The University is cracking down on room assignments this fall to prevent students from living in incorrect bedrooms.

Students must now live in an assigned bedroom or formally notify housing of a switch within suite-style rooms to prevent confusion at the end of each year when the University doles out damage charges to residents.

The University implemented the “broom clean” policy last year, which charges $250 per student whose personal items or trash are left in rooms or refrigerators after move out. Last spring 487 students in 229 rooms around campus, about 8 percent of all residence hall rooms, were charged.

To enforce the bedroom assignments, GW is making students responsible for the bedroom to which they are assigned a key. To switch bedrooms within a larger room, students must use the RoomSwap program or send housing an e-mail.

“We will continue to remind students as the year goes on and we get closer to closing to make sure they have the correct assigned keys,” Director of GW Housing Programs Seth Weinshel said.

The wrong students can incur charges when rooms are left damaged or unclean if students swap bedroom assignments without alerting Housing Programs, University spokeswoman Michelle Sherrard noted.

“When students move out, they are held responsible for the key that corresponds to their assignment in GWHP records,” she said.

Costs associated with untidy rooms – including additional cleaning processes and potential delays for future residents – could lead to an increased fee.

“The University may look at increasing these charges in the future to ensure all associated expenses are offset,” Sherrard added.

Fees or punishments may also expand to include insufficient disposal of trash, including leaving garbage in corridors.

“Additionally, the University is looking at how to address recent occurrences of students placing their trash or unwanted personal items in the hall outside their room,” Sherrard said.