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Housing FAQs

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Housing FAQs

General Housing FAQ

What room types are available?

The following room types are available:

Single Room: One bedroom housing one student.

Double Room:  One bedroom housing two students.

Triple: One bedroom housing three students (larger room).

Quad: One or two connected bedrooms housing four students.

Suite: A cluster of single or double rooms connected to a common area shared only with the residents assigned to the space. Typically the A room is the double and the B, C, and D rooms are single rooms within the suite. Common hall bathrooms are used for students assigned to suites.

Apartment: A cluster of single rooms connected to a common area, kitchen, and private bathroom shared only with the residents assigned to the space.

Theme and Special Interest House: Residences where students pursue a common interest and share the fruits of that interest with the campus community. Open to sophomores, juniors and seniors. Depending on the location there are single and double rooms.

Greek Houses: Residences available to student fraternity or sorority members. Open to juniors and seniors. All single room spaces.

Does F&M have a four-year residency requirement?

Yes. Our four-year residency policy means students are required to live in F&M-owned or F&M-affiliated housing for all four years.

Does F&M allow commuters?

Yes, students that live full-time with a parent or guardian within a 50-mile radius of campus can apply to commute to campus. 

As a newly admitted student, when will I receive my housing assignment?

All incoming first-year students will be directed to log in to complete a resident housing application online. Answers to the housing application will be used to match each student to a compatible roommate. Students will receive their housing assignment and roommate information in early August.

What if I need a medical accommodation for housing?

Students in need of a special room assignment for a medical reason should connect the Office of Student Accessibility Services to apply. All requests are reviewed and determined on a case by case basis. The deadline to apply for incoming first year students is June 15. The deadline to apply for returning students is February 28.

What is the address for insurance purposes?

The College street address is:

415 Harrisburg Avenue
Lancaster, PA 17603.

Students may use an insurance company of their choice. The College also partners with Grad Guard [link] to provide affordable personal property insurance to our students.

What is my campus mailing address?

Your campus address is:

Name
P.O. Box 3220
Lancaster, PA 17604

When shipping address is required, your address is:

415 Harrisburg Ave.
Lancaster, PA 17603

Shipping address is required when using Amazon*, FedEx, UPS, Airborne, and DHL.

*Amazon shipping varies. There may be a 24-hour delay in students receiving packages depending on how Amazon ships.


May I smoke in the residence halls?

Franklin & Marshall is a smoke-free campus. Smoking is not permitted in any common areas on campus (i.e., bathrooms, lounges, classrooms, stairwells, residence halls, etc.). Students may not smoke in their residence hall rooms or cover a life saving smoke detector. Distance from the building is required when smoking outdoors.

What time are the residence halls locked?

The residence halls are locked 24 hours a day to insure the safety of everyone in our community. Residential students use their ID card for access to the residence halls. Resident students have access to all residential buildings from 7 a.m. to midnight each day.

What is a House Adviser (HA)?

House Advisers (HAs) are upperclass students employed by the Office of the Dean of the College. Each floor has an HA who is available to assist students in their transition to college life. They facilitate floor decision-making, serve as a resource for information about the College, enforce College policies, plan programs to bring the residents of a floor together, help to foster a sense of community among residents and much more. You will find your HA to be an invaluable resource at F&M.

Where do first-year students live?

First-year students live in one of the five college houses on floors with other first-year students. If you have a special medical need for a single room as a first-year student, the Office of Student Accessibility will evaluate documentation from a healthcare professional to determine the student's particular housing need. 

Can I change roommates?

Roommates are carefully matched according to the living habits and answers you indicate in your housing application. That said, we do realize that not all roommates are destined to become the best of friends. We encourage students to speak with their House Adviser (HA) if they have concerns. HAs are carefully trained to handle roommate concerns of all types. If, after trying to work through a roommate issue, a student still wants to change rooms, the House Dean will work closely with the student to determine next steps.

Can I bring a car to campus as a first-year student?

No. First-year students are not permitted to bring vehicles to campus unless a first-year parking waiver is approved. Exceptions are typically granted for local commuting students or students with a medical need.

Can I take a tour of my room in the summer?

Unfortunately, we cannot offer tours of individual rooms during the summer. Our residence hall rooms are occupied by camps and events over the summer months.

