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PROHIBITED AND REGULATED ITEMS IN MICHIGAN HOUSING

Maintaining a safe community in Michigan Housing is a shared responsibility. To support this effort, the prohibited and regulated items are listed below in the following sections:

PROHIBITED ITEMS - ALL MICHIGAN HOUSING BUILDINGS

The following items are prohibited in Michigan Housing for reasons including privacy, fire safety and physical well-being and should not be brought into the community. Some exceptions for Northwood and Munger are noted elsewhere on this page.  Prohibited items can not be received at the Michigan Housing mail and package rooms.

  • 3D Printers
  • Alcohol and Drug-related paraphernalia
  • Bed risers and other materials that elevate the bed or other modular furniture elements that are not shown in one of the manufacturer's approved configurations. 
  • Bicycles left in public areas (e.g., hallways, stairwells, balconies) or attaching them to handrails, banisters or access ramps
  • Candles, wax burners or warmers, diffusers, incense, and burning sage
  • Cooking appliances with an open heating coil or heating source or no thermostat control, including:
    • Toaster ovens, toasters, hot plates, s’mores makers, electric skillet electric grill,  or hot plate/pots
    • Slow cookers (including hotpots, instant pots and crockpots) are only allowed in Northwood Apartments and Munger Graduate Residences kitchens
    • Oil-based popcorn poppers
    • Electric devices without automatic shutoff (coffee pot, tea kettle, rice cooker)
  • Decorations, flyers, signs, whiteboards, flags, or any other element may not be displayed on resident room doors or in student room windows. See the CLAM for more information.
  • Dishwashers (except as regulated in Northwood)
  • Door locks, bolts, chains or other locking devices not installed by the university.
  • Electric and battery powered mobility devices, self-balancing personal transportation devices and Electric bicycle or e-scooter, including electric skateboard, e-unicycles, single-wheel electric boards, or hoverboard/self-balancing scooter
  • Electric blankets and Heating pads without an automatic shutoff
  • Electronic doorbells, doorbell cameras, Ring or other home security cameras, or outdoor surveillance cameras
  • Extension cords thinner than 16 gauge (e.g., 18 or 20 gauge)
  • Electrical outlet extenders, outlet splitters, multi-plug adaptors, or other similar extenders
    • Multiple power strips plugged into each other
  • Fireplaces
  • Fireworks, ammunition, explosives, flammable liquids, other hazardous materials, lighters, torches, fuel, lit cigarettes, open flame sources
  • Fog Machines
  • Halogen Lamps
  • Heating vent covers
  • Hot tubs, Waterbeds or water chairs
  • Knives with blades longer than three (3) inches (except in Henderson House, Munger and Northwood kitchens)
  • Liquefied petroleum gases, compressed and/or flammable gasses, or liquids, except for personal care products with use per manufacturer's instruction.
  • Marijuana (medicinal and recreational)
  • Mercury thermometers (If a mercury thermometer breaks, the resident will be charged for the mercury spill cleanup)
  • Natural cut trees, branches, and/or greens (such as holiday trees, wreaths, and garlands)
  • Outdoor hammocks
  • Outdoor playground equipment and inflatable toys, exceeding six feet in height
  • Outside clotheslines
  • Pesticides (such as commercially available bug bombs, bug spray, or poison bait)
  • Pets besides fish in a 10 gallon tank
  • Pianos and organs are prohibited (except as regulated in Northwood).
  • Possession of stolen property
  • Refrigerators not owned by M Housing greater than 5.5-cubic foot capacity and/or amperage draw of more than 1.5 amps.
  • Resident Grills and Smokers (prohibited except as regulated in Northwood)
  • Satellite dishes mounted in any fashion to any interior or exterior area
  • Sleeping pods, capsules, or enclosures that interfere with hearing a fire alarm or evacuating a room or building
  • Space heaters that are not M Housing owned (except as regulated in Northwood)
  • Subwoofers, electric keyboards
  • Tanning Beds
  • Tobacco products, Electronic nicotine delivery systems, vapes, vape pens, hookah/water pipes, hookah pens, e-cigarettes, e-cigars, and smokeless tobacco products
  • Trampolines
  • Weapons, including Guns, BB guns, airsoft guns, any projectile weapon, water guns, water balloon launchers, Nerf guns, paintball guns, ammunition (live or empty), explosives, dangerous chemicals, martial arts weapons, or any other objects as weapons (i.e. metal knuckles, blackjack, sap, or similar instruments).
  • Weapons owned or used for decorative or collecting purposes
  • Wireless routers and other technologies (see U-M Network Proper Use Agreement) are prohibited except as regulated in Northwood IV and V Apartments

