Facility Related |
Common Areas and Usage Electrical Circuit Overload Emotional Support/Service Animals Fixtures and Locks Key Responsibility Personal Property Pets Posting and Flyers Residential Duty Officer (RDO) Rooms Resident Room Access Responsibility Room Cleanliness and Upkeep Room Use and Occupancy Unauthorized Access to Spaces Unauthorized Movement of Furniture Window Stops Common Areas and Usage The use of residential common areas is restricted to the residential community occupants, their guests/visitors, and University affiliated groups and organizations that have reserved the space through the College House or Sansom Place office.
Out of consideration for all residents, any individual using common areas such as kitchens, lounges or recreational space is expected to return the space to the condition in which it was found. This includes cleaning up after preparing and serving food, putting away food items by storing them securely in pest-proof containers, returning furniture to its proper location and set up, and properly disposing of trash. Residents should not leave unattended items in public spaces. Unattended items left in these spaces are subject to disposal by the University. Although they are University buildings, the College Houses and Sansom Place residences and their common spaces, amenities, etc. are first and foremost intended for the use by on-campus residents. This includes on-campus residential laundry facilities, which are to be used solely by on-campus residents. Back to top Electrical Circuit OverloadResidents found to be consistently overloading eletrical circuit (aka, tripping breakers) through use of appliances or other electrical equipment will be required to reduce their electrical usage. Residents are also encouraged to use surge protectors as a means to further protect electrical equipment. Back to top When approved by Student Disability Services and in order to provide reasonable accommodations and in compliance with federal law, students may have one Service or Emotional Support Animal (ESA) in the residences. A Service Animal is any animal that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability. Service animals may accompany its owner anywhere in the residence halls. An ESA is an animal that provides comfort to an individual with a disability upon the recommendation of a healthcare or mental health professional. An emotional support animal does not assist a person with a disability with activities of daily living but rather its role is to live with a student and alleviate the symptoms of an individual’s disability to provide equal opportunities to use and enjoy residential life at the University. ESAs must remain in the owners assigned room at all times. Important rules on owner care and handling:
Individuals other than the owner should never touch or handle an animal unless invited to do so. Individuals other than the owner should not feed the animal, startle the animal, attempt to separate the animal from the owner, or inquire for details about the owner’s disability or reason for having a Service or Emotional Support Animal. College Houses & Academic Services and Residential Services reserve the right to exclude or remove any animal that poses a direct threat to the health or safety of others or creates an unreasonable and unmanageable disturbance to the community. Back to top Fixtures and Locks Residents are encouraged to keep their exterior room or apartment doors locked at all times. Residents are not allowed to damage, hinder the proper use of, or make changes to any locks or fixtures associated with their rooms or apartment. Residents cannot add fixtures or locks to any doors, walls, or other surfaces within their apartment. Back to top Key Responsibility Residents are responsible for their own keys or PennCards (depending on location). They should not share keys or PennCards with another individual or duplicate these keys. Residents should be aware of the whereabouts of their keys and PennCards at all times.
In addition to any posted fines, residents found abusing this policy are subject to additional disciplinary action commensurate with the nature of that abuse. For more information, see “Keys and Locks” in the Procedures section of this document. Review also the PennCard Policy as published by the PennCard Center. Back to top Personal PropertyThe University does not accept responsibility for and will not repair or replace residents’ personal property that is lost, stolen, or damaged while residing on-campus. As a result, it is recommended that residents secure renter's insurance for their items either through family homeowners insurance a rider to that policy, or as purchased though a reputable provider. See “Renters Insurance” in the Services section for more detail on that option. Back to top PetsPets are not permitted in residences, except for fish of a size that can be appropriately kept in an aquarium not larger than 20 gallons. All roommates must agree upon the presence of an aquarium. Other pets are not permitted for several reasons: they pose potential health problems; they can cause destruction of University property; and they can be disruptive to other residents. "Visiting" pets are not permitted. Violations of the policy will carry the following potential sanctions:
For information on Service and Assistance animals, please see "Medical Accommodations" in the procedures section. Back to top Posting and Flyers For the College House Posting policy, please visit https://www.collegehouse.upenn.edu/resources/posters or follow up with the House Office of the particular building in which the posting will take place. For Sansom Place, all notices must clearly state the name of the responsible organization and be posted only on designated bulletin boards. No such notices should be placed on interior or exterior doors, windows, or elevators. Flyers may not be placed under student room doors. Any student or organization found in violation of these policies may face fines and disciplinary action. Please note additional bulletin board policies and information may be posted on the Sansom Place web site. Back to top RDO rooms are set aside for short term emergency situations; an average stay is 2-4 days. Residents are required to follow instructions regarding move-in and move-out of these spaces. Residents should also not expect a permanent relocation into a RDO room. Back to top Resident Room Access Responsibility Residents are responsible for their own PennCards and, when issued, their brass keys. They should not share keys or PennCards with another individual or duplicate their keys for any purpose. Residents should be aware of the whereabouts of their keys (if applicable) and PennCards at all times. Back to top Room Cleanliness and UpkeepAs responsible members of a larger community, residents are expected to maintain reasonable standards of cleanliness and order within their rooms as a means to discourage pests. Over the counter pesticides do not solve pest issues. They only move the pests elsewhere and potentially put any roommates or neighbors with chemical allergies at risk. Residents who fail to properly maintain, clean, or clear their apartments or rooms will be subject to disciplinary action, including fines and cleaning costs.
Any resident, visitor or guest found within unauthorized areas (student rooms in which they are not either a resident or an accompanied and welcomed guest, mechanical rooms, housekeeping closets, steam tunnels, etc.), found using emergency exits for any reason other than an emergency, or found on any roof, portico or any other architectural feature not designed for recreational or functional use will be subject to fines, assessment for any damaged caused and disciplinary action. Residents, visitors, and guests are not permitted to place any items in any unauthorized area. The University assumes no financial or legal responsibility for any student, guest, visitor, or property as a result of such actions. Back to top Unauthorized Movement of FurnitureResidents are required to keep all assigned room furniture within their rooms for their period of occupancy. Missing furniture or furniture found in the hallway, a lounge, a common space, or any other space other than its original room or apartment will result in fines and potential disciplinary proceedings. Furniture removed from halls, even by the University, will be treated as “missing” for the purposes of post-move-out charges. Student room furniture cannot be “stored” elsewhere or otherwise placed into lounges. Furniture placed in lounges is subject to being removed by the University and will be treated as “missing” for the purpose of post-move-out charges. Back to top Window Stops Residents may not tamper with window stops where they exist. Back to top |