Room Condition

While checking into your room, you will be asked to complete a Room Condition Report (RCR), which contains a list of areas in the room and their condition prior to your arrival. Generally you will have 48 hours to complete this document electronically, do provide an accurate description on your arrival.  

Your RA does not assess damages, or quote any prices or conditions, but only documents what is immediately observed. Additional review of the condition of your room will be conducted after checking out by both a Residential and Student Life staff member and a Residential Facilities staff member.  Ensure a thorough completion of your RCR, so that you will not be charged for items damaged, or missing.

Work Orders, Damages, and Repairs

If you have an issue with the physical room, or contents provided by the institution, please submit a Work Order Request through Facilities Work Order system. If the work order is something that needs immediate assistance (overflowing toilet, power outage, etc.) please contact your Residence Coordinator Monday-Friday 9:00 am until 5:00 pm or the Resident Assistant on duty after hours or on weekends. You can log into the system to check for updates on your requests. Depending on the issue, it could be handled immediately, or over the course of several days or weeks. Please stay in touch with your Residence Coordinator, but sometimes patience is needed.

Sometimes the damage is caused by student neglect or vandalism, and the repair costs may be billed to the student(s) in that room, suite or apartment. Please keep in mind that all bills/flags must be paid in order to maintain housing for the following academic year. If you have graduated or left Purchase, we must receive payment in order for you to receive your diploma and/or transcripts. To view your student account or make a payment, please log on to MyHeliotrope.

Pest Management

Under community living conditions, pests can become unwanted guests. You can minimize problems by being proactive:

  • Keep kitchen areas clean, wash dirty dishes, wipe counters and vacuum or sweep often.
  • Use sealed containers to store food items, condiments, etc.
  • Never leave food in open containers; use glass, metal, heavy plastic or other sturdy, tightly-sealed containers.
  • Do not store paper bags or cardboard boxes; they can encourage nesting by roaches and mice.
  • Use plastic trash bags for storage and for trash.
  • Should a problem develop, submit a work order request.
  • Residential and Student Life and Facilities Management (FMG) conduct room and apartment inspections on a regular basis and also as needed to address extermination and other concerns.
  • Should you suspect that you have bed bugs, here is how the process works:
    1. Residents who believe they have an issue should submit a work order request immediately.
    2. Residential and Student Life works with FMG to bring in an inspection company to verify if bed bugs exist.
    3. Residential and Student Life or Facilities will communicate the results of inspection with students.
    4. If positive, information regarding treatment is provided, and an exterminator is scheduled. We often may check adjacent rooms as a precaution.
    5. A re-inspection and re-treatment is completed, after which the rooms are given an “all clear.”  If not all clear, the room will need additional treatments.

Specific questions can be emailed to Facilities at FMG.facilities.management@purchase.edu.

Feel free to find helpful information from the following government websites: the CDC Website and the EPA Website.

Damage Billing

What is Damage Billing?

There are two types of damage billing: Individual Damage Billing and Community Damage Billing.

Individual Damage Billing

Individual damage billing refers to damages to an individual residence hall room, suite, apartment whereby the resident(s) is responsible for the costs associated with any repair or replacement. Individual damage is documented by Resident Assistant, Residence Coordinator, or other Residential and Student Life and Facilities staff.

Community Damage Billing

The philosophy behind community damage billing is that all residents in on campus housing are part of a larger community. Therefore, residents are not only responsible for their personal accommodations, but also the community areas they share with fellow residents. One unfortunate aspect of this responsibility is that damages that may occur in common areas. It is our hope that students will create a sense of ownership of and pride in their community. As a result, residents will work to prevent damage and address incidents as they occur. Instead of requiring a damage deposit from each resident, we choose to bill the students for individual incidents. Depending on the building and the physical configuration, as well as the nature of the incident, our staff will determine whether the incident should be shared by all members of the building or by members of a particular floor, wing, or section. Community damage is documented by Resident Assistant, Residence Coordinator, or other Residential and Student Life and Facilities staff.

Examples of Damage Billing Incidents

  • Any damage that goes beyond the normal, expected, wear and tear of items.
  • Excessive cleaning
  • Bodily fluids (blood, urine, mucous, feces, and vomit) in the halls, bathrooms, or other common areas
  • Broken exit signs
  • Broken windows or glass
  • Broken lounge furniture
  • Damage to carpet and upholstery
  • Food or trash left in sinks or water fountains
  • Trash or trash bags not properly disposed (i.e. pizza boxes or room trash found in the halls, stairwell, or bathroom/lounge trash can)
  • Fire extinguishers and smoke detectors that are missing or have been tampered with (greater sanctions will be given to persons found responsible)
  • Removal of any College furniture from its designated location
  • Holes in walls
  • Sprinkler head discharges due to causes other than fire
  • Graffiti

Estimated Facilities Repair Costs

The determination of who will be charged for Facilities repairs is directly related to the area where the damage occurs. For example, if the damage occurs in a particular hallway or bathroom–the students of that floor will likely be billed. If the damage happens in an entry lounge, common stairwell, or elevator, the charge will likely be assigned to all residents in the building.

The amount of the charge may vary in cost depending on the incident and the severity and costs of repairs or cleaning. Please review the list of estimated damage costs. 

Damage Assessment

After residents move out, staff will do a full assessment of each room, suite, or apartment. A report summarizing the original condition of each space will be available for comparison to end of year assessments. The Residence Coordinator will conduct detailed inspections of each space and then compare their findings against the original RPR. This comparison will help determine if damage billing and/or a work order request is necessary. Damage billing will be necessary for items which are not the result of normal usage. Damage, repair or replacement of college property that is necessitated by deliberate acts of destruction, negligence or theft will result in damage charges–this can include accidental damage made by a student or guest.

Repair and replacement of items resulting from normal use will not be included in damage assessments. “Normal use” or “wear and tear” items include: chipped veneer on furniture, small hole in window screens, scuff marks or pinholes on wall surfaces, small tears, small stains or soil marks on carpet. These items are the result of “normal usage” and will be addressed through repair and replacement schedules conducted by Facilities.

Appeal Process

Spring 2023 Appeals: Appeals must be submitted through the Appeals Form until Tuesday, June 7th, 2024 at 11:45 p.m. If appeals are not submitted by June 7, 2024, any request for an appeal will be denied.  Decisions should go out around the end of June. 

Community Damage Billing: Residential and Student Life staff, with the help of Facilities and the University Police Department will attempt to identify those responsible for the damage. Support from the community is often needed during this. If no individual person or group is held responsible, community damage cannot be appealed. Please contact your Residence Coordinator if you have any pertinent information.

Individual Damage Billing: During the semester in progress, the individual damage billing appeals process for that semester is ongoing. To appeal these damage charges, you must submit a written appeal through email to rsl@purchase.edu. For charges assessed after the close of the spring semester, there is an appeal submission deadline that will be emailed to your Purchase College student account along with your Damage Billing Invoice. All appeals will be accepted for the prior semester until the posted deadline.

Damage Billing Charges

Damage billing prices include labor, fringe. and overhead costs. While the list of charges provides the baseline for most damages typically occurring, Residential and Student Life and Facilities staff have the authority to edit costs, based on discretion. 

Generally speaking, unless a specific student takes responsibility for the damage, damage charges from a space would be split among the residents of that bedroom; common area damage in a bathroom, kitchen, etc. would be shared among all occupants of a suite or apartment.

These charges are comparable to a deposit a landlord may charge their tenant–some colleges charge a predetermined cost to all students prior to their arrival, while other colleges assess the damage afterwards. Purchase College follows the latter course.