Check-in and Room Condition Form

When you move into your apartment, you and your R.A. will complete a Room Condition Form. The forms are used to note the condition of the furniture and the apartment when you move in. To avoid charges when you move out, it is important that you are as thorough as possible on these forms when you move in. Because these forms do not list every possible thing that you may be charged for, you may be responsible for damages not listed on the form.

Keys

When you move into your apartment you will be issued two keys: an apartment key and a mailbox key. These keys are for your use only and you may not lend them to anyone else. Although MICA has made every effort to make your environment secure, only you can ensure your safety by locking your apartment door and taking your keys whenever you go out-even if you are only going to visit another apartment or to put your trash in a trash room. This practice will also keep you from locking yourself out of your apartment.

For safety reasons, when residents lose their keys, the Facilities Management staff will generally replace the core lock to the apartment. The charge for changing the core lock will be $200 for the replacement of the core and all keys. The charge for replacement mail keys will be $25. For your safety, please notify Residence Life staff if you have lost your keys so that we can replace them and you can secure your apartment. All keys need to be returned when you leave housing and charges will be levied to replace cores and cut new keys as necessary.

Laundry

The Founders Green, Gateway and Meyerhoff House are equipped with laundry rooms that are open 24 hours a day. These facilities can be operated by coins or your MICARD. The cost to wash and dry is $1.50 per load.

Apartment-mate Concerns

You may not make roommate or apartment changes without the approval of Residence Life. Adjusting to living with others whom you do not know takes time. Many students make the assumption that a relationship will not work out before they have taken the time to communicate their needs and listen to the needs of others. Learning to work out problems with others is an important life skill.

To help you learn to communicate your needs and expectations, the staff will ask you and your apartment mates to complete an Apartment Agreement that specifies the rules and norms you and your apartment mates decide to live by in your home. The substance of the agreement is up to you and your apartment mates. We will ask you to discuss your preferences for music and noise, cleaning schedules, the sharing of food and possessions and several other areas that can become sources of conflict.

When conflict arises, we ask that you discuss your concerns with your apartment mates first. You may also go to your R.A. or Residential Coordinator for help. They will assist you in this discussion, if necessary. If things do not improve after you have attempted to make your apartment situation more comfortable by discussing the issues, you should talk with the Residential Coordinator about the possibility of a change in your living situation.

In order to give students time to get to know each other and to work things out with their apartment mates, Residence Life staff do not generally allow apartment changes during the first three weeks of school. However, students should feel free to consult with Residence Life staff regarding their situation.

The college reserves the right to reassign rooms and apartments or remove residents from apartments when necessary. Residents in an apartment with vacant space may have new students assigned to their space at any time. Residents are responsible for keeping the unoccupied space vacant and ready for immediate occupancy. Administrative charges, up to the value of the space for the semester, will be levied against residents who procure additional space.

College's Right of Room and Apartment Entry and Search

The College reserves the right to enter rooms or apartments when, in its discretion, it determines that there may have been a breach of terms listed within the housing agreement or in MICA's posted guidelines.

The College reserves the right to enter and search a resident's room or apartment without notice when it deems it necessary to protect the safety of the resident or other occupants, for investigation and resolution of policy violations, to address disruptive behavior, to provide emergency service or to conduct safety inspections. Additionally, representatives of the College may enter a resident's room or apartment (during reasonable hours) when necessary to provide inspection, service, repairs, improvements or maintenance.

The College reserves the right to search a room or apartment without notice when there is sufficient reason to believe, as determined by MICA, that a violation of College regulations or policy or violations of state, federal or local law is occurring or has occurred. During such a search, a reasonable effort will be made to have the resident present at the time of the search.

MICA reserves the right to remove College or personal property from a room or apartment. If during the time a staff member is in an apartment for any reason, he or she sees illegal or dangerous items in plain view, the items will be confiscated and disciplinary procedures will be implemented

By signing the Housing Agreement, the student consents to having his or her room or apartment entered and searched in accordance with the terms and conditions of this policy. The student expressly agrees and acknowledges and his or her signature on the Housing Agreement authorizes the College to enter his or her room or apartment without the student's prior consent.