12 credits or more per semester) undergraduate students. Failure to maintain 12 credits may lead to termination of the Housing Agreement at the discretion of the Office of Residential Life. Students who lose their eligibility must inform the Office Residential Life within two (2) business days and may be subject to cancellation charges.

Full-Time Graduate Students: Applications for housing are accepted for current full-time (9 credits or more per semester) graduate students. On the East Falls campus, graduate students may apply for any unassigned spaces on a semesterly basis but will only be considered after full-time undergraduates have been placed.

Continuing Education and Part-Time Students: Applications for any unassigned spaces on a semesterly basis will only be considered after full-time students have been placed. Exceptions to this policy may be made by the Assistant Dean/Director of Residential Life & Community Standards or their designee.

Please refer to the University's Equal Opportunity Statement.

• All residence hall entrance doors are locked for student safety 24 hours each day. Access to the residence hall is only through the front door. All other doors are locked from the outside and equipped with exit alarms that sound when the door is opened. These doors are to be used only in case of an emergency.
• To enter a building, residents must swipe their ID at the proximity reader by the lobby doors. The ID will allow access to the front lobby. Resident students must then swipe their ID to enter the hall.
• Students are not permitted to share keys or swipe into a residence hall with another student's ID. Any student who violates this policy will be subject to disciplinary action.
• ORL professional staff and Public Safety reserve the right to deny admittance to any person to the residence halls.

The University guarantees housing for undergraduate students under the residency requirement for the first two years of enrollment (restrictions apply-see the Two-Year Residency Requirement).

All Thomas Jefferson University students are required to have Health Insurance. Please refer to the Student Health Services website for more information.

All Housing Application & Agreements are considered binding contracts once signed and submitted to the Office of Residential Life.

The Agreement period does not include the Spring, Thanksgiving and Winter Break periods (see the University academic calendar for exact dates). Students with permanent addresses three (3) or more hours away from campus may apply for Spring, Thanksgiving or Winter Break housing. Approved students will have to relocate to the Center City campus and pay additional fees to remain on campus during the break period. Summer Housing options are not included in the academic year Housing Application & Agreement.

Open Spaces
When vacancies occur, the University reserves the right to show rooms and assign new occupants to fill those vacancies. The University reserves the right to consolidate students in partially filled rooms or apartments/townhouses.

In spaces with University issued furniture, residents of partially filled rooms may occupy only one set of furniture in order to accommodate a potential new roommate. The other set(s) of furniture should be clear and ready for occupancy. Any student occupying two sets of furniture is subject to disciplinary action.

In a partially filled room or suite, the Office of Residential Life may, at its sole discretion, allow the resident to find a new roommate to fill the vacancy or may assign a new roommate at any time without requiring current resident approval. Residents in shared spaces without a roommate may receive a roommate at any time. ORL staff will attempt to inform residents within 48 hours of a new roommate being assigned, although this is not a requirement.

New Roommates
When a new resident is assigned, the current occupant(s) are expected to welcome the new roommate and treat them with respect. Failure to demonstrate respectful behavior by any current occupant of a room is considered a policy violation and subject to disciplinary action.

Examples of inappropriate actions include, but are not limited to:

• telling the student assigned that you do not want anyone living with you;
• expressing to the student that you do not want them living with you; 
• telling the student that their experience will be difficult in the assigned space;
• or communicating any other disparaging comments made to or about the new resident or assignment process including but not limited to: in-person comments, words or actions about or directed towards the newly assigned resident.

Roommate Consolidation
Any time the occupancy of a room or apartment drops below the minimum occupancy, roommate consolidation is a possibility. In this situation, students in an on-campus space which is below occupancy may be relocated in order to fully occupy a space. One, two, or three roommates may share an accommodation up to the maximum occupancy. Alternatively, roommate consolidation may occur if there are any other persons in an on-campus space that is below the minimum occupancy.

If a resident decides to remain in a contract for a shared unit, roommate consolidation remains an option. The Office of Residential Life reserves the right to consolidate space at any time during the course of an academic year. ORL staff will facilitate consolidation and assist residents in finding roommates during the consolidation period.

Students living in, Fortess, Mott, Ronson, Partridge, Scholler, Independence Plaza, and the Townhouses can pay their housing fees through their student account at the beginning of each term. Housing fees will appear on the tuition bill. If you received financial aid and the disbursement includes room fees, the financial aid monies will go directly towards paying the housing fees. Please be advised that not all academic terms are budgeted by financial aid, which is dependent on the academic program. Students should consult with the Office of Financial Aid regarding what housing fees their financial aid covers.

Housing assignments for new incoming students are computer-generated and students will not be able to choose what building they are placed in. Returning students should follow the guidelines published at the start of the spring semester for returning student Housing Selection. The University reserves the right to change assignments in case of emergency.

Roommate Preferences
Roommate preferences for incoming students must be mutual and submitted via the Housing Portal. If students wish to live together, all applications and agreements must be submitted on time. Returning students may select their roommates during the Housing Selection process in the spring semester. 

