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Wednesday, August 23, 1978
University Daily Kansan
Renters should be aware of tenants' rights
By NANCY FLEEKER
Staff Writer
Students renting apartments or houses this fall should be aware of the rights and responsibilities that go with leases and utilities, according to Judy Kreeger, director of the Consumer Affairs Association.
Misunderstood contracts can cause problems between students and their lan-
Krogerer said that students should be awarded a letter of recommendation by the amount a supervisor or employer depso
One month's rent is the limit for a deposit on an unfurnished apartment.
Landlords can charge a month and a half rent for a furnished apartment and a third for unfurnished apartment.
Kroeger said that she had received complaints from students who had paid deposits for an apartment they liked but not the money their minds and couldn't get the deposit back.
"ONCE YOU put a deposit down on an apartment, unless you have an understanding with the landlord, you are not in danger of full fall under the landlord-tenant act," she said.
Students should not pay any deposit unless they are sure that they want to rent the property, she said, because they are liable for naving rent under the lease.
The landlord is responsible for the upkeep of certain areas in the apartment complex.
In single dwellings, the responsibility of
the landlord be- agreed upon by the
impaired and the tenant.
It is also the landlord's responsibility to exterminate insects inside the dwelling provided that the insects were there when the tenant moved in, Krooger said.
"Usually the landlord is responsible unless he can prove that the bugs came in."
THE LANDLORD is also responsible for insuring that bugs do not enter the house.
The landlord is responsible for general maintenance of the rental unit, Kroeger
Landlords must maintain items such as plumbing, lighting, insulation and screens.
"Most plumbers won't even answer a call from a tenant," she said.
If a landlord fails to make a repair,
broker suggested that the tenant make a
floor covering.
She said that the tenant could arrange for repairs himself, but that legally the landlord didn't have to pay for repairs made by the tenant. Legally, the tenant can file a complaint against the landlord to the Minimum Housing Inspector, if the repair is not made. Kroeger said.
If the repair is ordered by the housing inspector, the landlord will make the repair. If the repair is ordered by the city
HOWEVER, KROEGER said that a report or even a threat to report the landlord, to the housing inspector should be a last resort.
"When you start using heavy-handed
relationship, the landlord-tenant
relationship," she added.
She said that arrangements can be made by the tenant to take care of the repairs and either charge them to the landlord or deduct the amount from the next month's rent.
If a tenant reports the landlord to the housing inspector, he should know that the landlord does not have the right to evict him because of the report.
However, the tenant must pay for any repairs made because of damages that he
Items such as the amount of rent, the amount of the security deposit and any rules that go with the rental agreement should be reviewed. There is no written date for the lease to expire.
IF THE AMOUNT of the rent is not in writing, the landlord's right to in-
The amount of the security deposit should be in writing because students sometimes fail to pay it.
Besides agreements on maintenance, the written agreement should specify restrictions on pets and children, the day the rent is due and late charges, utilities payment and the conditions for the return of the security denom.
Many students have problems getting their security deposits back because they are not aware of the conditions determining repayment.
Clint Court, Frontier Ridge apartment manager, said. "The security deposit covers damages that could be from a dirty oven to a hole in the wall."
He also said that some tenants forget to return their keys, and must pay $15 or $20.
TENANTS CAN also have deposit deductions for leaving a substantial amount of personal belongings in an apartment, he said.
The law requires that an inventory be taken of the apartment and signed by both the tenant and landlord.
Some students complain that their lan-
age makes them pay a month's rent after the semester ends.
Last spring, the consumer affairs office received more than 50 complaints from students who had some sort of landlord problems, Kroeger said.
According to the Kansas Residential Landlord-Termant Act, tenants who rent on a month-to-month basis must give their rent to the apartment 30 days before a rent paying date.
"This is one of the things that students just don't seem to understand," she said. "The clause is in there so people don't just walk out and leave the landlord high and
SOME LEASEES have a fixed expiration date with an automatic renewal clause, which usually states that the tenant must give 30-or-60-day notice before a rent paying day. If notice is not given, the lease is automatically renewed.
In both these cases, the landlord has the
Kroger suggested that students who are paying rent for a vacated dwelling check back with the landlord to see if the space has been rented again.
Landlords are only allowed to keep the amount of money that would cover the time that the property was vacant, but some landlords don't tell the tenant that the property has been rented again, Kroeger said.
"A lot of times the students just don't read the contracts," she said.
FOR EXAMPLE, if the property is rented after five days, then the former tenant should get all of his money back except for the five days rent.
Kroeger said that some leases include an expiration date, but not a renewal clause.
right to ask for another month's rent. In the case of the automatic renewal lease, a tenant could end up paying two or three months rent, Kroeger said.
Tenants are not obligated to pay an extra month's rent after the lease ends, even if the tenant fails to pay.
However, Kroeger had received complaints from tenants whose landlords tried to evict him.
"We urge tenants, even if they do have a contract that doesn't have a renewal clause, to tell the landlord when they're going to move out." Kroeger said.
