Storage

House Trunk Room Storage

During the academic year, house trunk rooms may only be used for storing of empty boxes and suitcases (unless a student is going abroad in which case they may store regular items). Trunk rooms will be locked except just before and just after fall, Thanksgiving, winter, and spring breaks.

At the beginning of the fall semester, trunk rooms will be unlocked when student leaders return to campus in August and will be locked two weeks after the first day of classes. Trunk rooms are locked for the summer the Monday after the last day of spring finals. Students who need access to trunk rooms during the academic year should contact the residence life staff in their house at least 48 hours in advance to set up an appointment.

Use of trunk room space is a privilege and students who use the space must work with their house leaders to keep them organized and meeting all college and city codes. If a house or individuals in a house are not respectful of this privilege, the use of trunk room space will be revoked.

Students will not have access to the house trunk rooms during the summer. Students may gain access to trunk rooms once Residence Life staff have moved into their houses at the beginning of the fall semester. Any student going abroad that needs to access stored items during the summer will need to use storage space in the basement of John M. Greene Hall (JMG).

If you have extenuating circumstances, contact the Office of Residence Life. Students residing on campus for the summer who need temporary storage may use storage space in the basement of JMG. See below for more information. The house trunk rooms will be open during the student arrival period at the beginning of the fall semester (including early arrivals) and will remain open until the Monday following the first day of classes.

Policies & Procedures

Graduating seniors are not permitted to store items in trunk rooms past their graduation date. January graduates must take all of their belongings with them in January. Graduates who leave items will be billed for the items to be discarded.

Students who are studying abroad or on a leave of absence are permitted to store belongings in the house they currently reside in for a maximum of 18 months. After 18 months their belongings will be discarded. If a student is abroad during the spring semester and would like to store items in the house trunk room before leaving campus in the fall, they must contact the residence life staff member for their respective house to arrange a time at least a week before they intend on leaving campus to store their belongings. They will be issued no more than five trunk room stickers. See more specific information about storage procedures below.

Students should be aware that if their term abroad includes the spring semester and they intend to return for the summer rather than the fall, they will not have access to house trunk rooms. Affected study abroad students may choose to use storage in JMG instead. Access hours to JMG will be posted on this page, or may be arranged by contacting Residence Life at reslife@smith.edu or 413-585-4940.

Please note: Students who store items without permission will have their belongings discarded.

Non-graduating students currently living in the Friedman Apartments are able to store their belongings in JMG. These students may collect their belongings during JMG open hours.

Students should be storing items in their current house only. Access to trunk rooms is limited to before and after breaks. Trunk rooms will be open the first day students arrive in the fall. If students need access at other times during the academic year, they must contact their house's residence life staff member 48 hours beforehand to make an appointment.

Trunk rooms will be closed for the academic year on the Saturday after the last day of spring finals. Students must have all their belongings stored by this day or have alternate storage options.

If a student is changing houses between semesters, they should use the trunk room of the house that they last resided in or JMG as appropriate.

Trunk rooms are not secure, and no item of value or important personal documents should be left in a storage area. The college is not responsible for loss or damage to any item, regardless of the cause. Items that are not properly labeled or do not belong to residents will be removed and disposed of. Students are urged to bring valuables home during the summer or to use local storage facilities.

During the last week of classes and finals week, Residence Life staff will schedule five hours throughout the two-week period where the trunk rooms will be open for students to store their belongings for the summer. When a student brings their belongings to the trunk room during the specified time, a staff member will confirm that all items are being stored in accordance with trunk room policies and will issue the student trunk room stickers to label their items. Students will be issued no more than five trunk room stickers to store their belongings. In general, one item equals one sticker. There are some exceptions to this rule which are listed below:

Items that equal one sticker:

  • 1 suitcase
  • 1 refrigerator
  • 1 area rug
  • 2 floor lamps
  • 1 footlocker/trunk
  • 1 plastic tub (no bigger than 45 gallons, 27.1" H × 21.4" W × 37.1" L)

If a student attempts to store items that are not allowed under the trunk room policies, Residence Life staff members will not allow them to store the item in the trunk room. The student will either need to discard the item, take it home, or find another storage option off campus. If a student only uses four of their five stickers, they are not given the fifth sticker. The extra sticker is placed into a “pool” of stickers used for students who have extenuating circumstances and have appealed through the formal appeals process to receive additional stickers. See information regarding the Additional Sticker Appeals Process below.