PROHIBITED ITEMS - MUNGER & NORTHWOOD APARTMENTS

In addition to PROHIBITED ITEMS - ALL MICHIGAN HOUSING BUILDINGS, The following items and conditions are prohibited specifically for reasons including privacy, fire safety, and physical well-being:

  • Foil-lined cupboards, stove, and/or walls are not permitted in kitchen spaces.
  • Personal cooking devices and/or microwaves are not permitted in individual resident bedrooms.
  • Surface water pools (in Northwood I, II, IV and V) that exceed four feet in diameter and two feet in depth

REGULATED ITEMS - ALL MICHIGAN HOUSING BUILDINGS

The following items are permitted in Michigan Housing, with certain conditions relating to fire safety and physical well-being. Regulated items requiring Michigan Housing approval may not be mailed to Michigan Housing package/mail rooms. Alcohol may not be mailed to any Michigan Housing package/mail room.

  • Alcohol may be possessed in small quantities for personal consumption in their assigned room by students who are 21 years of age or older, provided the space is not designated as substance-free.
  • Air Conditioners are only permitted if owned/installed by M Housing.  Air conditioners are permitted in Northwood under specific conditions.
  • Air Purifiers are permitted if certified to emit minimal ozone and be electrically safe. The Environmental Protection Agency has stated ozone is unhealthy to breathe in concentrated quantities. Air purifier safety should be verified using the California Air Resources Board (CARB) list. Use this list to confirm that your air purifier has been tested and shown to emit little or no ozone. 
  • Bidets are only permitted in Northwood after being approved by Michigan Housing, and must be installed by Student Life Facilities staff. For Northwood bidet requests, please email hsg-accommodations@umich.edu.
  • Electrical appliances or devices brought into Michigan Housing spaces must be UL (Underwriters Laboratory) Listed.  This certification ensures that products meet recognized safety standards, reducing the risk of fire or electrical hazards within our community.
  • Humidifiers/Dehumidifiers must be approved in advance by Michigan Housing. If approved, place it away from the smoke detector and follow the manufacturer’s instructions for use and cleaning to avoid the potential spread of bacteria or mold. To request a health related accommodation, email hsg-accommodations@umich.edu for review.
  • Personal grooming tools (e.g., hair dryers, heated hair styling) should be used away from fire detection equipment (e.g., smoke alarms and sprinklers) to avoid inadvertent activation (heat can cause both to activate).
  • Steam Producing Devices: Avoid using heat or steam producing products such as clothing irons and steamers near a sprinkler head or smoke alarm to minimize fire alarm activation. 

REGULATED ITEMS - MUNGER & NORTHWOOD APARTMENTS ONLY

The following items are specifically permitted in Munger Graduate Residences and Northwood Apartments as described below:

  • Free standing or countertop dishwashers are permitted in Northwood only. Undercounter dishwashers are not permitted.
  • Freezers and additional refrigerators are permitted in Northwood IV and V only.
  • Grills and Smokers (Northwood Apartments only)
    • The use of any grill at any time must occur outside of the apartment on the ground level in an open-air environment. 
    • Only commercially purchased charcoal or propane may be used in Northwood Apartments. Burning of wood, twigs, dry brush, and other items is prohibited.  
    • Use of grills on Northwood upper level stairwell landings is prohibited.  
    • Propane tanks are allowed outside of the Northwood apartments for use with gas grills only. 
  • Portable electric baseboard and flat panel heaters are permitted in Northwood apartments. These heaters must meet the following criteria: (a) must be electrically powered, (b) must be an oil-filled heater, (c) must have automatic overheat shutoff protection, and (d) must automatically shut off when tipped over.
  • Slow cookers are permitted in Northwood Apartments and Munger Graduate Residences kitchens only.
  • Washers and dryers are permitted in Northwood I if a hookup is present (See Laundry Options)

See the Michigan Housing Policies webpage for more specific detail regarding Michigan Housing policies.


Updated 5-19-26


 

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