SFBU Housing

In accordance with its mission statement, the SFBU Housing Department has established the following rules and regulations in order to make dormitory life pleasant and safe for all students. These regulations have been established to ensure the safety and quiet enjoyment of the property by all residents. Students residing in university housing are required to sign a lease and a room condition form upon moving in and moving out. All SFBU students must observe and obey the guidelines listed below. Failure to abide by these policies may result in forfeiting rent payments and deposits, fines, or other disciplinary action, up to and including the loss of housing privileges.

Students Entering Spring 2022

Effective 9/24/21, the housing scholarship for any newly-admitted students is available only for a period of two consecutive trimesters.

Unfortunately, housing is limited; thus, the housing scholarship is contingent on housing availability. A spot is not guaranteed until it is confirmed by the Housing Department.

University Property

Students are responsible for keeping their rooms and the common areas clean and neat at all times. All students sharing a dormitory should share the responsibility for the common areas; they are to avoid causing any damage to their rooms, furnishings, fixtures, and appliances. Students are obligated to treat university property with respect. A student who violates the dormitory rules stated below or who intentionally or carelessly damages the dormitory will be fined and expelled from student housing immediately.

SFBU Housing personnel check the dorms regularly to ensure that they are in good condition. The university has the authority to take necessary steps to protect residents and properties.

Specific dormitory regulations include the following:

• No overnight guests are allowed in the dormitory.
• Furniture:
  • No furniture will be removed from the dormitory.
  • If a student needs to bring in his or her own furniture, approval must be obtained in advance from the Housing Department.
  • No furniture can be disassembled.
  • No alterations can be made.
• Property accessories and fixtures:
  • Absolutely no alterations can be made, and nothing can be removed.
• Wall Decorations
  • Nothing can be glued or nailed to the wall.
• Students are not allowed to tamper with electrical and plumbing fixtures, nor any accessories in the unit. Penalties will be imposed if violations occur.
• Students are not allowed access to rooftops for any purpose.
• Any necessary repairs should be reported to SFBU Housing staff, and should not be attempted by students.
• Students may not display neon lights, commercial signs, or offensive material from their dormitory room windows.
• SFBU will provide only a bed frame, mattress, desk, chair, and floor lamp if requested. Students must bring their own bedding, such as blankets, pillows, and bedsheets, plus cookware and utensils.

Vandalism

• Along with other types of vandalism, intentional breaking of glass (bottles, windows, etc.) is prohibited, and will result in fines and/or loss of dormitory privileges.

Installation for Personal Convenience

• Installations added for personal convenience, such as telephone, cable TV, and other electronic devices are the responsibility of the student, and must first be approved by the Housing department. Cost of such installation is the responsibility of the student.

Internet Networking Usage

• The primary purpose of each dormitory computer networking internet device is to support student academic activity. No guarantee is made regarding speed or ability to use services such as internet music, television programs, movies, streaming, online chatting, Skype, webcams, gaming platforms such as X-Box and Playstation, and so on.
• Residents are not permitted to tamper with dormitory networking equipment or devices, including firewalls, routers, and wireless access points.
• Students who prefer to install their own internet connection must get approval from the SFBU Housing department. Students failing to obtain proper approval will be responsible for costs associated with restoring the original internet connection.
• Excessive or improper use of bandwidth or internet networking software that disrupts, inhibits, or interferes with other users is not permitted.

Rents and Deposits

• Rents and deposits are prepaid, as required by each student’s lease. Applications and all payments are due by the dates specified above. If payments are not received, the housing application will be cancelled automatically. No exceptions will be made.

Renewing Dormitory Housing

• Only qualified residents may renew residency in SFBU dormitories. Applications for renewing housing residency for each trimester must be received three weeks before the trimester starts. All students, including students with housing scholarships, must submit the renewal housing application form each trimester. The deadline to pay renewal rent is five working days before the trimester starts.

Withdraw and Refund

The security deposit is fully refundable for cancellations prior to the Housing Opening Date, as listed for each trimester in SFBU’s Housing calendar. If the student moves into university housing, the security deposit is refundable, but may be subject to certain deductions as authorized by law (e.g., cleaning, damage repair, and restoration or replacement of furniture, furnishings, or other items).

1. Cancellation prior to Move-In Date: full refund
2. Cancellation on or after Move-In Date: no refund
3. Students must be admitted to SFBU and either enrolled in a program full time prior to the Move-In Date, or be international students on approved trimester breaks. No one else is permitted to occupy a space in university housing, and must vacate university housing immediately. SFBU will not refund the housing fee.

Moving In

Check-in time will be from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, on university working days only. If students arrive outside of this timeframe, they must make their own arrangements to stay somewhere else and check in during the days and hours indicated above. Students cannot move in sooner than five days prior to the start of a trimester.

Moving Out

Moving out must be completed by 5:00 p.m. the day after the last day of the trimester, unless a renewal application is approved.

• Moving out early: -
  • Student without housing scholarship:no refund of rent shall be granted if a student moves out prior to the end of a lease term.
  • Student with housing scholarship: you are obligated to inform SFBU Housing if you want to move out early. If, at any time, SFBU discovers that you are not occupying your unit for two consecutive weeks, you will lose your housing privileges. SFBU will assign your unit to the next student on the waiting list.
• Maintaining Clean and Orderly Premises: SFBU Housing personnel and the student will do a walk-through on the student’s move-out date. Students must return units in the same condition that they were in when they checked in. If students fail to abide by these terms, a fine or reduction of the security deposit may be assessed.
• Returning Keys: students must return all keys by the date that Housing personnel gives the student to move out. Returning keys late will result in a $10/day fine to the student.

