Student residents in buildings owned by A.W. & Sons could be preparing for more than just finals during the first week of May.

According to a letter that A.W. & Sons sent to its non-lease renewing residents, the company will be repainting apartments.

Residents are required to adhere to specific preparations, including removing all items from closets, moving all items off and away from their walls, and unplugging electronic equipment.

Residents will be notified five to seven days before painters arrive at their apartments.

The notice has caused a buzz of worries and anger among residents who are not renewing their leases for the 2006-07 year. The manager of A.W. & Sons would not comment.

Hailey King (sophomore-psychology), who is a resident in The Diplomat, said she doesn't understand why her room cannot be painted during the two weeks in August that she is required to leave.

"There are two weeks in between when our lease ends and the next lease starts, and those two weeks are so they can make preparations like this," King said. "They absolutely could have painted in the two weeks."

Cedarbrook resident Max Dweck (junior-energy business and science) said the possibility of the painters coming during finals week sparks additional concerns.

"I don't want to not have the computer plugged in during finals week," he said.

Dweck added that a lot of students don't have the time at the end of the semester to move their furniture and clothing.

Elizabeth Early (sophomore-biobehavioral health), who lives in Beaver Hill, said AW & Sons told her it will not honor requests for rescheduling.

"If family is coming up that day or if you have an exam that day, it doesn't matter," Early said.

"They don't even tell you a time; anytime during the day they could bust in while you are sleeping, and you can't do anything about it," she added.

Early said residents who will not be in their apartments during the summer must prepare their rooms before they leave, or they will face a preparation fee.

Dweck said he will not be in his apartment over the summer and will not be able to move his things when the painters come.

"I will just end up paying the fee if it happens over the summer," Dweck said. "I assume my roommate won't want my desk in the middle of the room for the whole summer."

Ashley Robinson (sophomore-communications, arts and sciences), a resident of The Diplomat, said after a notice was slipped under her door, her roommate called.

Her roommate said she was told their apartment would be painted "around May 22."

Cedarbrook resident Nicholas Palazzo (junior-economics) said he was told the date his apartment was scheduled for painting when he went to AW & Sons' office.

Palazzo said he was angry at first, but now he plans to avoid the hassle by taking everything with him when he moves out.

Alexander Court resident Josh King (sophomore-crime, law and justice) said his apartment was painted already, and he was surprised at how quickly the paint dried.

However, he said the painters had to move some things into their hallway for space.

Hailey King said that is her concern, as well.

"With the size room I have, there physically isn't enough space to remove everything and put it in the middle of the room," she said.

Cedarbrook resident Ben Marcusfield (junior-mechanical engineering) said he remembers the experience from last year being better than he was expecting it to be.

"For something that couldn't really be that great of an experience, it wasn't that bad," he said.