The Student Housing Contract

Housing Contract Terms - Interpretation of the Contract
Eligibility for Occupancy

Jayhawker Towers and Residence Halls
Scholarship Halls
Stouffer Place Apartments
Sunflower Apartments

Effect of Withdrawal on Your Student Housing Contract
Failure to Vacate
Assignment Procedure
Single Room Contracts
Requesting a Change in Your Room/Suite/Apartment Assignment

Residence Halls and Jayhawker Towers
Scholarship Halls
Stouffer Place
Sunflower Apartments

Vacancies and Consolidation

Residence Halls
Scholarship Halls
Jayhawker Towers
Sunflower Apartments

Contract Payments
Vacation Periods
Contract Renewal

Stouffer and Sunflower

Housing Contract Terms - Interpretation of the Contract

The Student Housing Contract Terms is a legal document representing an agreement between you and the Department of Student Housing. Please read it carefully.

This section will help you understand some of the terms of your contract, when and if you can change your contract, and special procedures for contract renewal and housing during vacation periods.

Eligibility for Occupancy

The contract requires that residents agree to, abide by, and conform to all applicable rules and regulations (of the lessor) including, but not limited to; (1) the Student Housing Handbook, (2) the Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities and Conduct for the University of Kansas, (3) The University of Kansas Parking Regulations, (4) the Department of Student Housing Safe and Secure Poster, and (5) the Networking and Telecommunications Agreement. Please read these publications; you are responsible for abiding by their contents.

Jayhawker Towers and Residence Halls

Residents in these facilities must be regularly enrolled students, taking at least 12 credit hours each semester. If you lose your student status (withdrawal, dismissal, failure to complete enrollment by required time, etc.) inform the Department of Student Housing in writing of your change in status. Exceptions to full-time status may be made if deemed justifiable by the Department of Student Housing, and must be made in writing to the Complex Director for your area through campus mail, federal mail, e-mail, or fax: 785-864-5048.

Scholarship Halls

In addition to the full-time student requirement, residents of the scholarship halls are expected to maintain a 2.5 grade point average and successfully complete 28 credit hours each academic year. Residents who fall short of this requirement are given the opportunity to explain their situation to an academic review board. For more information on the Academic Review process, see the section on "Special Disciplinary Boards" in the "Policies and Procedures" chapter.

Stouffer Place Apartments

Stouffer Place houses students with families. The husband, wife, or head of household must be a full-time, degree-seeking student during the principal part of the year (August through May). A spouse or dependent child must reside with the student on a permanent basis. Single parents must have primary custody or regular visitation of children. Maximum occupancy for the units is as follows: 1 bedroom apartment-3 persons; 2 bedroom apartment-4 persons; 3 bedroom apartment-6 persons. Eligibility to contract will depend upon available space and size of family.

Sunflower Apartments

Sunflower Apartments are designed to provide housing for new faculty and staff, giving them the opportunity to become familiar with the Lawrence community during the first year. To be eligible to live in Sunflower, residents must hold at least a half-time faculty appointment, or an appointed administrative position. Graduate students with teaching or research appointments are considered eligible. All residents of Sunflower must continue to hold their appointments while in residence, although this requirement is waived during the summer months if the resident was eligible in the spring semester and expects to renew a faculty appointment for the fall term. Students not holding a position must be fully enrolled during the principal part of the year (12 hours for undergraduates and 9 hours for graduate students per semester). Full-time faculty and staff who are not enrolled are limited to one years' occupancy. Due to limited living space, families with more than two children cannot be admitted. The size and arrangement of the apartments are such that only the immediate family can successfully reside. In the case of unrelated adult residents, residence is limited to a maximum of four individuals. Faculty, unclassified staff, and post-doctoral fellows are limited to one years' occupancy.

Effect of Withdrawal on Your Student Housing Contract

Withdrawal from the university does not automatically terminate your housing contract. Charges will continue to accumulate until you have signed the appropriate cancellation form at the Department of Student Housing, removed all of your belongings from the hall or apartment, returned your room key(s), and completed the check-out process with a staff member. Refer to the Contract Terms, included with your contract, for specific charges related to withdrawal from the university.

Stouffer Place and Sunflower Apartment residents must complete the Intent to Vacate form, available at the apartment living office located in the Jayhawker Towers complex, 30 days before moving out.

Students are required to vacate the residence and stop using the dining facilities upon withdrawal from the university. Students remaining in the facility or taking meals after their official date of withdrawal must pay for all charges after this date with personal funds.

Non-enrolled students with special circumstances are expected to contact the Department of Student Housing immediately upon loss of student status.

Failure to Vacate

Residents are responsible for their own personal property at all times. When residents have not vacated assigned space as scheduled (internal transfers as well as the end of a contract period) or have not removed personal property, Department of Student Housing staff will make a reasonable attempt to contact the residents. Residents who have not vacated assigned space as scheduled or at the end of a contract period will be charged $50 per day plus the daily rate for each day they remain in the assigned space. If after 48 hours, the resident(s) has not vacated the assigned space the personal property contained within will be removed and stored at the residents’ expense.

Residents will be billed $20/hour per employee involved in removal and/or storage of personal property ($50 minimum), and a monthly storage fee of $50. Personal property removed by Department of Student Housing staff will be stored for 30 days. After 30 days, the items will be considered abandoned and donated to charity or discarded. The Department of Student Housing is not liable for damage to or loss of property that might occur during the course of removal or disposal. Residents will be billed for all costs incurred in removing personal property and restoration of the unit to usable space.

