Dorm Room Checklist

Coordinate with your roommate on shared furniture and appliances to stop duplicate purchases and split costs fairly. This covers room-level gear only. For personal packing items, see our college packing list.

TOOL
Item Owner Est. Cost Got it
$0.00
Your items + split items
$0.00
Roommate's share
$0.00
Total room cost
$0.00
Unassigned items
0

What Your School Likely Provides

Before you buy anything, check your housing portal for your school's specific furniture and amenities list. Provided items vary widely, but most dorms include:

Bed (usually Twin XL) and mattress
Desk and desk chair
Dresser or built-in storage
Closet or wardrobe space
Trash can (and sometimes recycling bin)
Window coverings (shades or fire-retardant curtains)
General lighting (overhead or desk lamp provided in some dorms)

Some schools also provide a small bookcase, and community areas may have Wi-Fi, laundry facilities, common kitchens, and living spaces. Your specific dorm, especially residence halls built recently or at larger universities, may provide more. Always confirm with your housing office before purchasing furniture.

Message Your Roommate Before You Buy Anything

Use this as a starting script. The more you coordinate upfront, the less awkward the split conversation later:

Hey! Before we both go shopping, let's figure out who's bringing what. I'm using this checklist to track shared room stuff like the mini fridge, microwave, rug, and lamps. Can we compare what we each already have or want to bring? Would be way cheaper than both of us buying duplicates. Here's the list: [paste link or screenshot]

Measure Your Room Before You Buy

Dorm room sizes vary wildly: from 120 to 250+ square feet depending on your school and building. The ceiling might be 8–10 feet. Before you purchase a mini fridge, rug, or tall shelving, check your housing portal for your specific room dimensions and door width. Buying a massive futon only to find it doesn't fit through the door (or leaves no walking space) is painful and expensive.

Do not rely on "average" dorm room dimensions. Go to your school's housing website and find your building's floor plan.

Commonly Restricted Items

Check your housing rules before you buy. Most colleges restrict:

Your RA will tell you these rules at move-in, but read them online first to avoid buying something you'll have to ship back home.

FAQ

What if my roommate and I want to split different items?

That's the whole point of this checklist. Assign each item to yourself, your roommate, or mark it "Split." The calculator updates in real time. You can always text a photo of the final summary to your roommate before anyone buys.

Can I really split a $200 mini fridge three ways?

Yes, if you all agree upfront. The tricky part is splitting payment later (e.g., one person pays the full $200 and the others Venmo them $66.67 each). This checklist helps you plan the split; the actual payment is between you and your roommates.

What if my school provides something on this list?

Skip it. Mark it "Skip" in the checklist and it won't count toward your share. If you learn your room has a mini fridge built in after you've already bought one, you'll have a hard time returning it, so triple-check your housing packet.

How do I print a summary to show my roommate?

Click the "Print Summary" button. It shows only the items you and your roommate have selected (hiding the skipped ones) in a clean, two-column layout suitable for texting a screenshot or printing. Use this as your agreement.

Is there a difference between a mini fridge and a Micro-Fridge combo?

Yes. A standard mini fridge is just a fridge; a Micro-Fridge is a brand that combines a small microwave on top with a fridge below, and it's often explicitly allowed at schools that ban standalone microwaves. Check your housing rules: if your dorm permits only Micro-Fridges, buying a separate microwave will get confiscated.

Should I use a power strip or an extension cord in the dorm?

Always use a surge-protection power strip (never an extension cord, since that's often a fire code violation). But check your dorm rules: some schools require that the power strip have no outlets on the back, to prevent people from daisy-chaining multiple strips. One strip per outlet is the safest rule.

Sources