Party Hosts   

UConn student rentals in homes in the Town of Mansfield are located in traditional neighborhoods. Residents are school teachers, firemen, current and retired university faculty & staff, senior citizens, and families with children. Most are permanent residents who work during the daytime. The neighborhoods are quiet.

Know the laws as they pertain to alcohol, noise, town ordinances, etc…

• Be respectful of your neighbors.  As a new member of a community, it’s typically recommended to get to know your neighbors. Talking to your neighbors when you have a party is a great idea, but it doesn’t mean that you should have a party every weekend and expect them to be OK with it. It depends on your community, but you should probably maintain healthy contact with your neighbors to make sure everyone can live comfortably.

• Know and follow your lease regulations.
• Be considerate and aware; noise can increase quickly at a party, so walk outside your apartment and or house periodically to get a feel for the noise level and how it may be impacting your neighbors.

Designate sober hosts of legal age.

• Have multiple sober hosts that monitor how the party is progressing,
• The hosts need to stay sober (no alcohol consumed) and are responsible for keeping control of the party. Act responsibly
• Make sure your guests know you a host, set yourself apart from the rest, and earn the respect and recognition of your assignment for the night.
• Sober hosts should check IDs, watch the door, and designate drivers for anyone who has been drinking.

Know your guests

• The more people you don’t know at your party, the more potential for bad things to happen—theft, fights, trouble and chaos can break out when you least expect it.
• Facebook and other social networking tools are great for getting the word out and connecting with friends and acquaintances. However, sending out a party invite to hundreds of your Facebook friends may not be the best idea, especially if you have limited space. More people make more noise, more garbage, and more risk of injury, theft and legal problems.
• Draft a guest list. Don’t give any unwanted guests a chance to ruin a scheduled, registered party. Not only will this party seem VIP, but at the same time it will keep everyone from getting in. Having a guest list will also help keep out underage drinkers and reduce your overall risk.
• Monitor and lock your bedrooms.
• As you may already know, people have a tendency to wander off during parties. Every half hour or so, it’s a good idea to check other rooms in the house to make sure nobody is getting sick or roaming about.  You might even want to install locks on your doors (with landlord permission) to keep unwanted guests out. The last thing you want is your personal space invaded not to mention the possible vomit all over your bedroom or a missing laptop.

Limit alcohol

• The sober host (or hosts) can distribute the alcohol. Hosts will have the last say on who has had too much to drink and who will be served or denied.  Also keep in mind that if the party is distributing alcohol, collecting money is consider a sale of alcohol and without a liquor license this is illegal.
• Know the law pertaining to your responsibility of your guests and their actions after leaving your party.
• Serve non-alcoholic beverages in addition to those with alcohol.
• Provide food throughout the party.  Salty chips encourage further drinking.
• Food should always be served where there is alcohol, and foods high in carbohydrates and protein are great for parties. While they in no way prevent intoxication, protein can help slow the absorption of alcohol.

Use cans or plastic bottles, not glass.

• Make a good effort to serve cans, not bottles. This can help your home stay tidy and you’ll have less cleaning to do the day after.
• Serve beer in cans only. Open containers like plastic cups can leave an unsuspecting guest vulnerable to beverage tampering. If your guests choose to consume alcohol, don’t give someone the chance to take advantage of them. Tell your guests to break the seal themselves and keep track of their drink.

Keep the place clean.

• Having trash cans or bags readily accessible to guests will cut down on cleanup the next day, and less trash means fewer things for people to trip or slip on, reducing the chance that an accident will happen.

Don’t be afraid to call the police for assistance.

• Here are some reasons to seek police assistance:
• Noise: If a party can be heard a block away or you feel your party is too loud, call an officer to help clear out the place.
  Unwelcome Visitors: If unwelcome visitors enter the premises and refuse to leave, the police can be very helpful.
  More people than you can control: Big crowds are very hard to control. Sooner or later, a violation will occur or party crashers will start trouble. Crowded lawns are certain to draw attention.
• Understand the Nuisance Ordinance for the Town of Mansfield! It is important to know the expectations of your community and the violations that you might be in if causing a disturbance.
  Guests causing problems: Generate a guest list and stick to it. Every guest should know a host or be accompanied by someone who knows the host. A lot of trouble is caused by people the hosts don’t even know.