University Daily Kansan / Thursday, April 28, 1988
Jacque Janssen, arts/features editor
Living
11
Surviving the apartment-hunting season
By Kim Lightle
Kansan staff writer
Every year, students take aim at one of the toughest beasts to capture - their home away from home.
At the beginning of March, the apartment hunting season begins. And many of the students hunting for big game say there are only two types of apartment seekers: the quick and the homeless.
And that can be dangerous.
As apartments become scarce in April and May, many students who have put off the search will begin their safari armed only with their checkbooks and pens, ready to sign anything in sight.
"If you rush now, you'll pay for it later," and Gregg
buffler, president of the Lawrence Tenants' Association.
Some students said speed was one of the necessities in finding an apartment this time of the year. But experienced apartment seekers said it was important to understand exactly what the lease meant and what it would cost.
Even if students who call several apartment complexes and find them all booked up should not panic, he said. And students just beginning to look for an apartment will often hear that apartments for next fall already are leased.
First come,first served
Many apartment complexes have filled all their vacancies for next fall and have long waiting lists of people to contact in case a vacancy comes up, said Deanne Evanson, an employee at Big Blue Student
One apartment manager said she had filled all of the vacancies more than two weeks ago and had 20 people on a waiting list.
Apartment owners and management company employees said they were swamped with phone calls from
esaa said they were swamped with phone calls from apartment seekers during the past couple of weeks.
Ricky Pierson, manager of Trailridge apartments, 2500 West 9th St., said that she wasn't accepting more names for a waiting list and that all of the complex's units had gone quietly.
guest query.
"We start getting phone calls around February, and after that, they just don't stop until around June or July."
Pierce said, "We will get phone calls every day."
Evenson said she also was receiving many phone calls from students.
"Students who are just beginning to look for apartments may have a little more difficulty finding a place, but it is not impossible." she said.
The number of bedrooms a student needs often determines whether he can find a place, she said. It is easier to find two-bedroom apartments because they are the most abundant.
"They should get out as soon as possible, though." Everson said. "By the time July rolls around, it is too late."
The gloomy outlook should not be taken too seriously, though, Stauffer said. Many times, people will try to pressure students into grabbing a place quickly by using pressure tactics, he said.
"They'll say things like, 'you'd better hurry' and 'we only have one unit left' to get you into a high pressure situation, but don't let that happen. If someone starts to do that, a red flag should go off." Staffer said
Stauffer said students should approach the apartment market with some knowledge about their rights as tenants and how to read a lease before they begin looking at apartments.
"There are definitely certain things people need to do when they are looking for an apartment, and a lot of it is things that won't take too much energy but will end up saving them a lot of trouble," he said.
Prepare for the trip
One of the first things an apartment hunter should do is make a budget. The budget should set limits on things like rent, food and utilities, he said.
"A student especially needs to have things figured out because most people are living on a fixed budget," he said. "Some people end up spending all their money on rent and don't have enough left over to buy food."
Stauffer said he had such an experience when he rented his first apartment. He said that the rent had seemed a little high but that he really liked the apartment, so he took it. He was quite surprised to find out that he didn't have enough money to cover anything but rent and utilities.
Two students who share a two-bedroom apartment can expect to pay rent ranging from $350-$495. Most apartment complexes pay for water, but owners of the few that don't said the bill for a two-bedroom apartment averaged about $12 a month. Electric and gas bills will vary depending on the apartment's location, size and billing plan.
Grocery bills also will vary, but many students said they did not spend more than $100 a month for food.
Randy Niahes, Omaha senior, said. "I usually don't go over $100. The food prices really aren't too bad, but it can be very expensive."
Those other costs, such as laundry and furniture rental.
often get students into financial trouble, Stauffer said. Although most students usually have at least a rough estimate on things such as rent and utilities, they often forget about the hidden expenses.
"Once you have made a budget, stick to it," Stauffer said. "Don't look at an apartment that is out of your price range, no matter how great it is. At the end of the month, you still won't be able to afford it."
