Housing

A. Residence

The head of each residential college is in charge of all college affairs, including housing. With the exception of first year housing assignments, students select their rooms through the annual room draw overseen by Yale College Housing; in some circumstances a head and/or dean working in consultation with the Dean of Students may need to override or change a housing assignment.

Campus housing regulations are binding on all students in residence in Yale College housing and on their visitors, whether from Yale or elsewhere. The following regulations apply in the residential colleges, on the Old Campus, and in any other annex spaces.

  1. Occupancy. Students in their first four terms of enrollment must live on campus unless they are married or are at least twenty-one years of age on the first day of classes in the term in question. First-year students and sophomores who are rusticated are required to live off campus during the time of their rustication. On-campus housing is guaranteed to first-year students and sophomores, for whom residence is required. Housing is generally available for all who request it, but availability is not guaranteed.

  2. Off-Campus Housing. Juniors and seniors are ordinarily permitted to live off campus; however, the residential college head or dean may require a student to remain on campus in unusual circumstances. The University assumes that students have notified their parents or guardians of their housing plans.

    Any student living off campus may select a resident meal plan and is encouraged to take advantage of all the other resources of the college.

  3. Students must live in the rooms to which they have been assigned. They may not move without the express permission of either Yale College Housing or their residential college dean or head. All resident students must take a meal contract. Empty beds in suites may be filled at the discretion of Yale College Housing or residential college deans or heads without prior notice to students. While students will ordinarily remain in the room to which they have been assigned, they may be moved at the discretion of the Dean of Students. 

  4. Mixed-Gender housing. Yale offers mixed-gender housing as an option for all students, with the following conditions:

    1. No student will be assigned to a mixed-gender suite against their will.

    2. Availability may be limited by the number of students who select this option.

    3. Mixed-gender housing groups will get no advantage or disadvantage in the housing selection process. If students are not able to select a suite that can accommodate them, they may need to break into different groups that may or may not be mixed-gender.

    4. Incoming students may indicate their interest in mixed-gender housing during the matriculation process. 

  5. Room Draw. An undergraduate who participates in the room draw of a residential college in the spring, and accepts a room as a result of the draw, has contracted for that room. If that student subsequently relinquishes the room, they normally will be subject to the charges outlined in Financial Services.

  6. Wheelchair-accessible housing. Any student who selects and accepts a wheelchair-accessible room may later be required to relinquish it to a student with an SAS-approved accommodation. If the room is needed, the original occupant will be provided with alternative housing.

  7. Reinstatement. Students applying for reinstatement who wish to live on campus should notify Yale College Housing early in their reinstatement process. On-campus housing is guaranteed to first-year students and sophomores, for whom residence is required. Housing is generally available for all students who request it, but availability is not guaranteed. Housing will be determined upon completion of the reinstatement process: in early to mid-August, for the fall semester, and in early December, for the spring semester.

  8. Transfer of College Affiliation. Students may request a transfer from their assigned residential college to another college. Such a request will be granted when a student has compelling reasons and there is space in the college to which they wish to transfer. Instructions and the form to request are usually disseminated in late January or early-February. There is no need for a student to meet with their head or dean in advance of completing the form.

    Transfer requests must be made in early February, for the following fall term. In unusual circumstances, students may ask to transfer affiliation at other times of the year; such requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

  9. Occupying and Vacating Rooms. All residences, including the residential colleges, Old Campus dormitories, and annex facilities, open for occupancy on stipulated dates before the beginning of classes each term. They are open for the entire fall and spring terms, but all are closed during the winter recess. Yale College will occasionally survey students in advance of spring recess to determine how many students plan to stay on campus during the spring recess, so that the colleges can be staffed accordingly.

    All students must vacate their rooms by noon of the day following the end of the final examination period in the fall term. In the spring term, all students but seniors must vacate their rooms by noon of the day following the end of the final examination period; seniors may remain in their quarters until noon of the day following Commencement. Failure to vacate rooms by these times will result in a fine of $100, which will be charged to a student's University account.

