Faculty & Staff Housing Handbook
The Faculty and Staff Housing Handbook is a resource for detailed information about
college housing and selection procedures.
I. Purpose
II. Housing Policies
1. Housing License Agreement
2. Housing Selection Process
3. Eligibility and Priority
4. Terms of Eligibility
5. Relocations
6. Subletting and Sabbaticals
7. Pet Policy
8. Pine Cobble Houses For Sale
9. Other policies
III. Housing Procedures from Application to Move-Out
1. Application
2. Housing Selection Calendar
3. Housing Selection
4. Housing License Agreement
5. Payments and Security Deposit
6. Move-in
7. Move-out
IV. Repairs and Maintenance Procedures
1. Types of Repairs and Maintenance
2. Emergency Repairs
3. Capital Repairs
V. Housing Inventory and Location Map
VI. Contact Information
I. Purpose
Williams owns and/or leases a number of residential housing units in Williamstown and neighboring North Adams in which some members of the faculty and staff can reside. The purpose of the housing program is to help attract and retain junior faculty and new administrative staff hires at the beginning of their careers by helping them find convenient housing. The college makes no guarantee to provide housing to all who are eligible.
Housing is allocated through a points-based Housing Selection process that occurs biannually on predictable dates. At off-cycle times, available housing is offered to new employees on a first-come, first-served basis. Those who select to live in college housing are required to fill out a short application, make their housing selection from the list of available units, sign a Housing License Agreement prior to moving in, and pay a security deposit equal to one month’s housing payment.
Together with the Housing License Agreement (HLA), this Handbook contains important information about the housing process, including eligibility, priority, and procedures governing the use of college-owned housing.
II. Housing Policies
1. Housing License Agreement
Residents are required to sign a Housing License Agreement (HLA) in advance of occupying a unit (refer to this sample Housing License Agreement).
The Housing License Agreement sets out the terms and conditions for occupancy during college employment. It is different from a lease and allows residents to cancel and move out with 30 days’ written notice. Signing a HLA does not require a credit history or credit check.
Housing License Agreements for each type of unit—single family, multi-family, mixed-use, Co-Op housing, Pine Cobble, and master-leased units—are the same, with the following exceptions:
1. Single Family — Residents are directly responsible for all utilities (including water/sewer) as well as exterior yard maintenance and snow and trash removal.
2. Multi-Family and Mixed-Use Housing — Residents may be directly responsible for some utilities, such as electricity, that are not included in the base payment to the college. Typically, lawn care, snow removal, and trash removal are included in the base payment to the college for dwellings with two or more units.
3. Co-op Housing (e.g. Samuelson House) – Gas heat, electricity, water/sewer, lawn care, snow removal, trash removal, wifi, and occasional common area cleaning are included in the base payment to the college.
4. Pine Cobble Houses— Residents are directly responsible for all utilities (including water/sewer) as well as exterior yard maintenance and snow and trash removal. Importantly, Pine Cobble houses can be offered for sale as described more fully below and in the Housing License Agreement for Pine Cobble Houses.
5. Master-leased units (e.g. Wall Streeter Building in North Adams) — Occasionally the college will master-lease a unit from a local landlord and will offer it via the Housing Selection process. A current example of this is the “Wall Streeter” apartments in North Adams where the college currently rents five apartments. Gas heat, and water/sewer are included in the base payment to the college. If the college chooses not to renew its master lease, residents of these units will be required to vacate.
2. Housing Selection Process
The Real Estate Office offers all available housing through a points-based Housing Selection process that occurs biannually.
The Spring Housing Selection begins on the second Monday in April for occupancies that will commence in July or August. The Winter Housing Selection begins on the second Monday in November for occupancies that will commence in January or February.
Eligible faculty and staff who are hired “off-cycle” (i.e. in periods of the year that do not align conveniently with either of the biannual Housing Selection processes) and thus cannot participate in those Selections are eligible, on a first-come, first-served basis, to choose from units that remain available after the Selections (if any).
A resident who is (1) already in college housing and (2) who will continue to be employed at the college and (3) remains eligible for housing does not need to re-enter the Housing Selection every year in order to keep living in their unit. They can remain in their unit until the end of the term specified in their HLA. However, if they want to select a different unit (i.e. move), they may choose to enter a biannual Housing Selection process. Importantly, making this choice puts their current unit at risk, because their unit will be considered to be available for other employees to pick in the same biannual selection. There is a chance that an employee with more points could pick the resident’s unit, which would require them to vacate, even if they were unsuccessful in finding a new unit during the Housing Selection.