Setting out for the hunt
Students must be resourceful not only when they are planning a budget, but also when they are looking for apartments.
Resources that list apartments are limited, and those available do not come close to listing all of them. Stauffer
One place students will not find much help is the University's student housing department. The only listing the office provides is the Lawrence Apartment guide, and it lists only about 20 complexes.
Students could begin their search by calling management companies and looking in newspapers and telephone books to get an idea of what is available. There are many different types of houses, houses, condominiums and duplexes all over the city.
Evenson said that most management companies listed houses or portions of houses to rent but that students often seemed uninterested in them.
"Students should keep an open mind and not rule out renting something other than an apartment." Evenson
"It's probably because of the extra responsibility that goes with a house, such as lawn care, but some places even take care of that for you," she said.
After a student has sorted through the apartment listings and found something in his price range, he needs to make an appointment to look at the unit or at least one in the same complex.
"Always, always get a look at an apartment before you rent it," said Camille Dallager, director of the Consumer Affairs Association, 819 Vermont St. "What is described doesn't matter." Camille doesn't always match after you've signed the lease.
Then, it's too late to change your mind."
Sizing up the game
Dallager said students should prepare a mental list of things to ask the landlord and add any questions about needed repairs when looking at the apartment.
"Don't rush through when you're looking around," she said. "Most importantly, don't feel timid about asking questions if you see something that needs fixing."
If students don't ask about tasks that need to be repaired, they might end up having to pay for the repairs
Capturing the details
When someone finally has found an apartment he wants to rent, the real work begins — the paper work.
Many landlords now require prospective tenants to fill out lease applications. The applications are used to establish whether tenants will be able to pay the rent. Some common questions on the applications request savings and checking account numbers and the name of the applicant's previous two landlords.
Arvilla Vickers works on the City's Human Relations-Human Resource Commission, which takes complaints and mediates housing discrimination claims. She said she should not be alarmed or feel harassed by the questions.
"Don't be startled by people asking for references," she said. "That's just good business."
Students should be aware of the city's human rights ordinance, which prohibits discrimination because of age.
Landlords also cannot deny housing to someone on the basis of his earnings as long as he can pay the rent. Vickers said it was important that students understood that point.
Some applications could eliminate students because they don't leave a space for additional income. If students don't have a job and their parents plan to pay for the apartment, students should make sure landlords understand the situation. Often, the parents will be asked to fill out the application and co-sign the lease.
Students can be discriminated against in other ways, too. Although the city's ordinance prohibits age restrictions for adults, it is not appropriate for people 40 to 70 years old. A case for discrimination against young people would be difficult to win with no
legal precedent.
"I know it's not fair, but that's the way it is right now," Vickers said. "If "someone doesn't want to rent to you because you're too young, then they can get away with it."
Moving in for the kill
When it finally comes time to sign a lease, the key word is caution. Dallarfer said.
Many of the complaints at the Consumer Affairs Association office are about disputes over the lease and usually come up because students don't take time to understand and read the lease.
Students can get a sample lease from the Consumer Affair Association to study before they sign, Dallager said. The sample lease includes things that are considered necessary for their security and liability for upkeep and the amount of the security deposit.
Lawrence has no standard lease that landlords must use, so there probably will be variations. It's important to know the price of the rent.
and labor, during the time of law enforcement. Landlords might restrict the number of tenants who can live in the apartment or charge a bonus price for extra persons.
"The most important thing to remember is not to sign it until you understand every word." Dallager said. "You have to remember that this is a binding legal document and when you want to demand their rent whether you want to move out or not."
She suggested that students who do not understand something in the lease either ask the manager questions or ask to talk with them.
Many students said they were glad they took the time to read their leases, even if the terminology was difficult to understand.
Bryan Peterson, Larned junior, said he and his roommate read their lease carefully before moving into their apartment at Colony Woods.
"My roommate and I sat down and went through it, even though it was about three feet long and it took us about an hour" he said.
Peterson said he probably avoided problems by going over the lease.
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