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Living in Campus Housing

Absence & Illness

  1. To keep staff informed in case of an emergency, students should notify their roommate and the Housing & Residence Life staff and provide an emergency contact number and expected return date if they anticipate being absent for more than 24 hours from their room or apartment.
  2. Students should immediately notify Campus Safety or Housing & Residence Life staff in case of serious injury or illness.

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Building Information

Explore our Residence Halls and Apartments.

Room Types

  1. Designated Single Rooms
    1. Each year, if occupancy demand permits, a limited number of rooms in specific halls which are normally designed for double occupancy will be offered as single occupancy. These rooms are known as designated singles.
    2. Students living in designated singles pay $9,160 per academic year for as long as the room is considered a designated single by the Housing & Residence Life Office.
      1. TLC Single Rooms
        1. Rooms are allocated for students with special needs that indicate single occupancy is required. Eligibility for these singles is determined by Office of Student Accessibility.
        2. Students living in Office of Student Accessibility single rooms pay the same room rate as double-occupancy residents of the hall in which the single is located.
  2. Permanent Single Rooms
    1. Permanent singles are rooms that are designed in size for one occupant, or which have been determined to be too small for two occupants. Permanent singles are located in Hope Hall and Horton Hall.
    2. ll permanent single rooms in Hope and Horton Halls are reserved for use by residents needing special housing accommodations for medical or psychological reasons and are assigned in conjunction with the Office of Student Accessibility, which may need to evaluate medical documentation for the student.
  3. Designated Triple Rooms
    1. Each year, if the University deems it necessary in order to accommodate new incoming students, rooms normally designed for double occupancy will be designated as three-to-a-room occupancy. These rooms are known as designated triples.
    2. Students living in designated triples receive a discount of 25% off the double-occupancy room rate for that building for as long as the room is considered a designated triple by the Housing & Residence Life Office.
  4. Permanent Triple Rooms
    1. Permanent triples are rooms that are designed in size for a minimum of three occupants. Permanent triples are located in Hope Hall and Horton Hall. Permanent triple rooms have the same per-person room rate as double-occupancy rooms in the same building.

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Open Hours

Open House hours help students value, develop, and maintain healthy friendships with the same sex as well as to develop healthy, Christ-honoring relationships in sexual purity with students of the opposite sex.

Students of the opposite sex may only be on floors and in room/apartments during designated Open House hours.

  • Residence Hall Open Hours: 2–11 p.m., Thursday–Sunday

Apartments Open Hours

  • 12–11 p.m., Sundays through Thursdays
  • 12 p.m.–1 a.m., Fridays and Saturdays

Additional Open Hours Policies

  • Open House hours will begin on the first day of classes or later, as publicized by Residence Life.
  • Open house hours are suspended during Thanksgiving break, spring break, winter break and finals week of both semesters.
  • All doors will remain wide open while guests are present.
  • Any behavior that is considered compromising, sexually inappropriate, or causes others in the community to be uncomfortable is prohibited.
  • Any violation of Open House hours or standards is subject to disciplinary actions, including fines and loss of privileges.
  • All residents who are present at the time of the violation will be held responsible for the violation, regardless of whose guest was involved.

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Room Change

  1. Students are assigned to one specific room or apartment for the duration of the academic year and are not permitted to change rooms.
  2. Room Change periods may be offered at the discretion of the Housing & Residence Life office based on availability.
  3. Any requests for a “special exception” room change must be approved by the appropriate Resident Director or Graduate Assistant and by the Director of Housing & Residence Life. Approval is not guaranteed and is considered on a case-by-case basis.
  4. Students who change rooms without permission in advance from the housing office will be fined at least $100 and may be required to move back to their original housing assignment.
  5. Students with certain sanctions from Housing & Residence Life may not be eligible to participate in Room Change.

