Do residents of dorm rooms have the same legal rights as regular tenants? Can the University give permission to search a dorm room? I seem to remember there being somewhat less rights for on-campus housing than in the real world.
The warrantless search of a dormitory room requires the consent of one of the occupants. (A private college could, presumably, require by contract that the authority to consent to a search be assigned to the administration.)
I believe courts have upheld the rights of universities to search their dorm rooms but I'm not so sure about outside law enforcement agencies.
My understanding is that the residents have the same rights as homeowners or apartment dwellers. They have an expectation of privacy and the University can not waive it for them.
"Do residents of dorm rooms have the same legal rights as regular tenants?"
I would say that there is definitely an expectation of privacy.