    Only students currently enrolled in Yale College may live in undergraduate housing; students on a leave of absence, students on a Year or Term Abroad, and withdrawn students may not occupy student housing. Students occupying dormitory rooms during the fall who will be leaving for the spring term must remove all of their possessions by noon of the day following the end of final examination period in the fall, so that the room can be prepared for the next occupant. Students who cease to be enrolled mid-semester (for example, students who are suspended, expelled, withdrawn, or on leave of absence) must vacate the college and return keys and, if required, Yale identification, to the residential college dean’s office within 48 hours of their status change. In some cases this interval may be shorter as specified by the Executive Committee, the University-Wide Committee on Sexual Misconduct, or the dean of student affairs. A suspended or withdrawn student may not return to campus during the period of suspension or withdrawal for any reason unless they receive express written permission in advance from their residential college dean or head, or the dean of student affairs; an expelled student must receive express written permission in advance from the dean of student affairs. 

B. Conduct in the dormitories

Living and working in a community requires individuals to show each other mutual respect and consideration. Students need to be able to sleep and study in comfort, and they have a right to privacy. Persistent rooming disagreements should be discussed with the residential college head or dean.

  1. Noise. Students should use sound systems, musical instruments, televisions, etc., with consideration for the rights of others. This is particularly important between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and between 1 a.m. and 8 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. The residential college head has the authority to confiscate sound equipment and return it to the student at the end of the academic year if its use is inappropriate. Inconsiderate noise should be reported to the head and dean. Violation of the rules against noise may result in the penalty of rustication.

  2. Firecrackers and Fireworks. Students may not store or use fireworks anywhere on campus. Violations will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law and referred to the Executive Committee.

  3. Firearms and Weapons. Guns, ammunition, air rifles, paintball and pellet guns, BB guns, Tasers, knives, and other weapons are absolutely prohibited.

  4. Pets. Students are not permitted to keep pets in their dormitory rooms. Off-campus students may not bring their pets onto campus. The Facilities Superintendent has the authority to remove and to send to the pound any animal found in University residences.

  5. Service and Emotional Support Animals. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and other applicable state and federal law, Yale University generally allows students with disabilities to bring Service Animals to campus to perform work or tasks related to a disability. In some cases, Emotional Support Animals that do not qualify as Service Animals under the ADA may be permitted in University housing if shown to be necessary to afford a student with a documented disability an equal opportunity to use and enjoy University housing (https://your.yale.edu/policies-procedures/policies/4400-service-animals-and-emotional-support-animals). 

    Students planning to bring a Service Animal to campus or seeking approval to bring an Emotional Support Animal to campus should contact Student Accessibility Services as early as possible to begin the approval and registration process.

  6. Thrown Objects. Throwing objects of any kind from windows is forbidden.

  7. Guests. Students living in the dormitories may have guests for brief visits, no more than three days. Roommates who feel inconvenienced by the presence of others’ guests should discuss the matter with their residential college head or dean. No guest may be in residence if a host is not present. Students are responsible for the behavior of their guests at all times; guests may not use common areas of a college unless their hosts are present.

  8. Trading and Soliciting. Students may not invite dealers or other tradespeople onto campus unless they receive permission from the head of their residential college. They also may not make contracts or agreements with such individuals that would require their presence in dormitories, except to remove or deliver goods to an individual student. Violations of this rule could result in the exclusion of such dealers and tradespeople from University grounds and buildings, and might also subject the contracting student to disciplinary action.

  9. Restricted Areas. Students may not trespass in areas that are locked, such as rooftops, towers, and tunnels.

  10. Smoking Regulations. Yale University is a tobacco-free and smoke-free campus. Smoking or vaping of any kind is prohibited in all areas of the University campus, and in property leased or owned by Yale. All tobacco products, including chewing tobacco, are also prohibited.

  11. Postings. Notices and postings may be put up on bulletin boards with permission of the residential college head. Students are prohibited from attaching notices or posters to doors, walls, etc.; such notices will be removed. See Posters, Chalking, and Publicity.