Please note, because of swings in availability, employees are not guaranteed housing at the time of employment and not all Housing Selection participants are guaranteed a unit.
3. Eligibility and Priority
The Dean of the Faculty’s Office (for faculty) or the Human Resources Office (for staff) confirms dates of employment/reappointments and confirms housing eligibility and provides this information to the Real Estate Office. All new and current employees who are deemed eligible are permitted to join a biannual Housing Selection. The Real Estate Office determines priority grouping and housing points based on the criteria below.
First, to establish the order of selection, all faculty and administrative staff who have expressed an interest in college housing are divided into two groups.
Group 1
Group 1 picks first and consists of all assistant professors, associate professors in their first two years in rank, visiting faculty, and administrative staff members in their first three years. Excluded from Group 1 are faculty and staff who are already living in the Williamstown area when hired. Also excluded are faculty and staff who own or have owned a house, while employed by the college, in a town eligible for the college’s mortgage program.
Group 2
Group 2 picks second and consists of members of the faculty and administrative staff who would not normally be considered eligible for housing, including those whose eligibility has expired, those who lived in the Williamstown area at the time of appointment, or those who have had a college mortgage.
Group 2 Housing License Agreements (HLAs) are typically written to expire the next summer. That is, Group 2 participants who are successful in finding college housing can only count on it for one year (or less). During the next Spring housing Selection, the units of all Group 2 residents will be considered to be available for that season’s Group 1 participants to pick.
● If, during that Spring Selection, a new Group 1 person picks a unit occupied by a current Group 2 person, the Group 2 resident will be notified and will have to vacate by the termination date in their HLA, typically June 15.
● If, between June 15 and July 30, a new Group 1 person picks a unit occupied by a current Group 2 person, the Group 2 resident will be notified and will have thirty days to vacate the unit.
● If, by August 1st, no one in Group 1 has newly picked the unit, the current Group 2 resident will be allowed to renew their HLA and remain in the unit until the following June 15. The procedure outlined above will be repeated annually.
Points
Second, priority is established within each group using a points system based on faculty rank/staff classification, years of service, and space need:
| Faculty Rank | Points Structure | ||
| Associate Professor | 50 | ||
| Visiting Distinguished Professor (13) | 50 | Housing Provided | |
| Bolin Fellow | N/A | ||
| Assistant Professor (second term) | 30 | ||
| Assistant Professor (first term) | 15 | ||
| Lecturer, Visiting Assistant Professor or all others | 10 | ||
| Instructor | 5 | ||
| Part-time Faculty | Pro rated | ||
| Administrate Staff Classification | |||
| 1a, 1b, 2a – Senior Staff | 50 | ||
| 1c, 2b – Department Heads & AVPs | 30 | ||
| 2c – Managers (14-30) | 15 | ||
| 2d – Exempt Staff & individual contributors (1-13) | 10 | ||
| All others | 5 | ||
| Part-time administrators | Pro rated | ||
| Service-based points | |||
| Years in rank or classification at Williams (each) | 5 | per year | |
| Years in another rank at Williams (each) | 2 | per year | |
| Space Need-based points | |||
| First dependent (child or parent), or known pregnancy/adoption | 15 | ||
| Each dependent thereafter | 5 | ||
| Relocation Bonus | |||
| Added points for those who are involuntarily and permanently displaced from a college housing unit. | 30 |
The Service category exists to make distinctions among faculty and staff within the same rank or classification. It should be noted that for the common cases of Assistant Professors who are serving three- or four-year terms the maximum points that can be accumulated in rank is fifteen or twenty, respectively, which is just the increment between ranks. Thus, when individuals are promoted, they lose no points, because the higher rank value reflects their service. The other item within this category gives some slight advantage to a faculty member who has been at Williams for some years at a lower rank, as opposed to a counterpart who arrives at an already advanced rank. Thus, a second-term Assistant Professor beginning a fourth year at Williams has a slight advantage over someone just joining the faculty, but doing so at the same rank. Service at other institutions does not count towards time in grade at Williams.
