Residential Life

• You cannot keep any animal in a building owned or leased by the College with the exception of approved service or assistance animals. Contact the Disability Access Office (DAO), previously known as the Accessible Education Office (AEO), if you need accommodation.
• Open a work order for all pest control issues. Do not use chemicals or sprays.

Housing cancellation fees will be applied based on the dates listed under "Term Bill Adjustments" on this webpage. 

Replacement Fees

1. Students are responsible for all University furniture provided in their rooms or apartments. If students in the Houses or Dudley residences decide not to use some pieces of furniture, they must store them within the building at the direction of the House Building Manager. All first-year dormitory furniture must remain in suites unless approved by the Disability Access Office. Please note that in the renovated Houses, furniture storage outside of the student suite is no longer available.  Any unwanted furniture items must remain in the student suite. In the DeWolfe Street buildings, furniture storage is not available. Written instructions about the process will be made available during move-in. Students are also responsible for returning any stored pieces to the room before they vacate it. Failure to do so will result in a moving fee.

2. Students may obtain a bed board (plywood for under mattress) for health or comfort from the House Building Manager or Dorm Crew. The student must sign a form agreeing to be charged the cost of replacing the bed board if it is not returned by the end of the academic year. Bedrails are not provided but bedding/linens for added protection can be purchased online or at retail stores.
3. Waterbeds are prohibited in College buildings.
4. Furnishings for the House, Dudley residence, and dormitory common areas may not be removed for students’ personal use. Building Managers or Yard Ops will remove such furnishings from student rooms when found. Students will be assessed the cost of removing the articles, and the incident may be brought to the attention of the Administrative Board for appropriate disciplinary action.
5. Students who bring articles of personal property onto the premises of the University do so at their own risk. The University assumes no responsibility and shall not be liable for any articles, including mail or parcels sent to students that are damaged, lost, stolen, or left behind after vacating. The University urges students to leave valuables at home or to obtain appropriate property insurance. The University recommends obtaining private insurance if your belongings are not covered by your family’s homeowner’s or renter’s insurance policy. You may contact the Office of Risk Management for advice regarding insurance options available to Harvard students. Retrieval of personal property (jewelry, contact lenses, etc.) from sink, shower, toilet and bathroom drains is the financial responsibility of the student requesting retrieval. The student will be term billed $75 for the cost of the plumber’s time necessary to retrieve the object. This charge applies even if the plumber is unable to retrieve the lost item.
6. Students must maintain their personal furnishings in a decent state of repair, and remove them from the suite at the time of vacating. Any furnishings that might cause a fire hazard or injury to the cleaning staff must be removed on request.
7. Students may keep refrigerators in their rooms for personal use if the units meet the following specifications: dimensions not to exceed 36” high x 24” wide x 24” deep; weight not greater than 85 lbs. Building Managers and Yard Ops have a list of some models meeting the guidelines.
8. It is the students’ responsibility to supply their own telephone equipment, or to rent such at the time they apply for service. All suites are equipped with jacks that accommodate the modern plug-in (modular) cords. Most first-year dormitories now have centrally located emergency call boxes.
9. Bicycle racks are provided for active use, not for long-term storage. Bicycles left on racks for extended periods of time, or which appear to be unusable may be removed from bike racks. Check with your Building Manager or Quad Bikes for availability of seasonal storage.
10. Micromobility devices parked in designated parking areas or in designated bicycle parking areas that are left for extended periods of time, or which appear to be unusable may be removed. Check with your Building Manager for availability of seasonal storage.

As part of the care of the buildings under College supervision, students must observe the following specific regulations.

1. Residents are responsible for reporting in writing any damages to their suite (beyond normal wear and tear) to their Building Manager or Yard Ops within one week following registration. Any unreported damages found in the suite after this time will be assumed to be the responsibility of the current residents of the suite and they will be term billed to pay for the cost of any repairs. Residents are not permitted to paint their rooms or suites. Students will be charged on their term bill for the full cost to repaint a suite to its original color. Depending on the color and type of paint used, the cost can exceed $200 per wall.
2. While decorating their rooms students must be careful not to attach anything to the walls or to other surfaces in a way that causes damage or leaves any marks. Upon request, the Building Manager or Yard Ops will provide students with molding hooks, or an adhesive gum (e.g., Hold- it). Students are advised that use of any other methods (tape, tacks, nails, hooks, etc.) will result in a charge on the term bill.
3. The installation of any temporary room partition must conform with the regulations outlined in the Office of Physical Resources student room partition policy and be specifically authorized by the Building Manager or Yard Ops. Unauthorized partitions will be removed immediately and the students responsible will be term billed for the cost of removal and any related damage.
4. Students are expected to maintain a reasonable level of cleanliness in their rooms. All students living in rooms containing an en suite bathroom are responsible for the cleaning of the bathroom. Cleaning information can be found on the Dean of Students Office website, on the door of each en suite bathroom, as well as with cleaning supplies available from each Building Manager and Yard Ops. Rooms will be inspected periodically during the year and at the end of each academic year. Charges will be levied for violations of rules and repair, including damages or other interventions resulting from lack of cleaning; these charges will be added to the occupants’ term bill. If in the course of performing inspections, repairs or maintenance in a student suite a staff member comes across a prohibited cooking appliance or other safety hazard, the staff member will report the item to the Building Manager or Yard Ops. The Building Manager or Yard Ops will provide the student with notice of the violation and re-inspect the room within two weeks’ time. If the violation remains in the student room, the Building Manager or Yard Ops will remove and dispose of the offending appliance or materials.

Additional policies and guidelines for first-year students are published on the Yard Operations website.

If you take a leave of absence, review your financial obligation for tuition and room charges.

Voices, radios, televisions, stereos, musical instruments, and other audio equipment shall be adjusted so as not to disturb the community.

You may only host guests with the express permission of your House Office or proctor. Overnight guests will not be granted an ID card to swipe into Harvard spaces, so you should plan to accompany your guests during their visit. Campus visitors must follow all University policies while on campus. Contact your proctor or House Office for the guest registration process.

Solicitation in University buildings and on University property must have prior approval of the proper authority. The Dean of Students Office (DSO) determines permitted activities:

• Sales conducted in the immediate vicinity of College Dining Halls, Sanders Theatre, or by the Science Center for:
  • Subscriptions to recognized publications
  • Sales of tickets to student org functions
  • Sales of recordings of student orgs
• All solicitation and canvassing must be carried out between the hours of 9 am and 9:30 pm on weekdays, unless an exception has been granted by the DSO
• No student organization activity, including solicitation, can occur prior to the first day of classes
• The First-Year Experience Office, Faculty Deans, or Dudley Assistant Dean may deny permission to carry on the above in their dormitories or Houses or Dudley-affiliated space
• All other sales must be approved by the DSO

If you bring a vehicle to school, you are required to register your car with Parking Services, located in the Smith Campus Center. The University assumes no responsibility for damages to any vehicle or its contents for reason of fire, theft, vandalism, or other cause.

• You should be familiar with the parking regulations if you have a car on campus
• Vehicles parked on University property require a valid parking permit; those not displaying a valid permit are subject to ticketing and towing
  • Annual permits are available for students who live on campus or commute to campus
  • Daily permits are also available
• Out of state vehicles must apply for non-registered status with the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles
• Cambridge residential permits allow parking on the streets of Cambridge, but are restricted to city residents
• If you need accessible parking, you should register with the Disability Access Office