Accessibility Accommodations
Any requests for housing based on accessibility are handled through The Office of Accessibility Services.

Limited housing is available during the interim periods between terms (spring to summer and summer to fall). Full-time enrolled students must apply through the Office of Residential Life by the published deadline.

Each resident listed on the Housing Agreement is given one key to their respective room or apartment. For safety reasons, additional keys cannot be dispensed (except in cases of documented loss.) It is unlawful to make duplicate keys from the original.

Report lost keys immediately. Contact the RA on Duty if after hours or the ORL during business hours. Appropriate measures will be taken to supply a replacement key and minimize any potential campus security risks. Upon checkout, students who fail to return the key they were assigned or who return a key different from the one they were assigned will be billed for a core change.

The costs for replacing a key or door lock when a key has been lost will be assessed to the student.

• Scholler, Mott, Ronson, Fortess, and Partridge--$95
• Townhouses and Independence Plaza--$250

If a student is locked out of their room, temporary keys are available.

Students are required to pay for lock-out services provided by staff. ($10 per lockout after the first lockout). Contact the RA on Duty for assistance. Temporary keys not returned within 24 hours will result in the room being re-cored at the costs listed above.

It is advisable to keep your apartment or room door locked at all times. Place the key, from the outside, into the lock and turn it two revolutions. This will engage the bolt. When inside the apartment, the chain latch (if available) should be used for safety purposes.

Students who take a "leave of absence" or a "medical leave of absence" will be required to move out of housing once the student's leave has been approved and ORL receives confirmation of the leave from the Registrar. Students taking a leave of absence mid-semester are responsible for housing and meal plan charges until the end of the semester.

The University, in accordance with city, state, and federal laws, screens for the presence of lead-based paint in all residential facilities built prior to 1978. The results of these tests, in full, are available in the facility offices. Additionally, attached hereto is a certification prepared by a dust wipe technician stating that the property is either lead-safe or lead-free. Be advised that you have a ten (10) day period after signing your lease during which you may, at your own expense, obtain another comprehensive lead inspection and risk assessment from a certified lead inspector. If you elect to obtain such an inspection and assessment and the results show that your room or apartment contains lead-based paint or lead-based paint hazards, you can terminate your lease within two (2) business days after you receive the report. If you don't obtain an inspection within ten (10) days after signing the lease, you will have waived the right to do so later. Please review your housing application and agreement for information specific to each area.

The resident agrees to hold the University, its agents, and employees harmless from all damages, liability, or loss arising out of any negligent act or omission or other misconduct by the student on or about the premises.

First-year students residing in Fortess, Mott, Partridge, Ronson or Scholler are required to have a 19 standard or 19 premium meal plan. All other students residing in Scholler are required to have a 14 standard meal plan or higher.

Meal plans are contracted for the full academic year. Students may make changes to their meal plan assignments during the first two weeks of the semester with no penalty. This change must be made in the Housing Portal before the deadline. Please note that students making changes to premium meal plans will be billed for any Bookstore Bonus Dollars that have been utilized. No meal plan changes can be made after the first two weeks of the semester. After the two-week cut-off, students will be billed in full for the semester's meal plan charges.

The meal plan will not be in operation when the University is on break or during the summer months. Meal plans are only offered on the East Falls campus.

In compliance with FERPA, residents in on-campus housing may elect to identify a specific person to be contacted by the institution within 24 hours of being reported missing. If a person is not specifically selected for this purpose, employees of the Office Residential Life or other University officials will contact the general "emergency contact" person designated by the resident on their housing application and/or in the student record database.

• If the resident is determined to be less than 18 years of age, the student's parent or legal guardian will be contacted within 24 hours if the student is determined to be missing.
• Please be advised that the emergency contact person (or person the resident has elected to be notified) may be contacted by University officials to help determine a student's whereabouts in cases where that student has been reported missing. In addition, appropriate law enforcement officials will be contacted after 24 hours if a student is determined to be missing.

Students will select a designated move-in time prior to their move-in date. Please bring a photo ID for move-in day. If students are moving into the residence halls after the designated move-in times they should contact the Office of Residential Life or Public Safety to reach an on-call staff member.

Loading Zones
Designated loading zones will be available on First-Year and Upper-Class move-in days. Residents may only use this area for a limited time (up to twenty minutes) while they are loading or unloading their vehicles. Residents are encouraged to unload their vehicles and relocate the vehicle to other designated University parking lots. The loading area is not for parking. Any person exceeding the time period or using the area for parking may be ticketed or towed at the owner's expense. Abuse of the loading zone may result in termination of privileges and/or other disciplinary action.

Carts/Hand Trucks
Carts and Hand Trucks/Dollies are not provided. Students are encoraged to bring their own for move in/out.