The Space Need category establishes a criterion that is different in kind from that of rank or service. Because larger families often need more living space than smaller ones, the addition of points for a faculty or staff member who has children or dependent parents attempts to guarantee that large families have enough room. Please note, however, that larger apartments and houses will normally have a higher rent. It should be further noted that points can be accumulated in this category only for dependent children or dependent parents who reside with the employee for at least six months each year or for dependent children at boarding school or college who reside in College housing during school or college vacations.
To summarize the above, the supply of available units is allocated first to Group 1 and then to Group 2, and within each group in the order of housing points, from highest to lowest, until all available housing units are selected.
Individually-eligible faculty and administrative staff may pool their points in order to get a better pick if they are willing to share a single housing unit.
Employees with split faculty and administrative staff appointments will be assigned points as faculty if the larger fraction of their total appointment is faculty, and as administrative staff if the larger fraction is administrative staff. Part-time faculty and administrative staff receive points pro-rated on the basis of their fraction of full-time service.
4. Terms of eligibility:
Faculty
Faculty in Group 1 who are on a tenure-eligible appointment are eligible to live in College housing through the end of the second year after the year in which they are granted tenure by the College. Faculty members denied tenure may live in College housing until their appointment expires. Academic faculty in Group 1 who are not on a tenure-eligible appointment are eligible to live in College housing through the end of their third year of employment at the College.
Group 1 faculty members in the Department of Athletics who are eligible to receive five-year appointments may live in college housing through the end of the third year after the year in which the Committee on Appointments and Promotions grants them their first five-year appointment, or up to nine years in total, whichever is less. Faculty members of this department not eligible for five-year appointments may live in college housing through the end of their third year of employment at the College.
Administrative Staff
Administrative staff are eligible to live in college housing for three years from the date of hire. Administrative staff whose date of hire falls between September 1 and December 31 may remain in housing until the June 15 that comes first after their 3rd anniversary.
5. Relocations
On occasion, a housing unit might be taken out of service. If involuntarily displaced by such an action, a resident may a) choose to relocate to another currently available unit or b) enter the next biannual Housing Selection. If a resident chooses to enter the next Housing Selection, a one-time bonus of 30 relocation points will be added to the resident’s point total.
Residents of a Pine Cobble house that is sold during their occupancy are eligible to receive the additional relocation points in the next Housing Selection.
6. Subletting and Sabbaticals
This section contains guidelines for faculty and staff in college housing who are interested in subletting their unit during:
1. an approved sabbatical or leave of absence during the academic year (i.e. for one full semester or the entire academic year)
2. the summer
3. Winter Study Period
Subletting while on an approved leave (i.e. for the entire year or one semester)
If you have a planned sabbatical or an approved leave of absence and you wish to sublet your unit while you are away, you have two options:
1. Option A: you can ask the Real Estate Office to assume the unit and take responsibility for finding a subletter during your leave.
a. Exercise of this option requires you to complete the “Request for College to Assume Sublet” form and submit it to the Real Estate Office no later than April 1 (for leaves beginning in the fall semester) or November 1 (for leaves beginning in the spring semester). The College will not accept requests for this option after the deadline.
b. The college will stop and restart monthly license fee deductions from your paycheck for the period of your desired sublet.
c. The college will offer the unit to eligible faculty and staff and will assign a subletter of its choice to your unit.
d. You agree to deliver your unit to the college in move-in ready condition. Your unit must be clean (including its appliances), and all perishable food items must be removed from the fridge, freezer, and cabinets. The college is not responsible for cleaning the unit at any time before, during, or after the period of sublet.
e. All items not intended for the subletter’s use, including clothing, must be removed and stored offsite at your expense. You may not lock or otherwise seal any doors, closets, or rooms. The entire floorplan must be available for the subletter’s use.
f. You must provide a fully furnished sublet which contains all
furniture/furnishings needed to be comfortable and items provided are in good condition. These items must include at a minimum the following items: beds (bedding); living space furniture (sofa, chairs, etc.) kitchen/dining (table/chairs); bathroom towels; kitchen utensils; dishes, serviceware (forks, knives, spoons, glasses, mugs) cookware (pots, pans, baking sheets).
g. Any liability for damages to the housing unit by the subletter will be settled between the subletter and the college. The college will not, however, assume liability for damages to personal property left in the unit by you.
h. Timing:
i. Your move-out date can be no later than August 15 (for leaves beginning in the fall semester) or January 15 (for leaves beginning in the spring semester).
ii. Your return date can be no earlier than June 15 (for leaves ending with the spring semester) or December 15 (for leaves ending with the fall semester).
i. Once the period of the sublet has ended, you are responsible for promptly putting any temporarily-changed utilities back into your name.
