Damage Policies, Damage Fine Appeals or Inquiries, Frequently Asked Questions
Damage Policies
In order to avoid disputes concerning previously existing damages, you must review and sign your Room Condition Report (RCR) upon moving into your residence. This document lists all previous damages incurred within your room and common areas. When you vacate your room, the RCR form is used to determine if you caused any damages that fall outside the scope of normal wear and tear.
Residential Education and Housing’s Hall Damage policies are outlined below:
Annual Residence Hall and Dining Service Agreement
H. The resident will be held responsible for defacement or damage to the room, common area, and furnishings for which he or she contracts. The resident is responsible for acknowledging the condition of the room by reviewing and signing the Room Condition Report (RCR). The inventory will be used for the basis of comparison and charges at checkout. The resident will be billed for any damage (see A Guide to Residence Living ) in common areas.
A Guide to Residence Living
Room Damages
Each resident is expected to maintain his or her residence hall room in good condition. To document the original condition of your room, you will have the opportunity to review and sign a Room Condition Report (RCR) at the time you move into your assigned room. Please review this form carefully; when you vacate the room, this form will be used for the basis of comparison for damages at check out. At checkout, residents are responsible to formally check out at the hall office and turn in their room key. Individual residence communities will be responsible for damages incurred in the common areas of the resident halls, apartments, transfer houses and townhouses. You are responsible for ensuring the proper use of these facilities by your guests. During all breaks, residents must sign-out at the hall office and are expected to follow appropriate sign-out procedures.
Submitting hall damage inquiries or appealing housing damage fines
All inquiries or appeals must be submitted by August 16, 2024. After this date, no additional appeals will be considered.
General Hall Damage Information:
Residents will be billed for damages, lost or stolen College property, or unnecessary service or maintenance costs caused by residents and/or their guests within the residence halls or college houses. The College retains the right to determine whether repair or replacement of the damaged item is necessary, the amount of the damage charge, and the amount of the disciplinary fine, if any. The College of New Jersey Facilities Department or a designated contractor will make all repairs.
Failure to pay assessed fees may result in a hold on the student’s registration, graduation, or issuance of a transcript. To check if you have any outstanding housing fines, please log onto PAWS to check your account.
Students have the right to appeal charges associated with their room. However, when a responsible party cannot be identified for common area damages, charges are divided among all members of the community in which the damage occurred and therefore may not be appealed.
All payments related to damages and fines are to be submitted to the Office of Student Accounts, Green Hall 119.
If you wish to appeal these charges, please submit a Damage Appeal Form.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Am I able to appeal common area charges?
A. In A Guide to Residence Living it is stated that “Individual residence communities will be responsible for damages incurred in the common areas of the resident halls, apartments, transfer houses and townhouses. You are responsible for ensuring the proper use of these facilities by your guests.” Because we are not able to determine a single responsible party for these common area charges the entire community as a whole shares the responsibility of paying for these charges.
Q. What is appropriate documentation for having my roommate take responsibility for damages within our room?
A. In order for your roommate to take full responsibility we will need them to send an email from their TCNJ student email account accepting responsibility stating that he or she is going to accept full responsibility and will pay the charges. This email must include the student ID number and contact information for the responsible party.
Q. I pay the bills for my son or daughter to attend TCNJ, why can’t I have access to their information?
A. FERPA, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, prevents parents or legal guardians from receiving information about a student from the school unless we have a signed and dated consent form from the student giving consent to our department to share that information with the parent or guardian. Students who permit their parents, guardians, or other authorized users to receive financial or academic information must create an auxiliary user account in PAWS.
Q. What if my personal property is damaged in my room?
A. Please see Student Propery Insurance page.