Residential Life Policies

  • Roommates’ Rights—For the purposes of this handbook, a roommate is defined as an individual who resides within the same room, suite, apartment or house. Disruption or interference with a roommate’s right to study, sleep, live in a clean, secure environment and/or have full access to one’s own room is prohibited. Each member living in a particular housing unit is responsible for ensuring that Quinnipiac University policies are followed by all of the residents and their guests and/or visitors.
  • Personal Belongings—The university is not responsible for students’ personal belongings. Personal items must be removed when a student moves out of university housing for any reason, including leaves of absence, withdrawal from university housing, withdrawal from the university or at the conclusion of the housing contract term. Items left behind will be discarded.
  • Playing Sports—The use of any sporting equipment in the hallways, common areas, individual rooms or courtyards is prohibited.
  • Pets, Service and Support Animals—Pets, other than fish contained in a tank no larger than 10 gallons, are prohibited in the residential areas. Students requiring service or emotional support animals must complete the medical accommodation form when applying for housing and submit necessary information to the Office of Student Accessibility. Please refer to the Animals on Campus Policy for additional information.
  • Health and Safety—Resident students assume responsibility for the use and general care of their living space and its furnishings. Members of the Residential Life staff and Facilities staff inspect all rooms on a regular basis, including during each vacation period, for health, safety, damage, fire code and security reasons. Violations may result in a monetary fine and/or disciplinary action. Any prohibited items that are found will be confiscated and not returned.
  • Maximum Occupancy—The maximum number of people permitted to occupy any individual room, suite or apartment at any one time may not exceed twice the number of residents of that living unit +1, except where designated in certain QU-owned houses.
  • Administrative Moves—An administrative move may occur when there is not an immediate resolution in a roommate dispute, there is behavior that is disrupting the room, or a concern is being addressed or is under investigation. The director of residential life or their designee will determine when an administrative move is necessary, how long it will last and how many members of the living unit will be moved.

Routine Inspection

During the routine inspection, items including but not limited to the following are evaluated:

  • pictures, posters and other decorations improperly hung on the walls (only removable adhesive tape should be used)
  • damage caused by nails, tacks, pins, screws, masking tape and/or scotch tape
  • overloaded wastebaskets
  • fire hazards (decorative door items may be placed only on the bulletin board)
  • evidence of unauthorized animals
  • condition and structure of university furniture
  • missing university property
  • damage or misuse of fire safety equipment
  • evidence of vandalism
  • violations of the student code of conduct

Prohibited Items

If any prohibited item is found in the residence hall/student’s residence hall room, it will be confiscated and discarded. If any approved item (see below) is used NOT in accordance with the established criteria, it will be confiscated and discarded. There will be no warnings given or second chances. Confiscated items will not be returned to students. Prohibited items include, but are not limited to the following:

  • Extension cords 

  • Overloaded electrical outlets 

  • Crock Pots/InstaPots/Pressure Cookers 

  • Indoor grills 

  • Coil type burners 

  • Portable stovetops 

  • Hot Plates 

  • Grill units and propane tanks 

  • Oil, Anything with 

  • Sternos 

  • Open Flames, Anything with 

  • Lava Lamps 

  • Torches (Butane) 

  • Space heaters 

  • Fire pits 

  • All candles, whether burning, burnt, new or decorative

  • Incense 

  • Flammable Objects and/or substances 

  • Halogen Lamps 

  • Bars and bar-like structures 

  • Collections and/or displays of alcohol containers (including empty boxes, bottles, cans) 

  • Tapestries covering the ceiling or light fixtures 

  • Ceiling fans or other items hanging from the ceilings 

  • Alcohol or drug paraphernalia (including drinking devices, bongs, pipes, rolling papers, etc.) 

  • Tobacco and all tobacco-derived or containing products, including cigarettes, electronic cigarettes and smoking devices, cigars and cigarillos, rolling papers, hookah smoked products, pipes and oral tobacco, or any product intended to mimic tobacco products, contain tobacco flavoring or deliver nicotine other than for the purpose of cessation. 

  • Hookah pipes or equipment 

  • Smoke and Fog Machines 

  • Fireworks, guns, weapons and explosives 

  • Darts, Dartboards and Slingshots 

  • Pools  

  • Tent-like structures 

  • Live Christmas trees 

  • Skateboards (electronic/motorized) with re-chargeable batteries 

  • Hoverboard with re-chargeable batteries 

  • Electric Bicycles/Scooters with re-chargeable batteries 

  • Non–university approved air conditioning units 

  • Non–university owned lofts 

  • Painting – Painting residence hall rooms and/or university-owned residences  

  • Window Screens – Removing Screens from any window 

Approved Items – Category I 

The following items are approved for usage in QU housing ONLY for students who are living in Hill, Complex, Whitney Village, York Hill Campus or Quinnipiac off-campus properties. All appliances MUST be used in the kitchen or approved ventilated space on an appropriate heat-resistant counter or table. AT NO TIME CAN THESE APPLIANCES BE USED IN A RESIDENTIAL SPACE WHERE THE BED/SLEEPING QUARTERS ARE LOCATED. While in use, the appliance MUST be attended at all times. While in use, the appliance MUST be plugged into a wall socket and not an extension cord or power strip. All appliances should be unplugged when not in use. All appliances MUST be UL listed with an attached tag. 

  • Air Fryers 

  • Waffle Irons 

  • Panini Presses 

  • Toasters 

  • Toaster Ovens 

  • Griddles 

  • Foreman Grills 

  • Hot Pots – if they turn off automatically after use 

  • Coffee Makers – Multi cup with hot plate  

 

Approved Items – Category II 

The following items are approved for usage in all QU housing under certain conditions. While in use, the appliance MUST be attended at all times. While in use, the appliance MUST be plugged into a wall socket and not an extension cord or power strip. All appliances should be unplugged when not in use. All appliances MUST be UL listed with an attached tag. 

  • Single Cup Coffee Makers without a hot plate (ex. Keurig) 

  • Mini-Fridge (not larger than 3.6 cubic feet) 

Approved Items – Category III (Non-Kitchen Items) 

The following items are approved for usage in all QU housing under certain conditions. While in use, the item MUST be attended at all times. While in use, the item MUST be plugged into a wall socket and not an extension cord or power strip. All items should be unplugged when not in use. All appliances MUST be UL listed with an attached tag. 

  • Wax Warmers (electric only; no candles or open flames)

  • Decorative lights, string lights, strip lights or copper wire lights with LED bulbs, and featuring a built-in on/off switch as part of the strand or a remote 

  • Rope lights with bulbs encased in plastic   

Note: If a student wants to bring an item to campus but they are unsure whether it is allowed, please call Residential Life at 203-582-8666 or email residentiallife@qu.edu 

Quiet Hours

  • All resident students and their guests and visitors must abide by the quiet hours that are in effect from Sunday–Thursday, 9 p.m. to 8 a.m., and Friday–Saturday, 12 a.m. (midnight) to 8 a.m.
  • Courtesy hours are in effect at all times. Students are to respect the rights of others to read, study and sleep without interference, undue disturbance or unreasonable noise. Students living in university-owned or leased properties must be respectful of the greater community in which they live.
    • During the period of final exams, quiet hours are in effect 24 hours per day beginning at 6 p.m. on the Friday before final exams. Exam hours are defined as 24-hour quiet hours during final exams.

Housing Contract

Students are responsible for maintaining and abiding by their housing agreement. The housing agreement can be viewed on MyHousing or qu.edu/housing