Assignment Procedure

Residents are assigned space according to their application preferences as space limitations allow. Assignment for new students are made and based on priority dates (the date on application for housing is received, assuming all contracting procedures are followed as directed).

Single Room Contracts (Residence Halls)

Single rooms may be contracted for an additional fee as availability permits. Contact your Complex Director or the Department of Student Housing for further information, and to determine availability of single room contracts.

Requesting a Change in Your Room/Suite/Apartment Assignment

Residence Halls & Jayhawker Towers - Hall Changes (Internal transfers)

As space becomes available, residents who wish to change to another hall or room, suite, or apartment may do so upon approval of the Complex Director. Changes may not be made without this approval. Contact your Resident Assistant for more specific information.

Scholarship Halls (Internal transfers)

Scholarship halls do not allow hall changes in the first semester of residency. There is an application process for a transfer to a different scholarship hall, which will be honored as space is available for the semester requested. See your Scholarship Hall Director for more information.

Stouffer Place (Internal transfers)

During certain off-peak times of the year, apartment transfers are processed, depending upon availability, for those already established on a waiting list. These transfers will generally involve residents requesting a move from a 1 bedroom to a 2 bedroom, or a 2 bedroom to a 3 bedroom apartment. All other transfers, which may include a similar apartment accommodation (e.g. 1 bedroom downstairs to a 1 bedroom upstairs), should be kept to a minimum unless extenuating circumstances exist. Extenuating circumstances should be discussed with the Assignments Coordinator and Complex Director. A $50 fee will be due upon processing of the transfer.

When a resident has accepted a transfer, the goal is to provide for a Wednesday pre-inspection, a key pick-up on Thursday, and then a final inspection on the following Monday. Although an Intent to Vacate form is needed, a 30-day notice is not required. Extenuating circumstances that would prevent this transfer schedule from being followed should be discussed with the Assignments Coordinator and the apartment living office Complex Director.

For additional information, contact the apartment living office, 864-8305.

Sunflower Apartments (Internal transfers)

Internal transfers are not allowed without compelling extenuating circumstances.

Vacancies and Consolidation

Residence Halls

The Department of Student Housing has the right to assign, reassign, and adjust the occupancy of rooms. If a vacancy occurs in your room, you will receive a consolidation letter detailing the following options:

1. Retain the room as a single and pay the single rate unless the space is needed in an occupancy overage.
   
2. Consolidate by moving to another half-occupied room on your floor.
   
3. Remain in the room with the understanding that the space will be assigned as soon as a new student contract or a current resident indicates an interest in moving to the vacant space. The room should be prepared to receive a roommate at any time.

Residents who do not respond to the consolidation letter will be assessed the single room rate for the remainder of the contract period.

In the event that you have chosen option #3 and a person on your floor requests a single room, you may be asked to consolidate to another half-occupied room on your floor so that a completely vacant room can be made available to the person requesting a single. (Note: Special occupancy considerations apply to the 3E program, Templin, and Lewis Halls. Corbin Hall triple rooms will not be assigned as double rooms.)

Scholarship Halls

Vacancies will be filled as they come open. There is usually a lengthy applicant waiting list for the scholarship halls. There is no single room rate option in the scholarship halls.

Jayhawker Towers

If an apartment is not at full occupancy during a contract period, new residents will be placed in available space. The Assignments Coordinator will provide advance notice to the current roommates when time permits. Current residents are asked to help make the new resident welcome. If a change of apartment is desired by residents, those involved must discuss the request with apartment living staff. If all parties agree that a change is necessary and if the physical space is available, such changes may be made. No changes will be considered until the third week of the new semester, except in extreme emergencies.

Contract Payments

Residents receive bills from the Comptroller's Office according to the payment option chosen, and should make payments in person or by mail at the Cashier's Office, Room 20, Carruth O'Leary Hall.

For residents of Stouffer Place and Sunflower Apartments, rent for each month is due on the first of that month and is payable at the Cashier's Office in Carruth O'Leary Hall. For example, rent for the month of September is due September 1^st, not October 1^st. Late fees and finance charges are assessed by the Comptroller's Office in accordance with university policy.

Vacation Periods (Residence and Scholarship Halls)

Your residence hall/scholarship hall academic year contract covers only the periods during which the university is in session. McCollum residents needing vacation housing will be accommodated in McCollum Hall, but must sign up in advance. Break/vacation housing for residents of other halls may be available in McCollum: a daily rate will be charged. Meals are not provided during vacation periods. All students interested in break housing should plan to make reservations at least three weeks prior to the break period. A late fee will apply to residents who fail to make reservations by this deadline. Residents without a reservation may not be accommodated in break housing.

Over these vacation periods (fall break, winter recess, and spring break), all resident rooms (guest and permanent rooms) will be entered as a safety measure to ensure that closing procedures have been followed. This is not intended as a search; however, policy violations in plain view will be noted and dealt with upon the resident's return.

Contract Renewal

Residence halls, scholarship halls, and Jayhawker Towers contracts are for one academic year only. An Intent to Return form and process each January through February allows you to request space for the following year.

Stouffer and Sunflower

All contracts for Stouffer Place and Sunflower Apartments will automatically renew on July 1st; a new contract need not be signed. If, for the following year, a rental increase is approved or if there is a significant change in the contract, all residents will be notified in March/April. Any tenant who does not wish to renew his/her contract for the following academic year must sign an Intent to Vacate form by April 30th. Apartments for which an Intent to Vacate form is received will be assigned to another family for July 1st occupancy. Residents not returning for the fall semester should vacate by June 15th. Residents must furnish picture identification any time a contract is modified. The Department of Student Housing reserves the right to deny renewal of any contract.