2. Option B: you can sublet your unit directly to an eligible faculty or staff member that you find, choose, and coordinate with.
a. Exercise of this option requires you to complete the “Request to Sublet Directly” form and submit it to the Real Estate Office no later than 30 days before the period of your desired sublet. The College will not accept requests for this option made fewer than 30 days before the sublet.
b. Eligible subletters must be in one of the following three categories:
i. a “Group 1” housing-eligible faculty or administrative staff member (as defined above);
ii. a “Group 2” non-housing-eligible faculty or administrative staff member (as defined above), contingent on Real Estate Office approval; or
iii. a person not employed by the college, contingent on Real Estate Office approval. Note that this approval is rarely granted and that students (undergraduate and graduate) are never considered eligible.
c. To avoid confusion, you may not advertise the sublet using online platforms such as Craigslist, Airbnb, VRBO, sublet.com that primarily yield non-employee, and thus non-eligible residents. You may advertise the sublet on media that is hyper-locally-focused such as Switchboard.
d. You remain obligated to the college for the payment of the monthly license fee and utilities (if any, as defined in your License Agreement) during the term of your leave, whether or not you find a subletter for the Premises.
e. Regular payroll withholdings will continue during the duration of your leave, and you are responsible for collecting the monthly license fee and utility payments directly from the subletter.
f. You remain responsible to the College for any damage to the unit beyond normal wear and tear. Any liability for damages by the subletter must be settled between yourself and the subletter. You may wish to require a deposit from the sub-lessee to cover possible damage to personal property, with the deposit to be returned upon satisfactory inspection.
g. You are responsible for providing key(s) to the subletter. Facilities will not make “extra” keys for your subletter. Lost keys will result in a fee.
h. The period of the sublet cannot be less than 30 days.
i. You must provide contact information for the subletter.
j. Your subletter must complete a “Subletter Agreement” form.
k. You must disclose to the college the rent you are charging. Rent must be commensurate with your prorated underlying base rent plus reasonable surcharges for any included utilities.
l. If you have items that you do not want to leave for the subletter’s use, you must make arrangements for outside storage. You will not be able to store items in a locked closet or bedroom.
m. You are responsible to provide a fully furnished unit which contains all furniture/furnishings needed to be comfortable and items provided are in good condition.
n. You are responsible for cleaning the unit. The College is not responsible for cleaning the unit at any time before, during, or after the period of sublet.
Subletting for all or part of the summer or Winter Study Period
If you plan to be away for all or a part of the summer or for WSP, and you wish to sublet your rental unit while you are away, these guidelines apply:
a. You are required to complete the “Request to Sublet Directly” form and submit it to the Real Estate Office no later than 30 days before the period of your desired sublet, and no later than June 1 for summer sublets.
b. Eligible subletters must be in one of the following categories:
i. For summer sublets:
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- a “Group 1” housing-eligible faculty or administrative staff member (as defined above); or
- a “Group 2” non-housing-eligible faculty or administrative
staff member (as defined above), contingent on Real Estate
Office approval; or - an employee of the Williamstown Theater Festival,
contingent on obtaining Real Estate Office approval.
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ii. For Winter Study Period sublets:
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- a “Group 1” housing-eligible faculty or administrative staff member (as defined above); or
- a “Group 2” non-housing-eligible faculty or administrative staff member (as defined above), contingent on Real Estate Office approval; or
- a person not employed by the college, contingent on Real
Estate Office approval. Note that this approval is rarely
granted and that students (undergraduate and graduate) are never considered eligible.
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c. To avoid confusion, you may not advertise the sublet using online
platforms such as Craigslist, Airbnb, VRBO, sublet.com that primarily
yield non-employee, and thus non-eligible residents. You may advertise the sublet on media that is hyper-locally-focused such as Switchboard.
d. You remain obligated to the college for the payment of the monthly license fee and utilities (if any, as defined in your License Agreement) during the term of your leave, whether or not you find a subletter for the Premises.
e. Regular payroll withholdings will continue during the duration of your leave, and you are responsible for collecting the monthly license fee and utility payments directly from the subletter.