Room Furnishing FAQ

What type of furniture is provided?

Each room contains a desk, a chair, a dresser, a wardrobe and a twin XL bed for each student. Furniture types vary from building to building. Because all housing options are furnished, the College does not permit students to bring upholstered furniture to campus residence halls, theme houses or apartment spaces.

Can I bring upholstered furniture to campus for my room?

No. All of our residence hall rooms are fully furnished. There is no need to bring additional furniture. The College does not permit student owned upholstered furniture items in on-campus spaces or apartments.

Are the rooms air conditioned?

Yes, every residence hall room on campus is centrally air conditioned.

Should I bring a fan?

Students often choose to bring a fan to circulate air in their rooms, but it is not required or necessary.  It is a personal choice. All residence hall rooms have air conditioning.

Are there screens on the windows?

Our windows do not have screens. If you'd like the option of opening your window, you may purchase an expandable screen at a home improvement store. We do, however, recommend the windows remain closed to keep humidity out of the building especially in the spring and summer months.

Do residence halls rooms have window blinds?

Yes. Each room is equipped with mini-blinds on the windows.

Is there a trash can in my room?

Each room comes with a trash can for each student.

Is there a mirror in my room?

There is a full-length mirror behind each entry door in every residence hall room.

What type of flooring can I expect?

It varies by building and by room. Most rooms are Vinyl Composition Tile (VCT).

Is there lighting in each room?

All rooms are equipped with lighting. There is overhead lighting in each room. Students often choose to bring a lamp in the event they do not wish to use the overhead lighting.

Can I bring an electric blanket?

No. Electric blankets are not permitted. They present a safety risk. They also may cause electrical breakers to trip in the residence halls.

 

Can I bring a stand-alone microwave?

No. Stand-alone microwaves are not permitted in the residence halls. We've found if students bring their own microwaves they can cause circuit outages in the residential halls. 

Microwave/refrigerator combination units are available for rental with Campus Specialties. The units provided by the suggested rental company meet all voltage requirements.

 

Is there enough room for two refrigerators or two TVs?

You may bring a 1.8 cu ft up to a 4 cu ft refrigerator (no larger than 4 cu ft). Two 1.8 cu ft refrigerators could fit in most rooms, but the majority of students share one TV and one refrigerator per room. Cable TV is not provided in the residence hall rooms. 

Should I bring my own desk chair?

Each desk comes with a chair, so you do not need to bring your own. If you elect to bring your own chair, that's okay, but we ask the College-issued desk chair stay in your room as well.

What color is my room?

All rooms are neutral in decor. Most rooms have white walls. Rugs and accessories can be used to bring color to the room.

Can I hang things on the walls?

The walls are made with cinder block construction, so we ask that you not drill into the walls. Most student find that poster putty or Command removable hooks work well for the purpose of hanging things on the walls.

 

What size is the mattress?

All mattresses in the residence halls on campus are twin XL. Regular twin sheets will not fit. You can purchase twin XL sheets at most bedding and bath stores or retail discount stores.

Can we loft our beds?

The College prefers students do not loft their beds as this can become a potential hazard. Many residence hall rooms have beds that can be adjusted to many different heights to allow storage under the beds.

Does my room have Wi-Fi?

Yes. All residence hall rooms and most common areas on campus have Wi-Fi.

Apartments FAQ

Where do students pick up their keys on move in?

College Row
If a student leases a College Row apartment they pick up their keys at the College Row leasing office on Harrisburg Pike located in the College Row facility. The phone number is 717.291.9333. Please call ahead for hours of operation.

College Hill
If a student leases a College Hill apartment they would pick up their keys at the Susquehanna Realty Office on Columbia Avenue. The phone number is 717.393.8400. Please call ahead for hours of operation.

James Street Property (JSP)
If a student rents a James Street Property (JSP) they pick up their keys at the JSP office at 448 W. James Street. The phone number is 717.947.7453. Please call ahead for hours of operation.

Where do students return keys?

College Row
For College Row, please return keys to the College Row office on Harrisburg Avenue.

College Hill
For College Hill, please return keys to the College Hill property management office, Susuehanna Realty Management at the corner of W. James and Mulberry Streets.

James Street Property (JSP)
For James Street Properties, please return keys to the property manager at 448 W. James Street.