Bed Lofting & Bunking
Due to safety concerns and potential damage to both University and personal property, the use of lofts and cinderblocks is prohibited. Depending on specific room setup and furniture, residents may be able to bunk University furniture by placing a work order with Facilities. If you choose to bunk your bed, Facilities reserves the right to deny a work order to dismantle it. Bed "lifters" (manufactured specifically to raise the legs of a bed) are permitted but may only raise a bed a maximum of 1 foot above the floor.

The following information will help you prepare to move out of University housing.

• If using a Microfridge, remove all food from the Mircofridge, defrost the unit and unplug it.
• Prior to a resident vacating their housing assignment, at any time during the course of the year, even if a resident is simply relocating to another space on campus, that resident is required to remove any and all personal belongings, including any and all trash, leaving the space restored, cleaned, and furnished with original furnishings.
• In the event that a room has been damaged requiring a repair, that resident shall not attempt to make the repair themselves.
• Any and all fixtures within the space, including, but not limited to, university-owned refrigerators and stoves, must be emptied and cleaned.
• All costs incurred by the university as a result of any repairs required to be made, any additional cleaning required, and/or for removal of any and all personal property shall be apportioned equally to the residents, regardless of responsibility or fault of any one resident for the same. Upon a resident vacating their housing assignment, the space shall be inspected by a Residential Life Professional Staff member and, if said unit is not in acceptable condition as defined herein and determined at the discretion of the Residential Life Professional Staff Member, repair/cleaning/removal service shall be ordered, and the resident(s) shall be held jointly and severally liable for the entire cost of the same.
• Failure to vacate your housing assignment within the prescribed period shall result in an hourly fine, in which case the University shall not be responsible for student belongings and reserves the right to confiscate and dispose of such belongings beginning 48 hours after a student's scheduled check-out time.
• Appeals of any charges assessed for repair/cleaning/removal of personal belongings shall be filed in writing no less than five (5) business days from the date said bills are sent to the resident. Thereafter, any right to appeal is waived.
• Please do not attempt to patch any holes in the walls. Notify ORL staff so that damages or possible charges can be minimized.
• Carts and hand trucks will not be provided during move-out. 

ORL encourages roommates to make a good-faith effort to mediate any conflicts prior to requesting a room change. ORL reserves the right to approve or deny any room change request; and is committed to an environment that is free of harassment, discrimination, or any other offensive behavior that is grounded on any characteristic protected by law including but not limited to a person's sex, age, race, color, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, pregnancy, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, military status, veteran status, disability or any other protected group or status.

Should problems persist between the roommates and a reasonable solution cannot be achieved, ORL reserves the right to intervene and handle the situation through the University Community Standards Process and/or reassign one or all roommates involved. In the event that students exhaust all other options, the ORL will permit a room change if space is available.

The University recognizes and respects the basic interest of each resident to maintain privacy and control of personal living space. The University also has the responsibility to provide safe and secure residential facilities for both present and future occupants.

Right of Entry - Thomas Jefferson University reserves the right to enter residents' rooms for administrative reasons under the following circumstances:

• The overall well-being and order of the residential community is thought to be in jeopardy;
• Completion of a work order for a room repair;
• Danger, including, but not limited to, floods, fire, and life- or injury-threatening situation is thought to be occurring or is imminent;
• The occupant cannot be located for an extended period of time (a search for this purpose will solely be to enter the room and look for the occupant);
• It is necessary to inspect for, correct, repair, or remove hazards to health or personal safety. These checks, called Health and Safety Checks are conducted at a minimum of 2 times per semester. These times include: prior to Thanksgiving break; prior to Winter Break, prior to Spring Break and at closing;
• It is necessary to inspect a vacant/unoccupied portion of a room/apartment in order to prepare it for occupancy;
• It is believed that a resident is using their assigned space in a manner inconsistent with the provisions of the housing agreement or other University policies.

Room Inspection
ORL staff inspects the room/apartment before occupancy. Another inspection takes place when the room is vacated. Residents are responsible for any damage that takes place during their occupancy. Upon move-in, each resident will receive instructions on how to complete their Room Condition Report. All comments and edits must be submitted before the published deadline. In order to avoid being charged for damages upon move-out, it is important that each resident note anything needing repairs on this form. Additional inspections will take place during the residents' occupancy to ensure fire safety and adherence to University and/or departmental policies.

When a resident's room is entered for reasons described above in the Right of Entry policy, the University official generally will conduct a "plain view inspection." Only under exigent circumstances involving threats to health, safety, or potential violations of the University's policies, as determined by the Dean of Students Office, will a thorough room search be conducted. Illegal and/or prohibited items may be confiscated.

Limited summer housing may be available on East Falls campus for May, June, July, and August. Full-time enrolled students must apply through the Office of Residential Life by the published deadline to be eligible for summer housing. Housing prices are set annually, and students are responsible for following the move-in and move-out procedures.

College and University Vaccination Act Effective August 27, 2002, this law requires that all full-time college students who live in university housing show proof that they have been vaccinated against meningococcal disease (bacterial meningitis). Refer to Student Health Services for more information on vaccination requirements.