Room Regulations

Upon occupancy, all residents are requested to report in writing any damage to their room. The cost of repairs for subsequent room damage will be charged directly to the student. Occupants of rooms or suites are jointly responsible for loss or damage unless specific information establishes individual responsibility. University officers and facilities maintenance personnel may enter the rooms at any time for inspection, maintenance, or other University business. Students are expected to keep their rooms clean and in good order and abide by the following rules:

1. General program students (college-age and older) may not visit the residences of Secondary School Program, Pre-College Program, Crimson Summer Academy, or other secondary school students, nor may they have secondary school students as guests in their rooms.

 2. Harvard Yard is tobacco free, and there is no smoking in Harvard residences or within 50 feet of Harvard buildings. Additional smoking restrictions may apply.

3. No nails, tacks, hooks, or tape may be used on walls, doors, moldings, ceilings, or floors; nothing with a glue back may be attached to walls or doors. Students obtain permission to hang or attach pictures and decorations from their building manager’s office (for Houses) or Yard Operations (for dorms).

4. Students may not use waterbeds, dart boards, or temporary room partitions. They may not use fireplaces.

5. Students may not remove furniture from their rooms or dismantle bunk beds. They will be charged for missing furniture and for reassembling dismantled bunk beds.

6. Students may not remove screens or storm windows. They may not climb through windows, lean out of windows, or sit on windowsills. They also may not climb the sides of buildings or be on the roofs of buildings.

7. Students may use only electrical appliances and wiring that comply with the standards of the National Electrical Code, Underwriters Laboratories, and Massachusetts laws and regulations.

a. Halogen lamps are not permitted.

b. Spliced cords are not permitted.

c. Extension cords and stereo speaker wiring must be in good condition and of adequate wire gauge.

d. Extension cords and stereo speaker wiring must not be attached to wall or floor surfaces, run through doorways or partitions, or be covered by rugs.

e. Appliances must not be connected to light sockets.

f. Cooking appliances (except those rented through Harvard Student Agencies) are not permitted in House and dormitory rooms. These include but are not limited to coffee/teapots, hot plates, popcorn poppers, etc.

8. Refrigerators are not permitted, with the exception of MicroFridges rented from Harvard Student Agencies.  MicroFridges may not be installed in bathrooms or closets. Pre-College Program students are not permitted to rent MicroFridges unless they have approval from the Accessibility Services Office.

9. Air conditioners are forbidden unless approved by the Accessibility Services Office and building manager. Air conditioners must be installed by facilities maintenance personnel.

10. The Summer School may request inspection by facilities maintenance electricians of any electrical appliance used in University housing. Should facilities maintenance declare the appliance unsafe, it must be removed immediately.

11. Students may not keep animals in University buildings without an approved accommodation from the Accessibility Services Office.

12. Bicycles should be walked, and skateboards and inline skates carried, through the Yard. Bicycles and motorized vehicles are not allowed in any University building unless stored under the direction of the building manager. Bicycles left in areas not designated for that purpose will be impounded.

13. Hover boards are prohibited

14. Students must take all their trash in tied trash bags to one of several trash/recycling depots located throughout the dormitories and Houses. Under no circumstances should litter or trash be left in the hallways, stairways, entryways, bathrooms, or outside the building. Students should be careful not to overload trash bags.  Broken glass or items with sharp edges should not be disposed of in plastic bags, but in a container such as a cardboard box or a double paper bag that will help custodial staff recognize the hazard.

15. Cambridge city ordinance requires the recycling of paper (including newspaper, magazines, and white and colored paper), containers (including cans, jars, and bottles made of metal, glass, and plastic), and batteries. Students are encouraged to recycle all paper, cans, and glass. Harvard uses single stream recycling so all these items should be placed in the same bin.

16. Students may not burn candles or incense—or create an open flame of any kind—in their residences