14
APARTMENT GUIDE 1
POLICY
Know the laws of the land(lord)
BY CLAIRE MCINERNY
cmcinerny@kansan.com
Prospective tenants often pay close attention to price, location and quality, but another factor could be even more important. The landlord.
A strong, working relationship with a landlord is vital to having a positive house experience. But the difference between a good and bad potential landlord can be hard to spot.
Spencer Boland, a senior from Overland Park, was forced to leave his house and find a new residence earlier this year because of a zone violation his landlord ignored. The neighborhood he lived in only allowed single-family homes, so living with five unrelated guys not permitted. Boland said there were warning signs well before the zone violation.
"You need to do a character evaluation," Boland said. "Look at the person, and see how are they showing you different parts of the house, are they letting you talk, if they are respectful and if they stay on topic."
Boland also said his old landlord was very busy, made a lot of excuses and forgot meetings, which is something Boland says potential renters should look out for.
Darryl Graves, a property lawyer with Darryl Graves State Professional Incorporation, said students should ask about the apartment rules before signing a lease. Policies on smoking, snow removal and lease renewal are major things to ask a landlord about, Graves said.
For Boland, communication between his landlord and the tenants was a big problem. Boland said knowing more about his landlord before signing the lease could have helped him avoid that situation.
Feuerborn stressed that communication is key to a good landlord-tenant relationship.
"If they have a job and are going to school and call and say they're going to be a week late on rent, that's fine," Feuerborn said. "I don't penalize them, but if they ignore you, that's not good."
Myron Feuerborn, a Lawrence resident who owns apartments on 11th Street and Ohio Street, said different landlords expect different things. Some landlords require the renter's parents to sign the lease instead of just the student, because then the landlord can hold the parents responsible for damages or problems that could arise. Another thing student renters should ask about is whether the landlord pays the utilities.
before, because your friends will give you their honest opinions about their landlords," Boland said. "Also, take your time, and view more houses than you think you should."
"Ask around to people who have rented
Edited by Sarah Gregory
THE LANDLORD MUST:
1. Maintain compliance with state and city codes.
2. Maintain common areas and grounds.
4. Supply reliable heat in winter.
3. Make sure you have adequate hot and cold running water.
5. Maintain appliances provided with the property.
6. Maintain electrical, plumbing, ventilating and air conditioning
ing
systems in good working order. 7. Allow tenants to obtain telephone and cable service.
Source: Kansas Tenants Handbook
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2011
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