"It's just common courtesy. Also it prevents a lot of problems later on."
Kroger said that when roommates are involved, the person whose name appears is not a roommate.
TENANTS SHOULD give their roommates notice just as they would the old, old girl. She said
They should have some agreement, preferably written, stating who would be in charge of the project.
There had been cases in which students have taken their roommates to small claims
Usually a roommate who moves out with very little or no notice is held responsible for it.
However, landlords are under the obligation to rent to the property as soon
If the landlord is not paying for utilities, the tenant must make arrangements for paying them.
Fred Bryan, division manager for Kansas Power and Light, said that the electric utility had been able to
Rental units that are all electric have a deposit of $5 with them.
Bryan said the deposit plus the six percent interest it earned would be returned to students when they discontinued their college education less than 12 months consecutive service.
AFTER 12 months of consecutive service with KPL, the customer's deposit and interest are automatically returned, provided that she has had no more than two late payments.
Any outstanding bills can also be applied against the deposit, Bryan said.
Counseling helps students
As part of the career counseling service, a variety of psychological and career interest tests is available to identify academic and professional most compatible to the client's character.
The University Counseling Center provides a place where persons may discuss with a professional counselor any important questions, concerns or decisions.
"More people come to the counseling center for help in career and educational decisions," Rundquist said. "About 63 percent of the last year came for help concernering careers."
Services at the counseling center are available free to any KU student or former student, student's spouse, faculty or staff member.
"The bulk of the people we see are students," Richard Rundquist, director of the counseling center, said. "We do see faculty and staff members and occasionally people from the community who want our services."
"We use these tests to stimulate students to think about careers and to help students in the career planning process." Jm O'Neil, director of the Career Resource Center, said.
The professional counseling staff consists of 11 persons with doctors in either counseling or counseling psychology, and three advanced doctoral students.
Services at the counseling center, 116 Bailey Hall, are available Monday through Friday.
SERVICES AT the center include personal counseling, career counseling and career planning. Services are available on an individual basis or in group sessions.
Counseling sessions and information contained in clients' files remain con-
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The Career Resource Center, part of the counseling center, provides information about careers, work, career outlooks in the 1800s and graduate schools.
O'NEILI SAID that the information was evaluated for content and was checked for sex and race role stereotyping. Then it was coded and alphabetically classified to enable students to explore career possibilities on their own.
"We have a manual that helps students who are soon to enter the job market," O'Neil said. "It gives information on preparing for an interview and tips for asking questions as well as sample letters of introduction and inquiry, resumes and follow-up letters."
Free information on resume writing and interview preparation is also available at www.career.gov.
THE RESOURCE center also has information about graduate schools and further training, which is used in conjunction with the GRE, LSAT, and MCAT tests like the GRE, LSAT, and MCAT.
Although students are ultimately responsible for their career planning, faculty and professionals can be an im- plementary resource in academic learning with career preparation.
Listed in the manual by department and school are 400 designated resource persons who are able to answer questions about the nature of certain academic majors, careers, possible employment in these careers and graduate training.
A manual was developed to inform academic advisors and students about what faculty and staff resources are available at KU.
"The only reason a deposit is given to the utility is to guarantee payments," he said.
William C. Salome, vice-president and general manager of the Gas Co., said that the gas deposit for most apartments was $20
Kroeger said tenants should check with KPL and the gas company for an estimate of the bills on the apartment they are considering.
However, the deposit for a house is based on twice the amount of the previous year's rent.
THE GAS DEPOSIT also is refundable, either as cash or as credit.
The deposit on some houses for gas may run as high as $75 or $100. Salome said.
When the gas serviceman turns on the gas, he will usually light the gas appliances
Salome and Bryan both suggested that tenants make sure that their residents had access to the laundry facilities.
They suggested leaving the heat on the lowest comfortable setting when leaving the apartment during the winter and the highest comfortable setting when leaving in the summer.
He said heating and air conditioning were the most expensive electricity users for most students. Lights, he said, consume only about one percent of electricity used.
He said it was helpful if tenants learned to read their own meters and measure when they went.
Bryan also suggested that tenants check filters on air conditioners and furnace.
ROSS WILSON, collection supervisor for the city water department, said that all water customers who are not property owners are charmed a $35 deposit.
because the service man only turned the water on from the outside and had no way of knowing if there were faucets that were turned on inside.
The deposit and five percent interest are refunded at the end of the customer's service unless there is an outstanding bill in excess of the deposit. Any money left over after outstanding bills are paid is also refunded.
Wilson said the minimum charge for a residence is $8.52 for 2,000 gallons of water.
He said that tenants should realize that it is necessary for someone to be home when they leave.
Customers are given a specific hour when the service man will be there to turn on the water.
He said it was necessary to be present
He said that tenants should make sure there were no leaks in the flush tank, which can cause problems.
Kroeger said that Southwestern Bell no longer requires a deposit for telephones unless the customer has a bad credit rating with any telephone company.
Deposit for customers with bad credit ratings are a minimum of $55.
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