  12. Recording devices. Drones are not permitted in the residential colleges or on the Old Campus.  Other recordings (for example, film, video, photography, audio recordings) are allowed only for personal use. Students may not record others without their express permission.  Recordings made for other than personal purposes are usually not permitted in the residential colleges; in special cases, recordings may be made with advance written permission by the head of college and the dean of student affairs.  See the University Recording Policy for the university policy on recording classes, meetings, and university events.

C. Dormitory furnishings

Each student in residence in a Yale College room will be supplied with a bed, mattress, bureau or wardrobe, desk, and chair. The University does not provide computer desks or tables. A recycling bin is allocated to each suite. In addition, some rooms or suites are furnished with bookcases, fire screens, curtains, window screens, or storm windows. At the beginning of each term, students will receive a Facilities Superintendent’s dormitory room report listing the furniture that has been provided; the property listed becomes a student’s responsibility. Students must inform the Facilities Superintendent within five days of occupancy if the report contains mistakes. Even when absent from their rooms, students are held responsible for any disorder or damage occurring there.

No University-issued furnishings may be removed from student rooms, including, but not limited to, mattresses. Furnishings may only be stored in the room to which they were assigned.  If any furnishings are missing from rooms at the end of the year, students will be billed for replacement costs.

Students who damage furniture or furnishings will be charged for repairs. If it is unclear who damaged items, all of the occupants of the suite will be billed for a share of the repair or replacement. (See also section H, Maintenance of dormitory rooms and campus areas.)

D. Storage

Students should be prepared to take their belongings home for the summer, during a term abroad, or a leave from campus.  Information regarding any storage services the university will help students facilitate is usually provided near the end of each term.

In the event that storage is available on campus, it is limited to the spaces each college designates for that purpose. No student may store possessions in the mechanical rooms of any college basement. The University reserves the right to dispose of improperly stored items without notice and without compensation. Summer storage is not permitted on Old Campus or in University annex spaces. Absolutely no storage is allowed in stairwells and hallways in accordance with Connecticut state fire code.

Students should be mindful that storage facilities usually only accept boxed items. Loose items or outsized items are often not accommodated by storage facilities. Yale takes no responsibility for the safety of personal items left on University property and offers no protection against theft, loss, fire, or flood. 

Students are encouraged to procure their own insurance against loss or damage for any items that they place in storage. They should also be sure to carry with them any personal/sensitive documents such as passports, driver’s licenses, birth certificates or any other documentation that might be essential for summer employment or travel.  

E. Insurance for personal belongings

Yale is not responsible for loss of, or damage to, any personal belongings anywhere on or off campus, whether in a dormitory room, an off-campus apartment, or a storage area, regardless of the cause of the loss or damage. All students are encouraged to make their own arrangements to obtain insurance against loss or damage.

Yale's Office of Enterprise Risk Management provides access for students to a comprehensive insurance policy to protect student personal belongings. Details can be found at https://ogc.yale.edu/erm/ins/protecting-personal-property-yale-university-campus.

F. Fire safety

It is crucial that all fires on campus, no matter how small, be reported to the residential college head’s office and by calling 911. This includes fires extinguished without the assistance of the fire department or the Yale Police Department.

The University reserves the right to enter and to inspect any student room without prior notice. All dormitory rooms will be inspected twice a year. When the inspection is completed, occupants will be provided with a University fire safety inspection report. They will be required to move any obstructions to fire doors or other dormitory exits. Any flammable or combustible material will be removed at the expense of the occupants. If the deficiencies are not corrected the students will be fined at least $100 and referred to the Executive Committee for disciplinary action.

  1. Fire Alarms. All occupants are required to vacate the building in a timely manner when a fire alarm is activated, including when fire drills are being performed. Deliberately setting off a fire alarm when there is no fire is extremely dangerous and violates the laws of the State of Connecticut. A student who sets off a fire alarm will be fined at least $100 and prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Further disciplinary action will be taken by the residential college head or by the Yale College Executive Committee.

