Katie Palm, St.Paul, Minn., senior,
new that the house she was
biving into wasn't perfect, but
e former tenants talked it up to
er and her two friends. The three-
droom house had a bathroom,
asher and dryer and only cost
50 per person, per month. It is
within walking distance to
mpus. Thinking the house was
Ross Holst,
Fairway senior,
checks the
mechanical
closet for
possible
hazards or
repairs needed.
good place live, Palm named a lease with her friends moved in Aug.1.
Tha t's when the air conditioner oke. It was ever fully paired. Im and her roommates discovered a hole the air duct in the basement
it made it difficult to heat and cool the house.
There are good landlords and land. There are also good tenants and hellions who destroy fabulous apartments. Knowing your rights and responsibilities as a renter is an important part of the process finding a place to live. Do your research so you don't end up with house like Palm's.
When she went upstairs to her room, Palm saw why the old nants had so many posters and decorations on the ceiling; stains from leaky pipes formed a moldy rosace above her head. Palm couldn't take a bath because the rain didn't work, but there was no hot water anyway. The last tenant's let rabbit even left welcome gifts in the form of poop pellets peeked on the floor.
Palm and her roommates complained to the landlord so much the first days of August that they were allowed to break their lease so the landlord wouldn't have to deal with them anymore. Palm and her ends moved out of the house four days after moving in.
Legal Services for Students
Burge Union
1601 Irving Hill Rd.
Room 312
(785) 864-5665
legals@ku.edu
WHERE TO GO TO
DECODE YOUR LEASE
The search begins When you've found
apartment that seems perfect, there are steps you should take to ensure your continued happiness.
Start by doing a walk-through of the apartment you are interested in. It's a good idea to look at it in person. "I always check to make sure carpets are clean, walls are clean, if it has a good-sized kitchen and I have to have a peephole in
--the door for safety," Alyson Ecklund, Gig Harbor, Wash., junior, says.
By doing a walk-through yourself, you can catch little things like carpet stains or slow drains and bring it to your landlord's attention before you sign a lease.
Kathryn Klausen, Topeka junior, learned the importance of a walkthrough when she rented an apartment two years ago. After she signed the lease, her landlord told her that the apartment she had wanted was actually already taken and gave her the one above it. "Every possible thing that could have gone wrong did," Klausen says. The kitchen faucet leaked, the freezer in the refrigerator leaked, the claw-foot tub was chipped, the windows and doors were warped, the wood was peeling from the awful paint job and there were ants in the kitchen, she says. If she had been shown the apartment she rented, she would never have signed the lease.
Learn from Klausen's mistake.
Take a good look at what you're getting before you lock yourself into a lease and a crappy apartment.
Reading the lease is very important before signing on the dotted line.The Kansas Residential Landlord and Tenant Act provides a list of things that should be in a lease.
Read what you sign
Get a copy of the act and go
over it before locking yourself into a lease, advises Bill Larzalere, attorney at Legal Services for Students (LSS).
The name of the landlord, the name of the tenant or tenants, the length of the leasing agreement and the scheduled move-out date should be clearly stated in the lease.
Check your lease for an automatic renewal clause which will keep you locked into the same apartment for another year The lease may renew unless you tell your landlord otherwise. A renewal clause can even take effect four months before you are scheduled to move so if you have a renewal clause, make sure to communicate with your landlord early as to when you plan to move out.
The lease should also contain the deposit amount. The landlord can use your deposit to fix any damages you caused to the property. If you hold up your end of the bargain, you should get this money back when you move out.
The Kansas Residential Landlord and Tenant Act lays out exactly how much your deposit should be. For a furnished apartment, the deposit should be one-and-a-half times one month's rent. With a pet, you can be charged up to two months' rent. In an unfurnished apartment, the deposit may be up to one month's rent or one-and-a-half month's rent with a pet.
Before you bring Fluffy to your new crib, though, check the lease for your landlord's pet policy. Some students have fallen into traps in the past and have paid multiple deposits for multiple pets, Larzalere says. "The way I understand the act, it states that there is one deposit for pets, whether it be one or more." Larzalere says. He also cautions tenants to watch out for landlords who charge a monthly pet fee — the fee is completely against the code.