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Visitors & Overnight Guests

  1. Residents must submit a Residence Guest Application and receive written approval, prior to permitting a guest to stay overnight. Applications may be accessed online through the the Overnight Guest Form.
  2. With the approval of roommates, guests of the same sex may stay overnight in the Student’s room or apartment.
  3. Overnight guests may not stay in any University housing designated for Students for more than three (3) nights (separate or consecutive) during any given semester.
  4. Overnight guests of the opposite sex are not permitted in campus living areas designated for Traditional Students.
  5. Under no circumstances may guests of the opposite sex utilize floor or room/apartment showers, or be in any state of undress while visiting campus living areas designated for Traditional Students.
  6. Overnight guests must be a minimum of sixteen (16) years of age.
  7. Parents are not permitted to stay overnight in living areas designated for Traditional Students.
  8. Under no circumstances may a guest reside in Biola Student housing unattended.
  9. A Biola Student (who is assigned to the actual room/apartment in which the guest will be staying) must remain in the respective living area throughout the guests’ visit.
  10. Guests may not visit over Christmas Break.
  11. Students who have not completed enrollment by the enrollment deadline or who were required to move out of university housing may not stay as any other student’s guests or store their belongings in university housing.
  12. The university reserves the right to require guests to leave if they are in violation of university rules and regulations or of federal, state or local laws, or are disruptive to the university community.

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Amenities

  1. The university provides wireless internet access in residence halls and apartments.
  2. University telephones are located in each residence hall floor and in The Bluff rooms and apartments. Students may call other rooms or Biola offices without charge. All other calls must be completed at the student’s cost using a calling card or via an internet-based service through the student’s computer.
  3. Food and drink vending machines are provided in the residence halls.

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Furniture & Furnishings

  1. Provided Furniture & Apartment Appliances: Each residence hall room and apartment bedroom is furnished with one standard-size twin bed, one desk, one bookcase, one wardrobe or closet, and one desk chair for each planned resident, and one wastebasket per bedroom. Each apartment living area is furnished with a couch and/or arm chair, occasional table(s), dining set, refrigerator, stove, microwave oven and garbage disposal.
  2. Vacuum cleaners are provided in each residence hall and apartment building.
  3. Students may not provide their own mattresses due to the increase of bed bug contamination. Students with medical conditions requiring a specific type of mattress may contact Residential Facilities for information about medical exceptions.
  4. Residence hall and apartment kitchens are not equipped with cookware, dishes or utensils.
  5. Furnishings are not to be removed at any time from the Residence Hall room or Apartment to which they are assigned, and “extra” furniture is not provided by the university. Furnishings include room furniture, drapes, blinds, mattresses, paint, carpet, floor tile, wastebaskets, telephones where provided and window sticks/locks. Charges for replacing missing furnishings will be billed to the individual(s) to whose room that equipment is assigned. There may also be a charge for returning furniture to rooms if it is removed.
  6. Mattresses must remain on bed frames, and may not be placed directly on the floor.
  7. Residents may rearrange the furniture in their rooms or apartments as long as they structure of the rooms and all permanent features remain unchanged and as long as furniture is set up according to approved configurations.
  8. Beds may be lofted or bunked only according to approved configurations, as defined by Residential Facilities. Personal lofts or platforms are prohibited. Lofted and bunked beds are installed with a safety side rail. If a student elects to remove the safety rail, he/she must sign a waiver of liability. The maximum height of the upper level mattress support surface for lofted or bunked beds is 59 inches. Bunked beds may have only two sleeping surfaced. To request a furniture change, submit the online form — Request a Change of Bed Style to Residential Facilities. View details about furniture dimensions and sample bed styles on the Bed style or Furniture Changes page.
  9. Any furniture set up in unapproved configurations may be reassembled by university personnel.
  10. Residents of suites or apartments may not arrange their furnishings so that one room of the suite or one of the apartment bedrooms is a sleeping room and the other room is a living/study room.
  11. Electrical outlets, switches and lighting fixtures may not be removed, altered or added, including ceiling fans.