  2. Fire Extinguishers. In the event of a fire, students should vacate the building, pull the fire alarm as they leave, and call 911. Students should use fire extinguishers only if they have been trained in their use and they can use them without presenting dangers to themselves or others. Students may not tamper with or remove fire extinguishers from their proper stations or discharge them except to put out fires. Students violating this rule will be fined at least $100 plus any cleanup costs that may be incurred. They may be subject to further disciplinary action by the residential college head or by the Yale College Executive Committee.

  3. Smoke Detectors and Sprinkler Systems. The smoke detectors in each room must be in working order at all times. Students are required to press the test button on the front cover of their detectors monthly; if there is no sound, they must report the malfunction to the Facilities Superintendent. If it is found that students have damaged, removed, or deliberately made their smoke detectors inoperative, occupants of the room or suite in which the detector is placed will be fined at least $200 each, and they will be subject to further disciplinary action by the residential college head or by the Yale College Executive Committee.

    Students may not tamper with the automatic sprinkler systems in dormitory rooms. Sprinkler heads and pipes must not be used to hang clothing, lights, decorations, or other items because such use could lead to damage that could cause the system to activate, causing property damage. In order to ensure that they will function as designed in case of a fire, sprinkler heads must never be painted; painting can delay or prevent the sprinkler head from operating when needed. Students who cause the unnecessary discharge of a sprinkler will be fined $100 per person and charged for replacement of sprinkler heads, cleanup costs, and the repair or replacement of any damaged items. They may be subject to further disciplinary action by the residential college head or by the Yale College Executive Committee.

    If, during a party, deliberate and unnecessary activation or discharge of fire alarms, sprinkler systems, or fire extinguishers, or tampering with fire alarms, smoke detectors, sprinkler systems, or door closures is discovered, the party will be stopped immediately and the person or persons hosting the party will be held responsible for all fines and cleanup costs and the students will be referred to the Executive Committee for disciplinary action.

  4. Cooking Appliances. For reasons of fire safety or because of limits of power capacity, only the following cooking appliances are permitted in dormitory rooms:

    • Small electric tea kettles

    • Keurig-type beverage makers

    • One of the following appliances: microwave (maximum output of 700 watts) OR a refrigerator (maximum capacity 3.1 cubic feet) OR a combined microwave-refrigerator (maximum output 700 watts)

    • All appliances shall be directly plugged into a receptacle. No power strips or extension cords will be permitted.

  5. Prohibited items. The following items are not permitted in dormitory rooms:

    • Hot plates

    • Air conditioners, including portable units such as "Move in Cool"

    • Freezers

    • Toasters

    • Toaster ovens

    • Broilers

    • Griddles

    • Rice cookers

    • Coffeepots

    • Appliances that are in poor condition or that are deemed hazardous by Yale officials

    • Halogen lamps

    • Space heaters, except when issued in emergencies by Physical Plant. Only liquid-filled space heaters issued by Physical Plant are allowed. Space heaters must be returned to Physical Plant immediately after the emergency is mitigated.

    • Any electrical appliance with defective wiring or of an improper current rating

    • Kerosene lamps, camping cooking equipment, or other open-flame devices

    • Fabric or fishnet textiles hung from the ceiling or more than 20% of the walls in a room

    • Cork boards more than four square feet in size

    • Flammable fluids and gases such as kerosene, gasoline, and propane

    • Candles and incense

    • Live holiday trees and decorations

    • Residential-grade extension cords and power strips; only UL-approved commercial-grade extension cords and power strips are permitted.

    • E-Scooters, e-skateboards, e-bikes, hoverboards and similar battery operated personal mobility devices

  6. Fireplaces. Fireplaces may not be used under any circumstances.

  7. Fire Exit Doors. Access to fire exit doors must never be blocked; the automatic closure mechanisms must not be propped open. Occupants of any dormitory room in which any of these occurs will be fined $200 per occupant.