f. You remain responsible to the College for any damage to the unit beyond normal wear and tear. Any liability for damages by the subletter must be settled between yourself and the subletter. You may wish to require a deposit from the sub-lessee to cover possible damage to personal property, with the deposit to be returned upon satisfactory inspection.
g. You are responsible for providing key(s) to the subletter. Facilities will not make “extra” keys for your subletter. Lost keys will result in a fee.
h. The period of the sublet cannot be less than 30 days.
i. You must provide contact information for the subletter.
j. Your subletter must complete a “Subletter Agreement” form.
k. You must disclose to the college the rent you are charging. Rent must be commensurate with your prorated underlying base rent plus reasonable surcharges for any included utilities.
l. If you have items that you do not want to leave for the subletter’s use, you must make arrangements for outside storage. You will not be able to store items in a locked closet or bedroom.
m. You are responsible to provide a fully furnished unit which contains all furniture/furnishings needed to be comfortable and items provided are in good condition.
n. You are responsible for cleaning the unit. The College is not responsible for cleaning the unit at any time before, during, or after the period of sublet.
Choosing NOT to sublet
Note that if you do not wish to sublet, or you miss the deadlines set above, and you do not want to continue to pay the monthly license fee while you are away, you always have the option to vacate your unit (as described fully in Section 10 (“termination”) of your License Agreement).
1. Note that this returns your unit to the list of housing units available for other eligible employees.
2. Before you return to campus you will need to participate in the biannual housing allocation process anew, as described in the Faculty and Staff Housing Handbook’s section on Eligibility and Priority. Housing is not guaranteed.
7. Pet Policy
Pets are permitted in single family homes. Completion of a pet addendum to the HLA is required. Also required is a pet deposit fee of $200 for each pet in the household, which will be added to the security deposit.
For Multi-Family and Mixed-Use Apartments, the college reserves the right to prohibit pets. If a pet request is approved, the pet deposit fee is required. College approval can be rescinded if there is evidence that the pet is not being considerate of neighbors and/or college property.
Pets are not allowed in Co-Op housing (e.g Samuelson House).
Chickens and other animals typically associated with agricultural use are not allowed in residential units unless by explicit amendment of the HLA.
8. Pine Cobble Houses For Sale
Employees who are considering licensing a Pine Cobble home from the college should note that these houses are periodically offered for sale to eligible college buyers. Residents will have at least one year of occupancy before the unit is offered for sale. Residents will be notified in advance of the next Housing Selection if their home is under contract to be sold. Residents who are required to relocate for this reason will continue to be eligible for college housing, and will need to enter the next Housing Selection, and will be awarded relocation points.
Buying a Pine Cobble Building Lot
Eligible faculty and staff have the opportunity to purchase building lots from the college in the Pine Cobble subdivision for the construction of homes for their primary residence. Eligible faculty are non-visiting faculty of all ranks who do not already own a home in the Williamstown area and who have not purchased college land in the past. Eligible staff are administrative staff who are half-time or more (0.5 FTE) and who do not already own a home in the Williamstown area and who have not purchased college land in the past.
The Pine Cobble subdivision is located in Williamstown within a few miles of the college campus. It was designed under the principle of cluster zoning, which allows individual lot sizes to vary from the Williamstown Zoning Bylaw requirements in return for an equal or greater amount of open or public space.
The terms of purchase of a lot in the Pine Cobble subdivision allow the eligible faculty or staff member to purchase the land from the college without an initial cash outlay. At the time of resale of the property the employee pays the college for the land, including any appreciation in value. This arrangement allows the employee to defer the expense of the land purchase and provides for the sharing of the property’s appreciation between the college and the employee. Purchase in the Pine Cobble subdivision has some attendant complexities related to tax issues, legal requirements and building restrictions. The importance of understanding these and other issues makes it essential for all employees who are interested in considering the purchase of a Pine Cobble lot to contact the Office of the Vice President for Finance & Operations for more detailed information.
9. Other policies:
a) Trampolines, pools, ziplines, firepits, open fires, and fireworks, are prohibited.
b) Parking of recreational vehicles for more than 7 days in a row (and 21 days total per year) is prohibited.
c) Any guest residing at the property for more than 14 days in a six-month period or spending more than 7 nights consecutively must be registered with the Real Estate Office.
d) Sheds and garages (if included in the HLA) are for the storage of resident’s personal property. The driveway is for parking the resident’s personal vehicle. Loaning or subleasing of storage or parking space is prohibited.
e) Charging of electric vehicles is prohibited in any unit in which the resident is NOT responsible for paying the electric bill. Charging may be allowed in other units with the approval of the Real Estate Office, which will first verify, through the Electrical Trades shop, that the capacity of the electric system can handle the load.
f) All of Resident’s goods and property on the Premises during the occupancy are at Resident’s sole risk. It is Resident’s responsibility to obtain renter’s or other insurance.
g) Monthly license fees of all college housing units are adjusted on July 1st of each year to reflect fair market value.
