Housekeeping and Safety

1. To comply with City of Evanston housing codes and to ensure the general safety and welfare in the residence halls, the University reserves the right to enter and inspect rooms for health or safety reasons, for fire safety, during an emergency, to protect life or property from imminent danger, or to provide repair or maintenance services. Absent an emergency or imminent threat to health or safety, no search of the contents will be made without either consent of a resident of the room or a search warrant, except as otherwise permitted by law. Closets that are part of the room may be opened and inspected. Any hazardous conditions or violations noted during any safety inspection must be corrected upon notification of the residents.
2. Fire alarms, automatic sprinklers, extinguishers, and other devices are provided for the safety of residents in case of fire. Exiting through an alarmed security door (except in case of emergency) or propping open, disabling, or tampering with a fire door is prohibited. Tampering with these devices or using them for other purposes is prohibited. Fire exit drills for residence halls are required by Illinois and Evanston law. All occupants of a residence hall must leave the building during a fire alarm or exit drill. Sounding a false alarm is a violation of city and state law and University regulations. Persons found to have sounded a false alarm, misused security or fire doors, or tampered with extinguishers, smoke or fire detection devices, or automatic sprinklers may be fined, and other disciplinary sanctions may be applied up to and including removal from University housing. When responsible individuals cannot be identified, residence hall governments may be assessed.
3. Under Illinois law, a person commits aggravated arson when, by means of fire or explosive, he or she knowingly damages, partially or totally, any building, and he or she knows, or reasonably should know, that one or more persons are present therein. Aggravated arson is a Class X felony; imprisonment of not less than six years, without probation, must be sentenced upon conviction.
4. The Evanston housing code forbids the use or storage in sleeping rooms of microwaves, hot pots, toaster ovens, or any appliances for cooking or heating food or beverages. In addition, other heat producing appliances, such as irons, may not be used in sleeping rooms, and refrigerators with interiors larger than three cubic feet are prohibited.
5. Smoking is prohibited in all areas of all residence halls, including but not limited to sleeping rooms, lounges, suite living rooms, dining rooms, corridors, stairwells, and washrooms.
6. Room decorations are permitted except for hanging blankets, tapestries, rugs, or fishnets, provided the decorations do not cover more than 50 percent of the wall or window space. Combustible decorations must not be put on the ceiling, in the entryway, on the door, or near heat sources such as radiators or light bulbs. Any method of affixing decorations that puts holes in or mars walls, woodwork, doors, or furnishings is prohibited.
7. Lighted candles, live holiday trees, holiday or decorative lights, incense, fireworks, explosives, and incendiary materials are prohibited. The possession or use of firearms or other weapons of any description and for any purpose is prohibited. No decorations, flags, banners, or other items may be hung on the exterior or draped from a window or doorway of any residence hall. Signs or posters in windows or on doors must have the approval of all roommates and are subject to the approval of the University.
8. Bicycles may not be stored in any area of a residence hall other than in areas specifically designated for such use. Bicycles parked in stairwells or on ramps, attached to handrails, or otherwise impeding egress from a building will be removed at the bicycle owner’s expense. Bicycles inappropriately parked in the common areas surrounding residence halls may also be removed. No motorcycle or other motor vehicle is permitted to be brought into any area of any residence hall for storage or for any purpose whatsoever.
9. The installation of air conditioners by residents is prohibited.
10. The removal or opening of window screens, or of stops designed to limit the opening of the window, by residents, either permanently or for a short period of time, is prohibited.
11. The use of water beds is prohibited. The building or installation of “lofts,” furniture, or other structures of any kind or size, including but not limited to cinder block or wooden platforms, is prohibited.
12. All University furnishings and fixtures must remain in the room at all times. Furniture in lounges and common areas must not be removed.
13. Additions to, modifications of, and unauthorized connections to existing wiring systems are prohibited and will be removed at the student’s expense; such systems include electrical, telephone, data, and television/radio signal wiring and distribution systems. Residents are prohibited from installing additional wiring or distribution systems, including satellite dishes. Any such unauthorized wiring will be removed at the owner’s expense. Only the jacks and outlets provided in a resident’s room may be used for obtaining electrical power or for connecting telephone and data transmission equipment. Use of unapproved wireless access points to transmit data to or from the University’s or a private network is prohibited. No cameras or recording devices may be installed in any area of the residence hall.
14. A resident may not use any facilities or areas of the residence halls, including the room assigned to the resident, for any commercial purpose or activity without a permit from the Director of Housing. No one is permitted to place materials on, at, or under resident room doors unless for official University business or communication between known acquaintances. At no time and under no circumstances will door-to-door solicitation be permitted within the residence halls.
15. Rooms must be maintained in good sanitary condition and must be returned in as good repair as when possession was taken, ordinary wear and tear excepted. Damages to students’ rooms, including costs for replacing missing furnishings, will be charged to the last known student occupants of that room. Damages to the public areas of a residence hall, including costs for replacing missing furniture and other furnishings, that cannot be attributed to specific individuals or groups, will be charged to all residents of the smallest applicable area of the hall, the total being divided equally. Assessments for damages are made quarterly (and more frequently, at the discretion of hall governments) by the University. Residence hall funds derived from maintenance fees and, in some cases, social dues, may be used to pay assessments for damages to public areas.
16. No pets or animals of any kind (except for documented and approved service animals) are permitted in the residence halls at any time for any reason.
17. All keys are the property of Northwestern University. Residents are prohibited at all times from giving and/or loaning their keys to anyone for any reason. Any duplication of University keys is strictly prohibited. Replacements for lost keys must be obtained from the housekeeping office. If a room door key is lost, the door lock is automatically changed, for which the charge (including a new key) is $125. The charges for replacing other keys are as follows: front door keys and security door keys, $25 each; mailbox keys, $6 each. If a key is broken, it will be replaced without charge, provided the portion of the key with the identification numbers is returned to the housekeeping office.
18. Any student vacating a residence hall for any reason — including but not limited to withdrawal from the University, moving to a different residence hall, and vacating the hall at the end of the academic year in June — must return all keys within 24 hours. Failure to return any key within this time limit will be cause for the assessment of liquidated damages as specified in the residence and board contract and an improper checkout charge.
19. No surface of any room may be painted except in accordance with the University’s room painting policy.
20. Residents are prohibited from entering onto roofs, balconies, or fire escapes for any purpose except in case of an emergency.