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Bicycles

  1. Residents, students and guests are subject to all terms of Campus Safety’s Vehicle & Safety Regulations.
  2. Bicycle registration is mandatory for all students and employees to ride or park a bicycle on the Biola campus or at the Biola-owned apartments on Rosecrans Avenue.
  3. Bicycle registration is free, and may be done any time with Campus Safety.
  4. Bicycles may only be parked in a bike rack and must be locked with a U–lock or similar-style lock to deter theft. Cable locks may be used in addition to a U-lock but are not sufficient to secure a bicycle alone.
  5. Bicycles must not be secured to or rested against objects such as benches, poles, signs, trees, fences or railings.
  6. Bicycles may not be parked in any building lobby, deck, courtyard, hallway, restroom, kitchen, laundry room, or other room unless the area has been designated for parking. Students may park bicycles in their own residence hall room or apartment.
  7. Bicycles may not be operated or ridden inside residence halls or apartments.

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Common Areas

No personal belongings are to be left in any common areas (hallways, lobbies, bathrooms, lounges, laundry rooms, kitchens, etc.) Surfboards, wetsuits and sports gear are not to be left in tubs, showers or laundry sinks.

Kitchens

  1. Residence hall kitchens are for preparing snacks and for special occasions, not for cooking on a regular basis.
  2. Food preparation and cooking is permitted in residence hall or apartment kitchens only, not in bedrooms, hallways, restrooms, or lounges.
  3. Residents using any kitchen are responsible for cleaning up after themselves.
  4. See also Furniture and Furnishings above.

Laundry Rooms

  1. Laundry rooms and laundry equipment are for the exclusive use of residents.
  2. Residents may not store their belongings in laundry rooms.
  3. Clothes may only be dried inside laundry rooms.
  4. Laundry machines in Biola housing are operated using the PayRange app. Residents who do not have a smart-phone or tablet, or who do not wish to use the PayRange app may use quarters. See the laundry page for additional information.
  5. Laundry machines are owned and maintained by a third-party vendor, not by Biola University.

Storage

  1. The university does not provide storage for student belongings, including during the summer.
  2. Personal items may not be stored in community restrooms or laundry rooms. Personal items left in these rooms will be discarded.
  3. Engines, motorcycles, mopeds, jet skis, tires, gasoline, oil cans or other flammable petroleum products may not be stored in any residence hall or apartment building at any time.
  4. Storage of hazardous or toxic chemicals, substances or materials is strictly prohibited. This includes, but is not limited to: charcoal briquettes, charcoal starter fluid and other barbecue materials, propane tanks/bottles and photographic development chemicals.
  5. After spring check out, any personal property left in the residence halls or apartments will be considered abandoned and will be discarded.

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Appliances

  1. Students who exceed the electrical load limitations in their rooms may be required to remove appliances.
  2. Food preparation and cooking is permitted in residence hall or apartment kitchens only, not in bedrooms, hallways, restrooms or lounges.
  3. Permitted Appliances & Devices
    1. Small devices such as radios, clocks, phone chargers, desk lamps, laptop or desktop computers.
    2. Electric blankets.
    3. Stereos up to 200 watts or 1.7 amps.
    4. Televisions up to 150 watts or 1.25 amps (usually about 32” or smaller).
    5. Refrigerators: Maximum of two per room, each limited to 95 watts or .8 amps (usually about 1.8 cubic feet), or one larger refrigerator per room limited to 190 watts or 1.6 amps.
      1. Refrigerators must be plugged directly into a wall outlet, not into power strips.
    6. Coffee makers or electric water heating pots.
    7. “Surge protected” electrical cords, as long as they do not extend through a doorway, window or ceiling panel, or across a hallway or traffic area, or underneath a carpet or rug. Electrical cords cannot be fastened to a wall or structure.
    8. Printers: we recommend using USB-connected printers since wireless (WiFi) printers may be very difficult to set up through the university network and personal WiFi routers are not permitted.
    9. Hair dryers:
      1. Limited to 1300 watts in bedrooms in all buildings (except Stewart: limit of 1000 watts). Higher wattage units may be used in community or apartment restrooms.
      2. May be used only at bedroom vanities in Sigma and Thompson Hall.
      3. May be used only in community restrooms in Alpha and Hart Hall.
  4. Appliances & Devices Not Permitted:
    1. See Prohibited & Illegal Items.

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Pets

  1. Due to health, cleanliness and damage concerns no pets are allowed in Biola student housing.
  2. For service animal or emotional support animal accommodations, contact the Office of Student Accessibility at student.accessibility@biola.edu or (562) 906-4542 for more information.