III. Housing Procedure from Application to Move-Out
Step 1- Application
All new and existing employees who are eligible for college housing and who wish to participate in a biannual Housing Selection are required to complete a housing application/questionnaire with the Real Estate Office.
Step 2- Housing Selection Calendar
The biannual housing selection calendar is as follows:
- Spring
- Annual notices: second/third week in February
- Housing Selection commences: second Monday in April
- Housing Selection closes: May 31st
- Existing resident move-out: June 15th
- Repairs: June 15th – July 15
- New resident move-in: July 15th to September 1st
- Winter
- Annual notices: second/third week in October
- Housing Selection commences: second Monday in November
- Housing Selection closes: December 31st
- Existing resident move-out: December 15th to December 30th
- Repairs: Jan.1 – Jan. 15
- New resident move-in: January 15th to February 1st
For New Employees in Housing Selection:
Most college hiring takes place in a way that allows new employees to time their relocation to coincide with the next biannual Housing Selection’s available units. That is, employees hired in the spring for a summer arrival will usually participate in the spring Housing Selection. Less often, an employee hired in the fall for a January arrival will participate in the winter Housing Selection.
If a new employee is hired and begins employment after the completion of the spring Housing Selection but before November 1, he or she may select from what is available at the time. If a new employee is hired and begins employment after the completion of the winter Housing Selection but before April 1, he or she may select from what is available at the time.
An employee hired while a Housing Selection is in progress may join that Housing Selection and select from the available units. Please note, because of swings in availability, employees are not guaranteed housing at the time of employment and not all Housing Selection participants are guaranteed a unit.
For Current Employees in Housing Selection:
Current employees who are eligible may enter any Housing Selection they desire. However, those with a term or annual appointment must be re-appointed before the Housing Selection begins in order to either remain in their existing unit or participate in the next Housing Selection. Those who are re-appointed during the Housing Selection, and who wish to remain in college housing, and are eligible, may join the Housing Selection in progress and select from the available units at that time based on their housing points. The units of those who are not re-appointed by the date the Housing Selection begins will be included in the list of available housing units in the Housing Selection.
Step 3- Housing Selection
When an employee completes a housing application and enters the Housing Selection, the Real Estate Office can provide the employee’s housing points and can provide specific details about properties that may be available. Each employee will be given approximately one week to select up to three housing choices. Once the Real Estate Office awards a unit, the employee will have one day to confirm that selection. Since there are considerable pressures on this system, participants are urged to be decisive. If the employee fails to confirm the selection in the required time, the
selection process will move forward and the unit will remain available for selection by other employees.
An n+1 factor will limit the size of the unit that Group 1 selectees may select based on the number of bedrooms, where n is the number of people in the household. This constraint on selection for people in Group 1 limits, for example, a family of three to a four-bedroom unit, a couple to a three-bedroom unit, and a single person to a two-bedroom unit.
Step 4- Housing License Agreement
Once a unit is selected, the Real Estate Office will confirm with the employee the selection and move-in date. A Housing License Agreement will be provided to the resident for review and signature. Once signed, an arrangement will be made to acquire the key. The resident is responsible for transferring the applicable utilities to their name or assume the risk of possible interruption of service.
Step 5- Payments and Security Deposits
Monthly license fee payments are paid via payroll deduction. This will be arranged by completing the payroll deduction form attached to the Housing License Agreement. Security Deposits are paid by either check or payroll deduction. If payroll deduction is selected, the security deposit can be paid over four consecutive pay periods.
Step 6- Move-in
Once keys are provided (two keys per unit; additional keys require a $100 up front deposit), a resident may move in. Within two weeks of move-in, the Real Estate Office will follow up with the resident to arrange a mutually convenient time to conduct a move-in walk-through to ensure everything is in good working order and to answer any additional questions the resident may have. The completed and signed move-in walk-through form will become a part of the Housing License Agreement.
