College of Letters and Science no longer allows UW events/functions to be held in private residences with very few exceptions of the following:

These exceptions are for Board of Visitors, other philanthropic functions and retirements. For these three exceptions, it should be noted on the Official Function form that the Board of Visitors, other philanthropic function or retirement will be held in a private residence, acknowledging that the owner of the private residence is aware of and accepts the increased liability.  This guidance includes UW events/functions with or without costs.  All efforts should be made to hold all events in spaces that are open to the public, with campus being the preferred location.  If students will be present at an approved event, it will require Clery trained personnel to be in attendance. In the rare case that it is determined that there are no other options than to hold an event not listed as an exception in a private residence, the Department should reach out to Tina Nielsen, Associate Dean for Innovation and Strategy. Significant justification will be required to offset the risk.

The change in this policy came after discussions with risk management and central campus  The property owner is primarily responsible for any potential injuries or property damage to the guests and their personal property and could be held personally and financially liable for the cost of any related suit or damages.