  8. Obstructions of Fire Exits. No object of any sort may be placed or stored in entryways, corridors, exitways, or any other position where it might obstruct immediate access to a fire door or exit. This includes tripping hazards such as rugs or telephone and extension cords.

  9. Treatment of Material. Draperies, mattresses, mattress covers, carpets, or wall hangings over four square feet in size must be noncombustible or have been treated with a flame-retardant material.

  10. Holiday Lights. Holiday lights will be limited to no more than three strings per room; these are prohibited from being plugged into each other to create a single string of lights, and must be listed and labeled by a product certification agency, such as Underwriters Laboratories (U.L.). No holiday lighting or decorations may be installed in stairwells or on the exterior of the building, including Old Campus.

  11. Special Events. Social gatherings or special events of more than 50 people must be approved by Fire Code Compliance Services (203-432-9923). The Yale Police Department and Yale Security must also be notified, via http://publicsafety.yale.edu/safety-services/request-police-or-security-services.

G. Room Inspections

The University reserves the right to enter and to inspect any student room; inspections may be made without prior notice. Students are responsible for the care of their rooms and are expected to keep them in reasonable condition. If they do not do so, after appropriate warnings they will be charged a fine (assessed per student if more than one student occupies the room). Students who further disregard reasonable standards may be required to relinquish the room without rebate.

In entryway bathrooms, no personal belongings are to be left on the countertops; this includes, but is not limited to, personal towels, soap, shampoo bottles, and all other toiletries.  All personal items are to be stored on the provided shelves only.  Students living in suites with internal bathrooms are responsible for cleaning their own bathrooms and for requesting necessary repairs or other maintenance. Such bathrooms are furnished with cleaning supplies and cleaned twice each year by custodial services, during the winter recess and at the end of the spring term.

At the end of the academic year, each student must sign out of their room individually. Each student must check out using the Yale Housing portal upon leaving; students who fail to do so will be assessed a fine.  When rooms or suites are left in poor condition, a cleaning fee will be assessed, appropriately divided between suitemates or roommates.

H. Maintenance of dormitory rooms and campus areas

  1. Damage to Rooms or Other University Property. Students responsible for damage to their rooms or to other University property will be charged for the cost of repairs. When students move into their rooms they will be provided, by e-mail, with a student tenant manual that includes a fee schedule for damages. All damages must be reported to the Facilities Superintendent within five days of occupancy.

  2. Alterations. Students may not make alterations to their rooms. No lofts or partitions of any kind may be constructed. Ceiling fans, outside TV antennae, air conditioners, and waterbeds are also prohibited. No furniture or equipment attached to the building itself may be removed. If alterations are made without permission, the University reserves the right to require restoration of the previous condition at the occupant’s expense.

  3. Painting. The painting or defacing of walls or woodwork in the bedrooms or common rooms of the student suites is prohibited. In addition, items may be attached to walls only with removable mounting putty, approved by the Office of Facilities; attaching items to walls by any other means is prohibited. Painting of entryways, hallways, entry doors to student rooms and suites, bathrooms, or any other part of a University residence building is prohibited. Fines for noncompliance or the actual cost of repair and repainting will be assessed by the Facilities Superintendent through Student Financial Services.

  4. Trash. Fire regulations stipulate that rubbish containers may be placed only on the first floor of entryways on the Old Campus. In the residential colleges, trash and recycling must be placed in the basement trash rooms. Under no circumstances may students leave trash in entryways, hallways, stairways, or landings; students who do so will be assessed a fine of $100 and will be charged for the removal of the trash.

  5. Recyclables. Under city and state laws, students are required to recycle all newspapers, white office paper, corrugated cardboard, and glass and metal food and beverage containers in the designated recycling sites. A fine of $100 plus removal fees will be assessed if students leave their recyclables in entryways, hallways, stairways, or landings.

  6. Items in Entryways and Stairwells. No items of any kind may be stored or chained in the entryways, hallways, or corridors of any dormitory. Bicycles, mopeds, or motorcycles left in entryways will be removed without notice and stored at the owner’s expense. A fine will be assessed.