Rights Held by the University

The university reserves the following rights:

1. For authorized personnel to enter for inspection, repair, emergency, or any other appropriate reasons, such as after receiving a report of suspected violations of university conduct or regulations. No early notification is needed.
2. To levy and collect charges for damage to or unauthorized use of the dorm, or alterations to rooms or other items in the dorm.
3. To remove unauthorized or improperly used equipment.
4. To reassign, evict, or levy fines against students who violate these rules, regulations, and policies.

Fire Codes

Students are expected to observe the following fire code regulations. Violators of these regulations are subject to disciplinary action, including fines, payment for any damages, and cancellation of housing privileges.

1. For the protection of residents, dormitories are equipped with smoke and fire detection and prevention devices. Tampering with the smoke detector and alarm system or with fire extinguishers is a violation of rules as well as a violation of the city fire code.
2. Hallways must be kept clear at all times. Furniture and personal belongings such as bicycles, trunks, boxes, and clothing drying racks may not be placed in the hallways.
3. No ceiling hangings of any type are permissible, as they interfere with the proper functioning of the fire and smoke detection and prevention devices.
4. No lighting or heating device which produces an open flame is allowed in the dormitory. This includes candles and kerosene lamps. Hot plates, toaster ovens, coffee pots and tea kettles, auxiliary heaters, clothing irons, and curling or straightening irons for hair should not be placed on the carpet or other flammable surfaces.
5. Boxes made of cardboard and similar materials may not be stored in places where gas water heaters are present.
6. Bicycles are not allowed in dormitory common areas, halls, stairwells, or anywhere they obstruct exits. They must be stored only in designated bike storage areas.
7. Personal refrigerators are not allowed in student rooms.

Cohabitation

Students of the opposite sex are not assigned to and may not arrange to live together in the same dorm. Students are not allowed to bring in anyone to live in their assigned unit. Violation may result in cancellation of housing privileges.

Common Areas

• Common areas are provided to dormitory residents as spaces in which they may congregate outside their personal rooms. They are places of gathering, used for dorm meetings, movie and television viewing, dining, preparing meals, group studying, and relaxing. Residents must be respectful of the rights of other students who share these spaces, and must be mindful of the noise generated. The Quiet Hour policy applies from 8:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m.
• Common spaces must NOT be used for any activity which restricts any resident’s use of the common areas, or for an activity that results in the violation of university policies.
• Access must be limited to residents and their guests; a resident must always accompany guests. No guest is allowed in the dormitory for an extended period or overnight. Guests are allowed only as long as the visit does not disturb the other resident(s) in the unit.

Quiet Hours

• In order to secure the right of students to read and to study free from unreasonable noise and other distractions, the university asks students in all dorms to respect "quiet hours," which are designated evening hours during which residents are expected to observe quiet behavior. Daily quiet hours are from 8:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. During Midterm Examination and Final Examination weeks, students are requested to respect other students at all times.

No Pets

• Students living in dormitories may not keep pets anywhere on the property. Substantial fines may be imposed for violations of this policy.

No Smoking

• Smoking is not allowed in the dormitories or within 20 feet of the property, including the garage, the front and back yards, and any deck or patio. If Housing staff members find any evidence of smoking, such as cigarette butts within the dorm, the student will be asked to move out immediately, and a fine may be assessed.

No Alcohol Use

• Alcoholic beverages are not allowed in dormitories. Opened containers of alcoholic beverages, including cups, are forbidden within the dorm and anywhere on the premises. If Housing staff members find any alcoholic bottles, containers, or cans within the above areas, the student will be asked to move out immediately, and a fine will be imposed.

No Parties

• The university and Housing department does not permit parties in the dormitories. If Housing staff members receive a complaint from neighbors or the property manager, the student will be asked to move out immediately, and a fine will be assessed.

No Subletting

• Dormitory spaces are allocated by SFBU Housing staff, and SFBU owns all dorm spaces. Students are not allowed to sublease the room to any other persons. If Housing staff members discover a sublease, the student’s housing privileges will be forfeited, and the student will be asked to move out immediately.
• In the event that an individual living in SFBU housing becomes aware of a room being subleased, it is expected that such individual shall report the existence of the sublease immediately to a member of SFBU Housing staff.

Key Service

• There is a $15 key service fee each time a student needs assistance to open a door. This service fee is raised to $25 for requests made outside of normal business hours and on weekends.
• Any lost key must be reported immediately so that the locks can be changed, and residents of the unit can be issued new keys. The charge for changing locks (including the main entrance door and room door) and for copies of the new keys will depend on the actual receipt provided by a locksmith after the work is done.

Personal Possessions

• University insurance does not cover loss of personal items. Students should take precautions to protect personal belongings from theft, fire, water damage, or other loss. Students are required to purchase their own rental insurance.

Break Time

• SFBU reserves the right to make changes to dorm settings or to reassign dorm spaces during break time between trimesters, which starts on dorm closing day and ends on dorm opening day. Please make sure to check the Housing policy as well as move-in and move-out dates on the SFBU Housing webpages.