Policies & Procedures

Our goal is to provide each student with a safe, comfortable, and secure environment in which they may be successful in their academic, social, and personal pursuits. This page will assist you in familiarizing yourself with these standards and policies.

Residency Requirement

There is a two-year residency requirement for all new students attending Johns Hopkins University. This policy requires that first and second-year students reside in University Housing or at home with a parent or legal guardian. Please contact us at [email protected] for more information on the commuter exemption process.

Gender-Inclusive Housing

It is important that the JHU housing community is a comfortable safe place for students to live. Not all students are comfortable living in units with other students that are assigned or chosen based solely on sex. The goal of the gender-inclusive housing policy is for students to feel empowered and supported by the housing system. This option was developed to be offered in the same manner as our room selection processes, with nothing different required, thus it will not call attention to the living environment that students choose and will provide an inclusive climate. Learn more about the PDF Document: gender-inclusive housing policy.

Guest Policy

Students are allowed to host three guests in their residential living unit no matter how many students live in a unit and are responsible for those guests through the duration of their visit. For example, if four students live in a suite, they may only have three guests at a time among them for a total of 7 people in the suite.

All guests are required to be accompanied by their host resident and must stop at the security station to sign in. The guest must surrender a government-issued photo identification to the Security Officer. Individuals without an acceptable form of ID will not be permitted to enter the building. Host residents are expected to stay with their guests throughout the entire visit and further, hosts will be held accountable for their guests’ behavior.

Residents are permitted to house overnight guests in their rooms, provided that they first obtain the consent of their roommate(s) and/or suitemate(s). However, the University reserves the right to prohibit overnight visitors. Extended overnight visits (over 3 days) are prohibited by the University. Keys and JCards will not be provided for guests and host residents will be held accountable for misuse or abuse of this policy.

Liability Policy

The university is not responsible for damage to or disappearance of a student’s or their guest’s personal possessions unless such damage or disappearance is proven to be the result of the sole negligence of the university. This policy includes, but is not limited to, items in student rooms, bike rooms, trunk rooms, and music rooms. Just as in a private home, sometimes things happen that cannot be foreseen, and items are damaged. The University will do everything possible to expedite the clean-up of the facility.

Renter’s Insurance

Because of the possibility of damage or theft, it is a good idea for students to ensure their possessions. In some cases, this can be done through the parent’s homeowners policy. If this is not possible, we strongly urge you to consider a renter’s policy. The university has found a company that specializes in serving the collegiate environment: National Student Services, Inc. Information is available through both housing offices. For more information, please visit the NSSI website.

Non-Smoking Policy

University housing including residence halls and apartment buildings are non-smoking buildings. Specifically smoking including but not limited to cigarettes, e-cigarettes, cigars, and hookahs, is prohibited inside University housing buildings, including but not limited to, student rooms, suites, lounges, bathrooms, common areas, stairwells, lobbies, and elevators. In addition, removing window screens and leaning out windows to smoke is prohibited.

Residents who smoke must do so outside of the building and must be far enough away from the building so that the smoke will not filter into the building via exterior doors, windows, or the building ventilation system. Full cooperation with this policy is expected. Any violation of this policy will result in disciplinary action which may include fines.

Room Changes, Open Spaces & the Waitlist

Incoming First-Year Students

There is no wait list process for first-year students. Students with roommate conflicts should contact their Resident Advisor or the Residence Director of Residential Life for their building. Should you accept a space that has opened up and your room assignment changes, your bill will be prorated (should there be a difference in rate) and adjusted based on the date you move rooms. Housing will notify students if a new assignment occurs within their room.

Temporary Triple Rooms

If you are assigned to live in a temporary triple room and a) you are moved to a traditional space or b) the room is de-tripled, we will adjust the bill accordingly to reflect the double room rate. If you are in a room that gets de-tripled during the academic year, your bill will be prorated and adjusted based on the date the room is de-tripled.

Current Sophomores/Upper-Class Students

During the summer, prior to move-in: If you are interested in requesting a room change prior to move-in, you must contact the Housing Office at 410-516-7960 or [email protected]. Room change requests will be handled on a case-by-case basis, depending upon the nature of the request.

