Prohibited Items
For a list of recommended items to bring to campus, please visit barnard.edu/reslife/new-students/what-to-bring.
The following items are prohibited in ALL Barnard residence halls. Items will be confiscated and may not be returned to students. Confiscation of prohibited items may result in conduct meetings for residents assigned to the room and/or suite.
- Adhesive putty, 3M strips, double-sided tape, etc. (only blue painter's tape may be used)
- "Removable" wallpaper or wall decals (they do not remove as easy as promised and damage the paint on the wall)
- Pets (only fish, in a 5 gallon or less tank, and approved service/support animals are allowed)
- Candles / Incense
- Air conditioners (both window and portable units), evaporative coolers, heating/cooling pads
- Only USB-powered desktop Mini Cooler / Humidifier units are permitted (example)
- Any non-College-provided furniture and/or mattresses (for permitted exceptions, please visit Community Policies).
- Halogen or Lava lamps
- Hot plate, induction cooktop* (ex. NuWave), open coil heaters, toaster, air fryers*, or toaster oven
- Warming trays
- Pressure cookers / instant pots
- Deep fryers
- "Microfridges" (only mini-fridges without an attached microwave are permitted)
- Mini-fridges larger than 3.5 cubic feet.
- Space heaters
- Extension cords and outlet multipliers (all electrical items must be UL-Listed)
- Water beds
- Fog Machines
- Electric bikes, electric scooters, electric skateboards, hover boards (i.e. devices with larger and/or lithium batteries)
- Any smoking devices or paraphernalia, including but not limited to, pipes, bongs, vaporizers, electronic cigarettes, and hookahs
- Illegal drugs and/or paraphernalia
- Weapons (including guns, tasers, knives, knives not used for cooking, swords, mace, pepper spray, etc)
- Hazardous & combustible chemicals, which includes (but is not limited to) propane, gasoline, paint thinner, charcoal, and lighter fluid
- Thermometers containing mercury (sale is prohibited in NY State)
Adjustable window screens may only be used if placed the inside of the room (not in the window itself), to avoid the screen falling out of the window.
The following items are only allowed in suite-style kitchens and may not be used in bedrooms or in the Quad or Elliott kitchenettes:
- Microwaves or "Micro-Fridges" (with attached microwaves)
- George Forman-style grills or panini makers (only if they have auto-shut-off)
- Crockpots & rice cookers (only if they have auto-shut-off)
*The following items are temporarily allowed in 620 W 116th St due to limited kitchen availability for the fall 2025 semester:
- Air fryers with an auto-shut-off feature
- Induction cooktops