Visitor Housing

The Visitor House is “home away from home” where one has the opportunity to live on the UGA Griffin Campus for a low, affordable price. Occupancy is available for visiting scholars, graduate students, and post-doctoral employees who are either cooperating with or are employed by the UGA Griffin Campus. The house contains five double occupancy rooms. 

Residency Guidelines 

  1. All tenants are accorded an equal priority for use of the Visitor House. 
  2. Tenants must have an on-campus sponsor (UGA faculty) and must perform his/her work activities in the Griffin campus.  
  3. This facility does not accommodate families, dependents, or friends of the visiting scholar, graduate student, or post-doctoral employees.
  4. Reservations may be made in advance of the scheduled arrival date, extended only if space is available, and must be made by completing an application. 
  5. Reservations for late arrivals will be held for up to one month.  
  6. Early arrival and extended stays are permitted only if it does not interfere with another reservation. Late arrivals will be accommodated only to the extent that they do not interfere with another reservation. Under certain circumstances, tenants may be required to move to accommodate the arrival of another tenant. 
  7. The length of stay for graduate students should not exceed two consecutive semesters. The summer session is considered one semester. 
  8. The length of stay for visiting scholars and post docs is limited to six months. An extension of the stay will be based on availability on a month-by-month basis. Requests for an extension of the stay will not be considered until 30 days or less remains in the original agreement.
  9. Short term housing stays with a minimum of 3 consecutive days will be available for a cumulative maximum of 15 days per yr.  Room availability for short term housing will be confirmed 72 hr prior to the requested date.
  10. The Visitor House is a smoke-free environment. No smoking is allowed.
  11. No overnight guests are allowed in the Visitor House under any circumstances.
  12. Tenants are expected to comply with the Visitor House etiquette guidelines. 

Rate Structure 

  1. Keys, linens (mattress cover, sheets, pillowcase, thermal blanket, & comforter) and towels (wash, hand, & bath) are issued after a $50 deposit. This deposit will be returned on departure with the return of all keys, linens, and towels.
  2. The rental charge for all rooms is 60% of the lowest double occupancy dorm rate for the UGA Athens Campus. This will be adjusted annually on July 1. The current Griffin rate is $400.00 (including taxes) per month. 
  3. The monthly rent is due on the first day of the month. It should be paid at the Griffin Campus Business Office. There will be no refund for early departure. Failure to pay rent by the fifth day of the month will result in expulsion from the Visitor House.

Resident Responsibilities

Cleanliness Standards and Procedures

  1. Tenants are responsible for the cleanliness of their own room and common areas. However, general housekeeping will be done for common areas by Physical Plant personnel on a routine basis. 
  2. Business Office/ Physical Plant staff will inspect each room weekly. 
  3. Failure to comply with published procedures and cleanliness standards will result in the following ways:
    • First instance: an immediate warning. 
    • Second instance: Immediate notification to the tenant of the consequences of a third instance. The sponsoring faculty member and the Research, Extension, and Instruction Coordinator will also be informed of the tenant’s non-compliance. The Visitor Housing Committee will be informed of issues/complaints associated with the house residents.
    • A third instance of the tenant’s failure to comply with published procedures and cleanliness standards will result in immediate expulsion, that day, from the Visitor House. 

Tenants are financially responsible for any issued bedding as well as the contents of their room. Missing items must be replaced or deposit will be withheld. Tenants accept the responsibility for any damage in the house as result of more than just ‘normal wear and tear’ caused by the tenant or guests of the tenant.

Long Distance Calls

Long distance calls using the UGA-Griffin phone lines are not allowed unless using a pre-paid calling card.

Resident Monitor

  1. The Resident Monitor is appointed by the Visitor Housing Committee and is the liaison between the residents and the Visitor Housing Committee. 
  2. The Resident Monitor relays the house rules to the new residents. 
  3. He/she will insure that residents honor the housing guidelines and that residents maintain a reasonable standard of cleanliness in the common areas during weekends and holidays.

Visitor Housing Committee

Visitor Housing Committee

  1. The Visitor Housing Committee is appointed by the Assistant Dean of the Griffin Campus. 
  2. The committee oversees the management and maintenance of the Visitor House to ensure its high quality, safe, and efficient operation. 
  3. The committee includes four faculty members, the Superintendent of Physical Plant and the Business Office Manager.
  4. The Visitor Housing Committee will communicate with the Resident Monitor, address issues or conflicts that may arise at the Visitor House, and coordinate changes and improvements to be implemented at the Visitor House. 

Physical Plant Superintendent

The Physical Plant Superintendent is responsible for the routine maintenance and required cleaning of the Visitor House. Specific responsibilities include, but are not limited to the following: 

  1. Perform high standard maintenance of the Visiting House. 
  2. Clean any unoccupied rooms according to the Griffin Campus cleanliness standards.
  3. Inspect rooms and common areas to verify resident compliance with published procedures and cleanliness standards. Routine problems will be reported to the Business Office Manager for resolution. 
  4. Ensure safety and security of residents.
  5. Develop operating procedures in conjunction with the Business Office Manager and the Visitor Housing Committee. Suggested policy changes should be reported to the committee chair.
  6. Recommend the purchase of major items of equipment or furniture to the Visitor Housing Committee. 
  7. Procure housekeeping items for the efficient operation and comfort for residents of the Visitor House. 

Business Office Manager

The Business Office Manager is responsible for the day-to-day management of the facility. Specific responsibilities include, but are not limited to the following:

  1. Schedule occupancy periods and room assignments.
  2. Develop operating procedures in conjunction with the Visitor Housing Committee. 
  3. Monitor compliance with operating procedures and take necessary actions when residents fail to comply with those procedures. 
  4. Collect rent from tenants and recommend rates/changes to the Visitor Housing Committee.