When do the apartment leases begin?

Apartment leases begin June 1st and run through mid May of the following year.

Are all apartment choices a 12-month lease commitment?

Most apartment options are 12 month occupancy/lease. If a student chooses to live in an off campus theme house they commit to a 9-month housing commitment. The housing occupancy dates in theme housing are the same as the residence halls on campus. All utilities are included in theme house living.

Are rising juniors guaranteed apartment spaces?

No. A percentage of junior students will not be able to select an  apartment space based on housing availability and their lottery number. Those remaining students will select an on-campus space. If apartment spaces become available prior to the start of the fall semester, students on the apartment waiting list are permitted to switch to an apartment space.

Are the apartment utilities in the student's name?

In College Row and the James Street Properties all utilities are in the student names. In College Hill, the property manager bills students monthly for utility usage.  

College Row includes internet in the monthly rent, but electric is additional. Students share in the cost of electric and it is based on usage.

College Hill includes the internet in the monthly rent but internet, electric and gas are additional. Students share in the cost of utilities and it is based on usage.

In a James Street Property, all unit utilities (gas, electric and internet) are in addition to the rent and are in the student names.

May a student with an apartment lease sublet their apartment in the summer?

Yes, students may sublet their space to another enrolled F&M student in the summer months, if they desire. Students may not rent to recent F&M graduates, however. Please remember the lease holder is responsible for any and all damages to the unit.  If you decide to sublet, it is suggested to require a security deposit from the sublet student in the event of damage. The property manager must be notified if a sublet student is living in an apartment in the event of an emergency.

Are security deposits required in apartments?

Yes, College Row, College Hill and the James Street Properties all require a security deposit to be held for the entire lease term for potential damages to the unit.

If I plan to go abroad what happens to my 12-month lease?

If you sign a 12-month lease agreement for the fall and plan to go abroad in the spring, you must notify the property manager of your plans meeting their deadline of notification. Once you have been approved to go abroad, please forward your acceptance to the program to the housing office at housing@fandm.edu and copy the property manager. Your lease will be terminated at the end of the fall semester. You may also pre-arrange with one of your friends to swap your space for the spring semester. The housing office will also work with roommates to match a replacement for a vacant space. The new student joining the space will sign their own spring only lease at that time.

Will my financial aid cover the costs of my apartment lease?

Your financial aid package is budgeted for the 9-month academic semester of expenses and most off campus spaces have a 12-month commitment. Students on financial aid are responsible for the three summer months plus any utilities and security deposit during that time. Food is also additional.

Move-In and Move-Out FAQ

Where do students pick up their keys on move-in day?

Incoming First-Years
First year students pick up their keys at the welcome center on move-in day.

Upperclass Students
Upperclass students pick up their keys at a key station location announced closer to move-in day. After move in day, students that live in a residence hall on campus may pick up their keys at the Key Shop located at 415 Harrisburg Avenue between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. The Key Shop is closed daily 12 noon to 12:30 p.m. for lunch. Special hours may exist if official move in occurs on a Saturday or a Sunday. Please check website for dates and times of operation for the Key Shop.

College Row
If a student leases a College Row apartment they pick up their keys at the College Row leasing office on Harrisburg Pike located in the College Row facility. The phone number is 717.291.9333. Please call ahead for hours of operation.

College Hill
If a student leases a College Hill apartment they would pick up their keys at the Susquehanna Realty Office on Columbia Avenue. The phone number is 717.393.8400. Please call ahead for hours of operation.

James Street Property (JSP)
If a student rents a James Street Property (JSP) they pick up their keys at the JSP office at 448 W. James Street. The phone number is 717.947.7453. Please call ahead for hours of operation.

Where do students return keys?

On-Campus and Theme Housing
For an on-campus or theme house space, please return keys to the F&M Key Shop located at 415 Harrisburg Avenue or any key box return on campus. A key drop box is also available around the rear in the wall next to the blue awning with "415".

College Row
For College Row, please return keys to the College Row office on Harrisburg Avenue.

College Hill
For College Hill, please return keys to the College Hill property management office, Susuehanna Realty Management at the corner of W. James and Mulberry Streets.

James Street Property (JSP)
For James Street Properties, please return keys to the property manager at 448 W. James Street.