It doesn’t take much for students to move into the dorms - a nonrefundable processing fee of $45, a $250 security deposit, and the first month's rent will get your foot in the door.

But for those hoping to live in the dorms or apartments at SF State, it is crucial to not only know about the costs, but also to be aware of the set of rules and policies they are about to live by.

“Undergraduate students are more likely to sign leases without reading or understanding even the basic consequences of lease provisions,” said a report on landlord-tenant issues compiled by the University of Pittsburgh. “Often parents are involved in the process, signing the lease on behalf of the students.”

Ellen Griffin, SF State's director of public affairs and publications, said students are at least aware of the campus housing policies.

“Housing rules and policies are made very clear to students before they apply for housing, when they're licensed at orientation, and throughout their residency,” said Griffin.

Still, questions are being raised about these rules and policies after photojournalism student Omar Vega’s eviction from Mary Park Hall last December for his involvement in the alleged burglary of a resident’s car.

Vega and two other students involved in the incident have been evicted from the dorms, and university officials have initiated expulsion proceedings against Vega. Four other students involved in the alleged burglary were arrested or surrendered to police for booking on Feb. 11.

Griffin declined to discuss Vega’s case, citing rules governing student privacy.

Vega is not the only student who has gotten in trouble at the dorms.

Marketing major George Edmondson, 19, said dorm officials have told him that if he gets in trouble one more time, he will be evicted.

“They kick people out very easily,” said Edmondson. “They are pretty clear on the rules.”

Griffin said prospective and incoming students have access to information about the residential program online and that the policies are in the students’ written license agreements.

“Students also receive a handbook that outlines all the information they need for living in the dorms,” she added. “They are required to attend a floor/community meeting at the beginning of the semester where all information regarding policies is reviewed.”

In addition, for the 250 to 300 students who attend the early orientation program called "Welcome Home," there are parent sessions and sessions explaining the student housing department’s disciplinary process, Griffin said.

The SF State Residential Community Living Guide gives students 13 examples of policy violations such as theft, violation of the terms of a probationary or warning letter, or dropping any object from any residence facility window or roof.

Students disobeying these policies run the risk of being immediately evicted from the residence community.

Students living in the dorms can also be disciplined if they are cited for smoking outside of the designated areas on campus, even those not located near the student housing itself. The University of Pittsburgh’s report gave a possible solution to the tension between residents and housing officers.

“Many of the issues common to undergraduates could be alleviated through education about the renting and lease process before they sign a lease,” the report stated. “Offering basic information to students before signing a lease, perhaps through the orientation process, or as part of programming within the dorms, would go a long way toward preventing many of these issues.”