  7. Bicycles. Bicycles must be stored in designated areas during the academic year; bicycles left at the end of the academic year may be removed and discarded.

  8. Use of Public Spaces. Organized activities may only take place on the Old Campus with permission of the Yale College Dean’s Office or on the Cross Campus with the permission of the President’s Office. Activities or games that may harm lawns are not allowed in college courtyards, except with express permission of the individual residential college heads. Activities involving oversized inflated balls (typically called Bladderball at Yale) are not permitted on University property.

  9. Use of Grills. Grills may be used only by obtaining advance permission from Fire Code Compliance Services (203-432-9923), the appropriate residential college head, and, in the case of the Old Campus, the Yale College Dean’s Office. Propane grills or tanks may not be stored inside buildings under any circumstances.

  10. Hanging Items. No items may be hung on the exterior of dormitories or other University buildings, interior or exterior sides of windows, gates, fences, or structures, including but not limited to, flags, banners and signs.  Exceptions may be made only by the Office of Facilities in concurrence with the residential college heads or other University officials for facilities under their control.

  11. Posters and Publicity. All advertising of events and activities must be in accordance with University regulations governing poster and chalk announcements. (See Student Activities, section I, Posters, Chalking, and Publicity.)

I. General security

While the safety of members of the community and the protection of University and personal property are a common concern of all members of the Yale community, each student is responsible for their own safety. Each student should obtain and carefully read the pamphlet entitled “Public Safety at Yale University,” published by the Yale Police Department and the University Security Department. Students are encouraged to read information on the Public Safety website.

The University particularly requests the cooperation of students in maintaining the security of the dormitories. Students should keep their own doors and entryways locked and their windows secured. They should report to the Yale Police Department (campus emergency number 911) any activity or the presence of any person that they think might constitute a threat to security. The Yale Police Department should be notified immediately in the event of a theft or of any other crime. Students are responsible for not compromising their own security or that of others. Among the actions which endanger the community and for which students may be subject to fines or disciplinary action by the Yale Police Department, the residential college head, or the Yale College Executive Committee are those concerning the following:

  1. College Gates and College, Dormitory, or Building Doors. Students should never tamper with or prop open gates or doors and should obey security postings at all times, for their own safety and that of their fellow students.

  2. Security Systems or Devices. Improper use of, tampering with, or vandalism of security systems or devices is forbidden.

  3. University Identification/Proximity Cards or Keys. Students are not permitted to possess unauthorized identification/proximity cards or keys or to improperly give, lend, or duplicate these devices.

Students receive their identification/proximity cards and keys when they take occupancy of their rooms; in some cases they will also receive suite keys. In some cases a student will receive more than one room key. No keys will be issued except to the occupant of a given room, and that student is responsible for the return of all keys. Students living off campus will have identification/proximity cards giving them access to the residential college gates.

If keys to rooms, suites, or gates are lost, students will be charged a replacement fee of $25 per key. If a student finds the lost key or keys within thirty days and returns it or them to the residential college head's office, the replacement charge will be canceled. If keys are found after thirty days and returned, half the replacement charge will be returned to the student. Ordinarily the University does not change locks when keys are lost unless a form of identification has also been lost.

All students must return all keys to the residential college head's office at the end of each academic year or when they withdraw from Yale College, take leave of absence, or move off campus. Failure to return keys at such times will result in a $25 fine, half of which will be canceled if the keys are returned within thirty days of the student’s departure. Subsequent return of keys will not reduce the amount of the fine. The identification/proximity card will be deactivated for all students at the end of each academic year, and it will be deactivated for departing students at the time of withdrawal or leave of absence.

When a student loses an identification/proximity card, they should immediately report the loss to the Yale Public Safety Central Alarm Station at 57 Lock St., 203-785-5555. Replacement cards are available from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., subject to change, Monday through Friday, at the ID Card Center, 57 Lock Street. Please schedule your appointment by emailing id.center@yale.edu. The replacement fee is $20 for a lost or stolen card.