Houses have very limited space for storage. Therefore, the college asks students to take all their belongings home with them for the summer whenever possible.

If students choose to use their house trunk rooms, there are strict expectations about how items should be packed and labeled. All items must be packed in storage containers or plastic tubs which can be securely closed (functional, sturdy suitcases and trunks are permissible). Cardboard boxes, large plastic trash bags and other non-sealed containers cannot be used to store items.

Storage of floor lamps and rugs should be kept to a minimum (limit of two floor lamps and one rug no larger than 5 feet × 9 feet). If stored, rugs must be rolled, tied and labeled and lamps must be tied together and labeled. Refrigerators can be stored in trunk rooms but cannot be larger than 3 feet high and must be labeled appropriately.

Items which cannot be stored in trunk rooms (if found, they will be discarded):

  • Futons, couches, and other stuffed furniture
  • Desks
  • Desk chairs
  • Bed and other furniture frames
  • Mattresses
  • Bikes
  • Flammable fluids (paints, lighter fluid, etc.)
  • Items stored in bags that are not sturdy, secure and fully enclosed, (large plastic trash bags, reusable grocery bags, etc.)*
  • Motorized vehicles (mopeds, scooters)

*Students who choose to utilize duffle bags should ensure that their bags are fully-enclosed (i.e. must be able to be sealed via zipper, latch, lid or other suitable closure), water-resistant, and of a sturdy material (e.g. metal, hard plastic, canvas, etc.)

Students who have extenuating circumstances and feel they need more stickers must complete the Trunk Room Sticker Appeals Form. Students must complete the form by November 15 for the fall semester and April 1 for the spring semester. Applications will be reviewed by a committee and you will be notified via email if you have been allocated more stickers and the number you have been allotted.

All items must be stored properly. Storage containers, suitcases and other items must be stacked neatly, providing easy access to the back of the trunk room. Items stored outside of designated trunk room areas will be discarded. Students who improperly store items will be charged for their removal. Houses will be charged for items not labeled that are improperly stored.

Each year, house residents must clean out their house’s trunk room. Facilities Management will create a schedule for trunk room clean outs, which is coordinated by the house president. Any items not belonging to current residents of the house (except students who are studying abroad or on leave of absence) will be discarded.

Throughout the academic year, house presidents and residence life staff will periodically check for improperly stored items and general organization of the trunk rooms. Items that are not stored within the trunk room guidelines will be discarded.

JMG Storage

Students who will be living in Smith College “summer housing” are permitted to store up to three items (one item can be a small refrigerator) in the JMG basement in addition to the five items they are permitted to store in their house trunk room. Students who will be living in “extended housing” are able to store up to three items in addition to the five items they are permitted to store in their house trunk room. All items must be labeled with the student’s name and class year. Students will receive storage stickers upon arrival to JMG storage. Items that are not allowed in the house trunk rooms are also not allowed within JMG storage.

All belongings must be removed from JMG storage by the Monday after the first day of classes in the fall semester unless the student is on an approved leave. Items not retrieved by this date will be discarded. Students who will be at Smith over the summer should use the JMG storage option, as they will not be able to access their house trunk room when they arrive for their summer housing dates or if they leave during the summer.

JMG storage is also available to students who have lived in Lee House or the Friedman Apartments who are going abroad and not returning to their current house. These students may store up to five items in JMG.

End of Spring 2026 and Summer 2026 JMG Storage Hours of Operation (An accessible version of this information is available upon request.)

Please be sure you come to the back door of JMG by the stairs (Chapin lawn side) and be prepared to move your items on your own into the storage space. 

It is your responsibility as the student to move the items into the storage space. Please be prepared to carry your items down the stairs. Make sure you are capable of carrying the items on your own or that you have brought a friend to assist you. Note that we close these hours promptly, so be sure to plan how much time you need to move the items into the space.

If you have an emergent situation and must access JMG storage outside of the hours stated above, please email residence life at reslife@smith.edu or contact the student affairs front desk at 413-585-4940. In the case of a true emergency, an appointment will be scheduled for you so you can access your belongings. Note that we will only make these appointments in a case of a genuine emergency. Plan ahead and make sure you have read the schedule.

We encourage all students to use off-campus storage options. Find out more about off-campus storage options.