To understand every part of your lease, talk to your landlord and ask questions. It's even a good idea to bring a copy of your lease to LSS, Larzalere says. An attorney can go over the lease with you and make sure you understand it
Movin'in
out a KU basketball loss on the rental property.
and it is in compliance with the Kansas Residential Landlord and Tenant Act. This service is free for students.
Checkin'in
Once you have packed up the last box into the U-Haul, there's more to do before you start nesting in your new pad. The Kansas Residential Landlord and Tenant Act requires landlords to provide tenants with a checklist inventory of the condition of the rental property. Either by yourself or with your landlord, you must check off each item on the list and document any stain, chip or smudge in the place. The checklist should be divided by room and contain every aspect of that room including the stove-top for the kitchen or the ceiling fan in your bedroom. This list must be completed within five days of moving into your new place. Be honest and thorough because when you move out, your landlord will use that same list to determine what damage you caused. Damage charges can be pretty high so make sure you cover all bases.
Mike Kern, landlord of Kern Management, knows that students don't have a lot of money and has tried to make this process easier for his tenants. "We provide a checkout list that shows charges for holes in walls, carpet and stuff like that," Kern says. Knowing what a fist through the wall costs may also deter students from taking
After you've completed the list, give it to your landlord and let him or her know of any repairs you need at that time. Landlords should know of any problems on their property during the time you live there. "Even if it's a small problem and you don't want to bother them about it, give them a heads-up," Kern says. This could avoid a potentially bigger problem later. Even if you caused the damage, you should let your property manager know.
Lisa Larson, Lawrence landlord, has seen her share of student-related damage. "We've had a garbage disposal broken because someone put a shot glass down there," Larson says. She sent someone out to fix it, and the student was handed the bill.
Emergencles relating to heating, cooling, water or electricity should be brought to your landlord's attention immediately. These could cause a lot of damage to your apartment or house. However, when you break the knob on the oven when you are making a midnight pizza wait until morning to call — unless the oven won't turn off.
By keeping up with repairs in your residence, you will be more likely to have your deposit refunded at the end of your lease.
Before you turn in your keys and reload that U-Haul, there is usually a list of tasks you must complete to check out.
Movin'on out
Many landlords complain about the lack of cleaning when students move out. Larson says that it is not uncommon to have students take off and go back home in May or move out in August without completing the stuff on the cleaning list that her tenants receive. Cleaning up your mess is an easy way for landlords to put your deposit to use. Cleaning fees, repairs and replacing things require more moolah than many students realize. "There is a lack of respect for the property. We see it more and more every year. It's discouraging," Larson says.
Your apartment, house or loft should be left in the condition that you found it in. It should be clean and ready for the next tenants. By leaving it a mess, you may be forefiting your deposit and delaying the next tenant's move-in.
Knowing the rights and responsibilities for you and your landlord will help you to have an easy renting experience. Find a place — and a landlord — that fits your personality and make sure you know what your lease says before you sign your life away. Most of all, be a good renter. This is college. Your mom isn't here to clean up your messes.
Stress-free living
Find out where the main water valve is at your place, Mark Kern of Kern Management says. That way if there is ever a busted pipe or running toilet, damage can be kept to a minimum.
Make sure to get the phone numbers of your landlord. Rachel Drake, Haven junior, says."I know we call a lot," Drake says.
HELPFUL TIPS FOR RENTERS
It is important to keep yourself at a noise level that will allow others to enjoy their peace and quiet, says Mike McCabe, a leasing agent for First Management.
---
Make sure to note the day you have to move out, Lisa Larson, Lawrence landlord, says. Just because your lease began on Aug. 1, doesn't mean that it ends on July 31.
Landlord is to talk to the people who already live there, Bill Larzalea, attorney at Legal Services for Students, says. Talk to past tenants, neighbors and
One of the best ways to find out about a property or a
current tenants
11.09.2006 JAYPLAY < 11