It takes all community members of Michigan Housing to maintain the safety of the community. To that end, see the Regulated and Prohibited Items noted below.
REGULATED ITEMS
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.
- All electrical devices must have a safety rating as being Underwriters Laboratory (UL) certified.
- Air Conditioners are only permitted if owned/installed by MHousing. 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.
- 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.
- 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).
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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.
PROHIBITED ITEMS
The following items are prohibited in Michigan Housing and should not be brought into the community.
These prohibited items cannot be received in Michigan Housing mail and package rooms.
- Alcohol
- Alcohol and Drug-related paraphernalia
- Bed risers and other materials that elevate the bed
- 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 or grill or toaster oven or hot plate and pots
- Slow cookers (including hotpots, instant pots and crockpots) are only allowed in Northwood Community Apartments and Munger Graduate Residences kitchens
- Oil-based popcorn poppers
- Electric devices without automatic shutoff (coffee pot, heating pad, tea kettle, rice cooker)
- Dishwasher (undercounter)
- 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 hover- board/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 higher 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
- Liquefied petroleum gasses, compressed and/or flammable gasses, or liquids, except for personal care products with use per manufacturer's instruction
- Marijuana (medicinal and recreational)
- Mercury thermometers
- Pesticides (such as commercially available bug bombs, bug spray, or poison bait)
- Pets besides fish in a 10 gallon tank
- 3D Printers
- 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
- Sleeping pods, capsules, or enclosures that interfere with hearing a fire alarm or evacuating a room or building
- Space heaters that are not MHousing owned
- Subwoofers, electric keyboards
- Piano or organ (except in Northwood I, II, IV, V Community Apartments)
- 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
- Natural cut trees, branches, and/or greens (such as holiday trees, wreaths, and garlands)
- Waterbeds or water chairs
- 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
- Knives with blades longer than three (3) inches (except in Henderson House, Munger and Northwood kitchens)
- Wireless routers and other technologies (see U-M Network Proper Use Agreement) (except in Northwood IV and V Community Apartments)
- Satellite Dishes
- Heating vent covers
- Outside clotheslines
- Outdoor hammocks
- Door locks, bolts, chains, or other locking devices not installed by the University
- Possession of stolen property
- Outdoor playground equipment and inflatable toys, exceeding six feet in height
- Surface water pools (in Northwood I, II, IV and V) that exceed four feet in diameter and two feet in depth
See the Michigan Housing Policies webpage for more specific detail regarding Michigan Housing policies. (Use the keyword search function on the Community Living at Michigan Document.)
Updated 3/7/25