Step 7 – Move-out
When a resident provides written notice to the Real Estate Office of intent to move out or if a resident’s employment at the college ends for any reason, the Real Estate Office will follow up with the resident to complete the necessary paperwork to terminate the Housing License Agreement and to conduct a final move-out walk-through. Residents may not continue to live in college housing after the end of their eligible employment with the college. Once a move-out walk-through is completed, and the unit is found to meet the standards outlined in Addendum B of the HLA, and the move-out form is completed and signed, the security deposit refund will be processed.
To assist with your move out, we provide a Vacate Checklist.
IV. Housing Repairs and Maintenance
Residents must promptly notify the college if their unit needs repair. Residents must provide the college with reasonable access to the unit for required inspections, repairs, and maintenance.
All college-owned units are maintained and repaired by the Facilities Department – either directly by college personnel or through third-party service providers. All maintenance personnel carry either a college ID card or a college-issued contractor badge. Residents are encouraged to properly identify anyone arriving to perform work and to report immediately to Facilities anyone who is not authorized.
Repairs and maintenance fall into three categories:
1. Emergency/non-discretionary repairs include life safety, plumbing, heating, appliance issues requiring immediate attention, and significant pest infestation. These items must be addressed ASAP and best efforts will be made to notify residents in advance.
2. Routine repairs and maintenance, such as annual furnace and chimney checks, routine pest control, life safety inspections, and gutter cleaning, will be scheduled in advance and notice will be provided to residents. Typically, these tasks occur around the same time each year, though are subject to change due to inclement weather.
3. Discretionary repairs, such as painting, insulation, and other repair work will be scheduled in advance with the resident getting at least 24 hours notice. Residents have the right to be present or can allow the work to proceed in their absence.
Emergency Repairs
IF YOU NEED AN EMERGENCY REPAIR, IMMEDIATELY SEEK ASSISTANCE BY CALLING:
- During business hours: Call Facilities at 413-597-2486 Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
- Nights, weekends, and holidays: Call Campus Safety Services at 597-4444.
Note that an emergency is a problem that might result in harm to you or others or will cause damage to the building and must be resolved that day.
In the case of a fire or other emergency, please dial 9-1-1.
Non-emergency Repairs
Residents should submit non-emergency repairs or service requests through a centralized work order system. See here for instructions.
NOTE: Please be as specific as possible when filling in the description of work required. That will help the repair team anticipate what kinds of tools to bring and how much time to allow. For example:
- BAD: “My window is broken.”
- BETTER: “The top left 2nd floor window is stuck open.”
- BEST: “The top left 2nd floor window won’t fully close because the metal rail has separated from the frame. The screen and storm window are OK.”
When in doubt please seek assistance by calling the Facilities Service Desk, at 597-2486.
Capital Repairs
Periodically, the college invests in substantial improvements to units. Whenever possible, this work is scheduled for when the unit will be vacant. But occasionally the work will need to take place while the unit is occupied. In those cases, Facilities will provide a high level of communication with the resident regarding the scope and schedule for the work and a minimum 48 hours notice before entering the space. In some cases, residents may be required to temporarily relocate due to the nature of the work. If so, the Real Estate Office will work with the resident to find temporary housing and minimize the disruption.
V. Housing Inventory and Location Map
Visit the online campus map and filter for “Housing” and then “Rental Housing”. This will show all campus–adjacent rental housing units.
Sharon Marceau– Real Estate and Housing Coordinator
Contact for: Housing Eligibility, Housing Application, Housing Selection, Resident Follow-Up and Questions, Move-in/out Inspections, Housing Points, Housing Agreement, Payroll Deductions, Housing Payments, Security Deposits, Utility Payments,
and Water/Sewer Deductions
Telephone (413) 597-2195
Email: [email protected]
60 Latham Street
Chris Winters – Associate Provost
Contact for: Housing Program, Policies and Procedures, For Sale Housing, New Housing Purchases, and Commercial Rentals
Telephone (413) 597-4775
Email: [email protected]
Laura Gura, Assistant General Counsel
Contact for: Mortgage Program
Telephone (413) 597-2677
Email: [email protected]
Kim Racine – Service Desk
Contact for: Work Requests and Property Repairs
Telephone: (413) 597-2486
Email: [email protected]
Campus Safety and Security
Contact for: Emergency and after hour/weekend/holiday repairs
Telephone: (413) 597-4444