Should you accept an offered open space in another suite/apartment and your room assignment changes, please notify your roommate/suitemates of your decision so they may have the opportunity to plan for the upcoming year. Your billing and roommate/suitemate information may change based on your new assignment.

Filling open spaces, prior to move-in: If you learn that a space has become available within your unit (prior to move-in), you may contact the Housing via phone at 410-516-7960 or email [email protected] to request a new roommate.

If we have already assigned another student to the space in question, we will be unable to accommodate your request. Please do not ask us to change another student’s housing assignment.

If we confirm that the space is indeed open as we have not yet re-assigned it to another student, then we will do what we can to honor your new roommate request. However, the student you are requesting to pull into your unit must already be housed in a comparable space within the University Housing system, and the switch must occur quickly, within a two (2) business-day timeframe. Before the change can take place, we must confirm that all are in agreement, thus we require that the proposed new roommate directly contact us in the Housing Office.

Housing will notify students if a new assignment occurs within their room, suite or apartment, however, as we near move-in, we cannot guarantee your roommate of choice due to the quick turn-around time involved in making last-minute room assignments.

After move-in occurs: Once the academic year begins, all room change requests are handled by the Office of Residential Life.

Termination of Housing Contract

  • Release from the housing contract is permitted only under conditions of academic dismissal, withdrawal, or leave of absence with the written approval of the Associate Director of Housing.
  • Students will receive a prorated refund of housing and dining charges in accordance with University policy if they withdraw prior to the end of the 11th week of the semester.
  • There will be no refunds after the end of the 11th week of the semester. Thereafter, the student is responsible for payment of all charges under the contract for the full academic year.
  • If you are not returning, please keep in mind, once your housing contract has been terminated, you forfeit the rights to the room for the remainder of the contract term, even if you intend to return the following semester. Also, be sure to notify your roommate(s) of your decision so they may have an opportunity to plan for the upcoming year.
  • Please refer to your housing contract for information regarding termination due to approved study abroad or graduation.

Administrative Fees/Refunds

Sophomore Students

If you are not returning to the university, it is your responsibility to directly inform the Housing Office by August 1 of your decision not to return. If you fail to notify Housing of your intent not to return to the University by August 1st, you will be responsible for a $500 administrative fee.

Upper-Class Students

For those students who have fulfilled the two-year residency requirement, if you have secured a space in University Housing and decide to cancel your housing contract to move off-campus, you must notify the Housing Office directly before June 1st of the upcoming school year, and all charges shall be waived except for a $500.00 administrative fee. If notification is received after June 1st but before the earliest move-in date, you will be responsible for two months of the applicable room charges. Should you decide to cancel a 12-month contract on or after June 1st but before August 1st you will be responsible for a $500.00 administrative fee plus a termination fee equal to one month’s applicable room charges. The Student must vacate the applicable room by August 1st.

Lock-Out and Lock Changes

Lock-Out Policy

Effective January 1, 2017, if you lock yourself out of your room and require assistance from any university employee in regaining access (including Housing Staff, Residential Advisors, and Security), a record will be maintained concerning the occurrence.

Should there be three of these lock-out occurrences, you are required to meet with an Residence Director of Residential Life at a scheduled time. During this meeting, a conversation will take place to process how you, the student, can be better supported and more accountable for not misplacing or forgetting your keys/J-Card in the future.

Subsequent lock-out occurrences will result in a $20 excessive lock-out fine (for each additional incident) being charged to your SIS account.

Lock-Change Policy

Effective January 1, 2017, If you lose your keys, resulting in a lock change, a standard lock change fee of $125 will apply, and a record will be maintained concerning the occurrence.

Should there be a second occurrence, a repeat lock change fee of $125 will apply, and a meeting will be scheduled with an Residence Director of Residential Life. During this meeting, a conversation will take place to process how you, the student, can be better supported and more accountable for not losing your keys/J-Card in the future.

Each subsequent lost key and lock change occurrence will result in fees being charged to your SIS account, with the amount increasing incrementally by $25.00 for each additional incident.