The University of Toledo

2013-2014 Contract Terms and Conditions

The Housing Contract is a legally binding agreement between you (“you” or “Resident”) and The University of Toledo (“University”). Once you have submitted and signed your housing application and it is accepted by the University, your Housing Contract is valid for the entire academic year and can only be canceled in accordance with these terms and conditions of the Housing Contract. These terms and conditions outline both your responsibilities and those of the University.

HOUSING REQUIREMENT

Residency Requirement: All fulltime first year students are required to live in University housing and participate in the meal plan program; unless a request for exemption form is filed with and approved by the Office of Residence Life.

In the event the University cannot provide a room or alternate housing, the housing and meal plan requirements will be excused, all rights and liabilities of the parties involved will cease.

ELIGIBILITY

University housing is provided to full-time (as defined by a Resident’s academic program) undergraduate students. Limited spaces are available for graduate and professional students. Undergraduate students are placed as first priority.

Students who have been convicted or have pled guilty to a felony or misdemeanor offense including but not limited to, sexual offenses such as assault, rape or any violent crimes, or the use, possession, sale transportation or distribution of a controlled substance, are not permitted to reside in University housing.

GENERAL RESIDENCE HALL REGULATIONS

Occupancy is a privilege extended to the Resident by the University. The continuation of this privilege is dependent upon the Residents’ reasonable and satisfactory personal conduct. You must abide by the Housing Contract, as well as the Residence Living Guide and McComas Village Living Guide (residencelife.utoledo.edu) (as applicable), the Student Handbook (utoledo.edu/studentsaffairs/pdfs/handbook.pdf), the Student Code of Conduct, and all other University policies, procedures and rules.

PERIOD OF CONTRACT

Your Housing Contract is a legally binding agreement between you and the University. Your Housing Contract is valid for the entire academic year (August – May), or as defined by your academic program unless terminated earlier in accordance with the terms herein.

PAYMENT OF FEES

All fees, including but not limited to housing and meal plan charges, tuition, and other associated fees, are due and payable as required by the University. Should Resident default in complying with any payment dates for any of Resident’s financial obligations, the University may seek any remedy in law or in equity, including specific performance of the Resident’s obligations or seek money damages. Resident agrees to pay all reasonable costs, attorney fees and expenses that are incurred by the University in enforcing this provision.

OCCUPANCY

Occupancy occurs when you have been issued a key to your room by the University. Actual physical occupancy of the room by student and/or placement of student’s possessions within the room do not constitute occupancy.

ARRIVAL DATES

The residence halls officially open between the dates of August 13-15 2013, 2012. Residents will be assigned a specific move in date within this range in the “Home at UT” newsletter. If you want to move in prior to your scheduled date, you may start August 10^th for an additional daily charge of $25.00.

If Resident is required by an office or department on campus to attend specific programs, the Resident may check-in prior to August 11th with approval from the Office of Residence Life.

You must claim your keys to your assigned room by 9:00 a.m. on the first day of classes, unless the Resident has advised the Office of Residence Life of delayed arrival. Failure to do so may result in Housing Contract termination and assessed fees.

INTERIM BREAK PERIODS

Fall Break: September 30 – October 1, 2013 - The residence halls remain open with limited staff, meal plan service, and Information Desk services. There is no charge to stay.

Thanksgiving Break: November 27 – December 1, 2013 - The residence halls remain open with limited staff and Information Desk services. There is no meal plan service available and no charge to stay.

Winter Break: December 13, 2013 – January 3, 2014 - The residence halls and meal plan services are closed in all halls except International House. There is limited staff and Information Desk services. There is an additional charge of $25.00 per night for residents pre-authorized to stay.

Spring Break: March 3-7, 2014 - The residence halls remain open with limited staff, meal plan services and Information Desk services. There is no charge to stay.

ADMINISTRATIVE ROOM CHANGES

The University reserves the right to reassign Residents at any time based on conduct, contract violations, resident conflicts, and to make the most efficient and beneficial use of available accommodations. The University may reassign or remove a Resident from the residence halls at the University’s or the Department of Health’s discretion due to illness or disease and in the best interest of the individual Residents and the public’s safety.

ROOM CONSOLIDATION

The Office of Residence Life has the right to consolidate residents into rooms in order to maintain occupancy and accommodate additional students in on-campus housing. Residents must accept a room consolidation, if his/her roommate does not arrive or moves out mid-semester, by being prepared to receive a roommate at any time and by keeping half of the room unoccupied, or by moving in a new room with a new roommate. Consolidation may occur within the same residence hall or between residence halls.

ROOM CHANGES

All room changes must have prior authorization from the Office of Residence Life or the Hall Director. If the Resident is in violation of this Housing Contract, then he/she must meet with a Residence Life representative and could face conduct charges.

ENTRY TO A ROOM

University employees may enter a Resident room at any time to assess and repair the physical facilities, complete inspections, verify occupancy, adjust temperature controls, maintain safety standards, and/or for other reasons determined necessary by Residence Life staff.

University employees may enter and search a Resident room and seize matter in violation of University policy or the law. Such search and seizure will be conducted in the presence of the occupant(s) of the room when there is reasonable cause to believe a violation has occurred, unless the matter necessitates an immediate entry. Conditions that necessitate an immediate entry include:

1. a person may be physically harmed and/or endangered;

2. when University property is being damaged or is reasonably in danger of being damaged;

3. as directed by The University of Toledo Police Department;

4. to silence disruptive noise;

5. to determine if Residents have vacated during a fire alarm or drill;

6. when necessary for the health, safety or welfare of Resident or anyone else in the room; or7. for other reasons determined necessary by Residence Life staff.

