Some students living in Ohio University residence halls received a surprise in the mail this summer when they discovered that their renovated rooms would cost more than rooms in older dorms.

Those who live in Adams, Biddle, Bromley, Johnson and Read halls are all required to pay a renovated room rate increase of 6.5 percent, said Beverley Wyatt, director of Housing.

Students in a double in Johnson, for example, pay $1,589 per quarter, which is $97 more than a standard double with air-conditioning and $134 more than a standard double without air-conditioning.

Wyatt said the higher price of the renovated residence halls is partially in place to generate additional revenue that can be used to continue the renovation plan that is estimated to cost $156 million over 10 years.

Another reason the rates for renovated rooms are higher is because of complaints made by parents who asked why they were paying the same rates for older rooms as for renovated rooms. Wyatt said the housing department thought it was “only fair to move (students in renovated rooms) to a different rate.”

In addition to the renovated room rate increase, a standard yearly increase of 8.9 percent was implemented on all of the dorms. The department looked to find the “optimal price” for housing, said Wyatt.

This year marked the first year of a tuition freeze, but in turn brought a greater increase in the price of housing. Housing costs increased approximately 4 percent from fiscal year 2006 to 2007 and 9 percent from 2007 to 2008.

When discussing further renovations, Wyatt referred to the Housing Master Plan, which details all of the future residence needs of the campus.

Freshman Colleen Cheek, a Johnson Hall resident, didn’t know that she had to pay the extra rate, but she said when it came down to it, she didn’t mind.

“I’d rather not pay it, but I enjoy the renovated rooms,” Cheek said. “It’s nice to have a sink and the nice furniture.”Sophomore Ami Iannone said she did not think the $97 was “outrageous at all.” She would pay that amount any time for a nicer dorm.

Johnson, the oldest building of the five, was the first to be renovated in 2003. Lincoln Hall on East Green is closed and being renovated this year and Shively Hall will follow next year.

After all of East Green is renovated, all of the halls on the green will have the same rate. Although the plan does not currently extend beyond East Green, the next projects will most likely begin on West Green, Wyatt said.