Facilities and Operations

Air Conditioning and Heat

The high-rise towers (Alliance, Bill of Rights, Constitution, Enterprise, Estabrook, Vander Poel) and the Netherlands Complex utilize seasonal air temperature control. They require a manual change conducted by the Facilities Department to cool or warm air depending on the time of year. During the fall and winter months, when the air temperature drops consistently below 55 degrees Fahrenheit, we are required by New York state law to circulate heat in all buildings on campus. The transition from warm to cool air in the spring is typically complete by the second week of May. 

Students residing in Stuyvesant Hall, Graduate Residence Hall (GRH), Colonial Square Complex, and Nassau-Suffolk Halls retain the ability to manually set the air temperature on their HVAC units based on personal preference. 

Beds

Altering beds by any method (such as installing power bed risers underneath the bed posts) is prohibited in the residence halls.

Residents who wish to have their bed raised or lowered can submit an Online Maintenance Request via the “Work Request” app on their MyHofstra Portal.  

Please note: Residential Operations does not bunk* or loft beds.  

To request that your bed is raised or lowered, please follow the steps below: 

1. Log into your Hofstra Portal at my.hofstra.edu. 

2. Click on the "Applications Tab" in the top right-hand corner. 

3. Select “Work Request.” 

4. Enter a phone number and accurate information with the appropriate building, room number, and room letter (if applicable). 

5. Type that you wish to have your bed lowered or raised. Specify which bed – if located in a multi-occupancy space - and include words like “raise bed to the highest setting” or “lower bed 4 notches from the top.” 

Click "Save." 

Community Damage Assessment

Please note that a Hofstra University union employee must fix any damage done to your residence hall room. No outside worker can be brought in, and you may not fix any damage yourself. If an individual floor or other clearly delineated area of the building suffers damage, the Office of Residence Life has the option to limit the liability to the residents of that area. Itemized damage reports will be available periodically upon request in the Office of Residence Life. Excessive damage may lead to students of an area being reassigned or removed from the residence halls.  

All residents of the building will share costs for damage done to community areas (such as lounges, hallways, bathrooms, common rooms, and plate glass) that cannot be assessed to the individual responsible for the damage. When dealing with damages to common areas, the Office of Residence Life considers each building an individual community. Residents will equally share the cost of repairs that cannot be ascribed to those liable for the damage. It is up to you to let the Office of Residence Life know who has caused the damage to avoid everyone in your building sharing the cost.  

Costs to repair damage to the room, suite, and/or residence hall common areas will be added to the student’s account for payment. The student is responsible for paying those fees to maintain a $300 housing deposit. If the University is unable to determine the specific resident(s) responsible for the damages incurred, then the costs will be added to the accounts of ALL residents of the room, suite, floor, apartment, or building, as appropriate.  

Should a resident observe vandalism being perpetrated by a fellow resident or guest, the resident should notify a Residence Life staff member and/or contact Public Safety so that the responsible person(s) can be held accountable. 

Custodial Services

The University employs staff whose responsibility is to clean public areas of the residence halls, including lobbies, lounges, hallways, stairwells, common bathrooms, and kitchens. Bathrooms in the high-rises are cleaned seven days a week during the fall semester, winter intersession and spring semester. Bathrooms in suite-style areas are cleaned during the winter intersession and spring break.  

Schedules are communicated to students in the residence halls to notify them of the cleaning schedule. However, maintaining cleanliness in the residence halls is the responsibility of residents as well as custodial staff. To make the job easier for our custodial staffs, please deposit all trash bags in the large receptacles in the public areas. This is especially necessary with food. While custodial staff clean the high-rise bathrooms every day, they have only a limited amount of time to do so. Please clean up after yourself so they will have more time to devote to the major work of cleaning the facilities. During the two times per year that suite bathrooms are cleaned, residents are required to remove all their items from the bathroom countertop and shower stall and allow the cleaning staff to enter.  

 In addition, when a student vacates a room, a custodial team will enter the room to clean the space.  

Students living in double rooms should be aware that if one roommate moves out, the vacated half of the room will be cleaned. Therefore, it is important to note that the vacant half of the room/suite/ apartment must remain clear of any personal belongings. If excessive cleaning is necessary, a monetary fine will be issued. Students who need to discard medical waste should  consult with the Student Health Center about the proper procedure. 

Locks and Keys

Once a student checks into the residence hall and receives their key(s), they are responsible for them. Students must not lend or otherwise permit others to use their key(s) at any time. Students should not leave their key(s) in their mailbox. 

If a student misplaces their key(s), they should contact their resident director to gain access to their room. Resident directors are available weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. If it is after 5 p.m. or on the weekend, students should consult the Lockout Contact Lookup page for assistance in getting access to their room. If after gaining access to their room, the student is still unable to locate their keys, the student should log on to their “Housing” app on their myHofstra portal, go to the “Housing Forms tab,” select “Key Request,” and complete the key request form. Once the new keys are processed, the locksmith will leave a note on the student’s door indicating that the new keys are ready to be picked up from the RA office between 6 pm and 9 pm. If a student is picking up a new key after breaking theirs, they must provide their broken key  to the RA. 

 Students will be billed a minimum of $35 per cylinder change and $25 per key if they lose their key (s). This includes paying for other students’ keys in the suite as all the keys must be replaced if one key in the set is lost. No refunds will be made if the student finds their keys after the lock has been changed. The student is responsible for paying those fees in a timely manner to maintain a $300 housing deposit. 

Maintenance

Report any maintenance issues via the online maintenance request system (see below). Indicate all important information and details in your request, such as location and room number. If it is an emergency, please call Facilities and Operations Monday through Sunday, at 516-463-6619. Refusing entry for scheduled maintenance can result in delays completing the work. See steps below to enter your work order request online.  

Online Maintenance Request  

To enter a work order request online:  

1. Log into your Hofstra Portal at my.hofstra.edu. 

2. Click on the "Applications Tab" in the top right-hand corner. 

3. Select “Work Request.” 

4. Enter a phone number and accurate information with the appropriate building, room number, and room letter (if applicable). 

5. Provide a concise description of the problem. 

6. Click "Save." 

If you have any questions, please call Residential Operations between 9 a.m to 5 p.m. at 516-463-4140. 

Painting

A year-round painting schedule is in effect for all University buildings and residence halls. Should a resident’s room be scheduled for painting, the resident will be notified approximately five to seven working days in advance by  email to the resident’s Hofstra Pride account. When a room is scheduled to be painted, all items must be removed from the walls and/or ceiling. Residents are encouraged to move all items away from the walls toward the center of the room. Residential students with allergies will be given alternative housing the evening after the painting has occurred. The student should contact the Office of Residence Life to make  alternative housing arrangements. Residence hall rooms may not be painted except by University personnel.   

Recycling

Hofstra University makes significant contributions toward protecting the environment through its comprehensive recycling program. Our efforts include an active recycling program at all dining facilities. Plastics, cans, and glass bottles are collected in all buildings for recycling. Also removed from the waste stream by Hofstra are the following items: mixed paper, cardboard, cooking grease and oil, light bulbs, batteries, vehicle used oil, antifreeze, and paint thinners.