PERSONAL PROPERTY DAMAGE

The University assumes no responsibility for loss or damage to a Resident’s personal property. The University highly encourages all residents to get personal property insurance. 

ABANDONED PROPERTY/FACILITY DAMAGES

Residents assume care for the physical facilities of the residence units. Depending on the type of residential facility, a unit may be a room, suite or house. Damage to the Resident’s room and furnishings will be the financial responsibility of the assigned occupant(s) of the room, if the responsible party(ies) cannot be identified. Damage to the common area of a suite will be the financial responsibility of all suite-mates, if the responsible party(ies) cannot be identified. If damage beyond normal wear and tear occurs to the public areas of the residence hall or house and it is not possible to determine the responsible party(ies), residents of the floor/suite/wing or building may share the financial responsibility for such damage. Residents may not be permitted to live in a residence hall or house the following academic year if all property damages have not been paid in full. Residents may not install or use a satellite dish, cable, wireless router or any other device or contract with any provider to run television, internet, gaming, etc. to the facilities other than what is provided by the University.

COMMERCIAL OPERATIONS

Residential rooms, the building, its facilities and adjacent grounds are solely for residential purposes. Commercial for-profit businesses will not be permitted to operate from, or on residential premises owned or operated by the University.

KEY/ID LOANING AND DUPLICATING

Duplication and loaning of University-issued keys or ID cards or accommodation of unauthorized guests is prohibited. Students found in violation will be subject to judicial action and fines.

GUESTS AND VISITORS

A guest is defined as any individual who visits a UT residential facility in which he or she does not reside. Guests are expected to observe all University rules and regulations. Overnight guests may be accommodated for a maximum of two consecutive nights with written roommate consent via a guest pass permit available at the information desk. Guests are not permitted during the break periods. Residents who have unauthorized overnight guests will be charged the daily cost of the room rate and may be subject to disciplinary action.

Violations of the guest policy include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Allowing a guest to enter a residential facility without a host (i.e. tailgating)

• Violation of any State, University or Residence Life regulations by a guest.

Hosts assume full responsibility for the behavior and activities of their guest(s) regardless of whether the host is present to observe the behavior of the guest(s). For safety and security reasons, hosts are expected, whenever, reasonably possible, to accompany their guests at all times.

Guests are required to register at the residence hall information desk. They are to check out at the same location when the visit is complete. Overnight guests cannot be under the age of 6.TERMINATION OF HOUSING CONTRACT BY RESIDENT

(prior to OCCUPANCY and after OCCUPANCY)

If Resident wishes to cancel the Housing Contract prior to occupancy, you must do so in writing, by 9 a.m. on the first day of classes of a term, to not be charged housing.

If you wish to cancel the Housing Contract after occupancy, you must submit a contract release request form. Requests will be reviewed by the Office of Residence Life and if approved, release from the Housing Contract will be in effect upon the issuance of the decision but you will still be responsible for cancellation fees. If your request is denied, the Housing Contract will continue and you will be liable for the full amount for housing.

Residents who are graduating or withdrawing from the University will be released from their Housing Contract upon filing a contract release request form and submitting supporting documentation.

If you are not enrolled in class as of five days into a term (fall, spring, or summer) or become unregistered at any point in the semester, you are thereby automatically terminating the Housing Contract by your actions. You are required to immediately vacate the residential facilities. You will be financially responsible until the date you completely vacate the facilities and return your keys.

TERMINATION OF HOUSING CONTRACT BY UNIVERSITY

The Housing Contract may be terminated by the Office of Residence Life for: violation of law, violation of University or residence hall regulations or policies, conduct or existence of such conditions that would reasonably affect the health, safety or welfare of the Resident or others; revocation of student status; or nonpayment of housing or University fees.

If the University takes action to terminate the Housing Contract for failure to comply with any of the Terms and Conditions or violation of the Student Code of Conduct or any University policy, rule, or procedure, the Resident will receive a notice with a right to be heard and a hearing in accordance with Ohio Revised Code Section 5321.031.

HOUSING REIMBURSEMENT IF TERMINATION OCCURS

In the case of early termination, the policies and information regarding housing and meal plan reimbursement that Resident is subject to can be found at:

http://www.utoledo.edu/studentaffairs/reslife/cancelfees.html.

CONDUCT

If Resident breaches the Housing Contract, it may be terminated in accordance with the Terms and Conditions herein and, in addition, Resident may also be brought up on conduct charges in accordance with the Student Code of Conduct.

Violations that may result in immediate termination of the Housing Contract include but are not limited to: 

• physical abuse, verbal abuse, threats, intimidation, harassment,
• use, possession, manufacturing or distribution of marijuana, heroin, narcotics, drugs, illegal or unauthorized possession,
• use or unauthorized storage of firearms, fireworks or realistic replicas of weapons on university premises,
• conduct that is disorderly, lewd, or indecent; disruption or obstruction of Education,
• attempted or actual theft or destruction of or unauthorized use or possession of property of any kind belonging to the university, a member of the university community, a campus visitor, or a person or agency participating in a university activity.

DISCLAIMER: the Office of Residence Life reserves the right to alter or change the Housing Contract as deemed necessary