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Decor

  1. No paint, wallpaper, contact paper or other adhesive products may be used on walls or university furniture.
  2. No alternate flooring, such as tile, wood or wall-to-wall carpet, may be installed in rooms. Area rugs without adhesive backings are permitted.
  3. Only small finishing nails may be used to apply decoration to walls. Cinder Block wall may use 3M/command strips or poster putty. Nails may be obtained from Residence Life staff, or you can bring your own thin nails. No tape or any kind of adhesives are to be used on walls, doors, windows, furniture or any other surfaces.
  4. “Washable” crayons may not be used on any surfaces.
  5. Decorations can only be hung from walls (not attached to or suspended from ceilings), and must be a minimum of 1 foot from the ceiling and at least 3 feet from all four sides of a fire extinguisher or fire alarm pull station. Decorations are prohibited on fire doors.
  6. Anything outside of the above products not listed that can cause long-term damage to the room is not allowed.
  7. No decorations may be placed outside of your room, except for items affixed to the door. This includes doormats.
  8. All decorations in rooms or apartments must be in harmony with the philosophy of the university as outlined in the Student Handbook. Distasteful, offensive or vulgar items are inappropriate and should not be displayed.
  9. Christmas decorations:
    1. Due to state and county fire code, living Christmas trees must be fireproofed before being put in residence hall rooms, apartments, lobbies or lounges. Live trees must be purchased from a vendor who can treat and tag the tree and issue a fireproof certificate. The vendor's tag must remain on the tree and the certificate must be presented to Facilities Management before the tree is taken into any building. Self-treatment with fire retardant spray is not sufficient.
    2. Artificial Christmas trees must be made of fire resistant material.
    3. "Spray snow" may not be used on any surface, including windows, due to potential for damage or difficulty cleaning.
    4. Christmas lights may be used as long as the cords do not extend through any doorway, window or ceiling panel, or across any hallway or traffic area, or under any carpet or rug. Only lights rated for indoor use may be used indoors. No lights may be hung near water sources. A maximum of three light strands may be connected to each other.

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Personal Property

  1. The university is not responsible for damage to or loss of personal belongings in university housing, which are a result of fire, wind, water, insects, rodents, vandalism or theft. When damage or loss is reported, the university will take reasonable steps to attempt to resolve the problem, but residents are solely responsible for all personal belongings.
  2. Residents are encouraged to ensure that personal belongings are covered by their parents’ homeowner’s policy or a renter’s insurance policy.
  3. See Keys and Authorized Entry for details on securing belongings in a student’s room.
  4. See Room Searches for details on searches and inspections.

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Sports

  1. Because of the great potential for injury, damage and disturbance, the playing of any and all sports in the residence halls and in or around the apartment buildings is prohibited.
  2. Violators will be fined at least $25 and will be financially responsible for any damage resulting from their activities. Damage unreported by those responsible will be automatically charged to the occupants of the room, apartment, suite or floor involved.

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Noise

  1. La Mirada city ordinance requires quiet from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department will issue citations on campus to offenders of this ordinance.
  2. After 10 p.m., the right to quiet supersedes anyone's right to make noise.
  3. Drums and other loud instruments are permitted for a maximum of two hours per week, but only as approved on a case-by-case basis by Housing and Residence Life staff.
  4. During evenings residence halls and apartments should be quiet enough that study and sleeping conditions are not disturbed. If any noise can be heard outside of a student’s room or apartment, it is too loud.
  5. Loud conversation in the hallways, on decks or in courtyards may be disturbing to others and should be avoided.
  6. Students who are disturbed by noise have the responsibility to confront the offenders. Should the offense continue or be repeated, the student should speak with Housing and Residence Life staff.
  7. Housing and Residence Life staff has the authority at all times to take steps they deem necessary to maintain a quiet atmosphere in the residence halls and apartments.
  8. Residents responsible for excessive noise and/or disruptive behavior may be subject to disciplinary action, including at least a $25 fine, and they may be asked to remove sound systems or musical instruments from their rooms or apartments. Residents who continually disrupt their neighbors may be subject to dismissal from housing, as well as further disciplinary action.

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