Dorm Room Safety
A checklist for private, semi-private, and shared dorm living.
Dorm Room Safety
Overview
This checklist focuses on practical dorm room options: how you lock up, who comes in, how you store items, and how you communicate with roommates.
For broader relationship and personal safety information, additional tools and supports are listed at DV.Support.
Lock Routines
Consider setting simple lock habits so they are easy to follow every day.
- Decide when the door stays locked:
- Locked whenever you are inside
- Locked whenever you leave, even for a short time
- Locked after a certain time each night
- Check what locks are available:
- Main door lock and deadbolt
- Chain or latch (if allowed)
- Window locks or stoppers
- Build a quick routine:
- “Phone – keys – ID – lock” check when leaving
- Quick lock check when coming back in
- Final “door and window” check before sleeping
- Ask about replacement keys or re-keying options if:
- You lose a key
- Someone you do not trust might have copied a key
Visitor Rules
Setting clear visitor expectations can reduce conflict and surprises in a dorm room.
- Clarify building rules:
- Check guest sign-in / sign-out rules
- Ask about overnight guest limits
- Review rules about key sharing or door propping
- Set your own visitor preferences:
- Times that visitors are okay
- Times for quiet, sleep, or study
- How much notice you want before someone comes over
- Decide how to handle disagreements about visitors:
- Use a “check first” rule for overnight guests
- Agree on a maximum number of people in the room
- Decide what happens if one roommate says “no” to a visit
- Think about visitor access to your things:
- Whether visitors can sit on your bed
- What areas or drawers are off-limits
- Where you keep items you prefer visitors not to see
Safe Storage
Organizing how you store important items can help you keep track of them and limit access.
- Identify items to secure:
- ID cards, passport, immigration documents
- Bank cards, checkbooks, cash
- Medications and health information
- Electronics with personal data (laptop, tablet, backup drives)
- Options for physical storage:
- Lockable drawer or cabinet
- Small lockbox for documents and small valuables
- Locked suitcase or trunk if furniture cannot be locked
- Digital safety steps:
- Use screen locks and strong passwords on devices
- Turn off message previews on lock screens if you prefer privacy
- Log out of accounts on shared or public computers
- Back up important files to a secure location
- Placement choices:
- Store less-used important documents out of everyday sight
- Avoid leaving IDs, cards, and keys on open desks or beds
- Keep a small “everyday grab” pouch for essentials when leaving quickly
Roommate Communication
Clear, early conversations with roommates can prevent confusion around safety, privacy, and visitors.
- Plan a short “room agreements” meeting:
- Locking expectations (door, windows, at night, when leaving)
- Visitor schedules and overnight guest rules
- Noise levels and quiet hours
- Use of each other’s items (food, clothes, electronics)
- Decide how to share information:
- Whether you want a shared calendar for visitors or late nights
- How to let each other know if someone unexpected is coming
- Preferred way to contact each other (text, app, note on door)
- Set privacy boundaries:
- Areas that are private (drawers, shelves, closet sections)
- Rules about entering when the other person is sleeping or on a call
- Expectations about sharing information with others outside the room
- Create a plan for problems:
- How to bring up concerns calmly and early
- When to involve a Resident Assistant or housing staff
- What each person will do if they feel unsafe with a visitor or situation
Campus housing offices, residential life staff, and student conduct offices often have additional safety options, including lock changes, room changes, and visitor policy clarifications.