Hints for Living Off-Campus

THINGS TO CONSIDER BEFORE SIGNING THE LEASE

Talk with various landlords and ask the following questions: 

1. When will the property become available? 
   
2. Is parking available?
   
3. What utilities are included in the rent?
4. What is the condition of the place? 
   
5.  How much will the monthly rent be? Are there any additional charge not included in the rent?
   
6. What security deposit is required?
7. Has the landlord provided the township with a certificate of occupancy?  
   
8. Are there any special conditions or provisions in the lease?
9. Is the place required to be registered with the township? 
10. When was the last time the property was inspected by the township? (All inspection reports should be on file with the township!)

SIGNING THE LEASE

READ YOUR LEASE THOROUGHLY BEFORE YOU SIGN!!!!

1. Make sure that you understand all aspects of the agreement.
   
2. A lease is a legal and binding contract.
3. You should not pay your entire rent up front or in two large sum payments. 
   
4. Does the apartment have smoke alarms, fire alarms, sprinklers and multiple, safe exits? 
   
5. DO NOT SIGN a lease with a clause labeled “Confession of Judgment."

CHOOSING A ROOMMATE 

1. Choose your roommates wisely.
   
2. Decide how much you are able to pay, what areas and setting you want to live in and what transportation each of you will have.  
   
3. Discuss lifestyles, habits, and expectations thoroughly.
4. Define what will happen if one party decides to move out before the term of the lease is up. 
   
5. Be honest about what you can and cannot live with in terms of cleaning, cooking, noise, guests, etc.

FINDING A PLACE TO LIVE

1. Check the Commuter Housing website for all current property listings. 
   
2. Talk with current students who are commuting. 
   
3. Look in the local papers in the Real Estate/Classified sections. They are usually published on Thursdays and are very good resources to probe.
4. Call a Real Estate Agency (but beware, most realtors are primarily interested in sales, not rentals).
5. Go visit places that have “For Rent” signs outside. 
6. Don’t make snap decisions. Visit several places. 
   
7. Talk with your parents. Ask them to visit potential homes and speak with potential landlords.
8. BE AWARE of zoning ordinances dealing with student housing. Call the township in which you wish to live for details. 
   
9. Do not agree in the lease to pay possible fines against the landlord for township code violations. Both tenants and landlords are responsible or compliance with zoning ordinances.
10. DO NOT SIGN a lease with a clause labeled “Confession of Judgment.” If you do, you will give your landlord the right to take you to court without your knowledge or presence. Ask your landlord to cross out that paragraph and initial it.  
    
11. Inspect the property before signing the lease. You should physically visit the dwelling and discuss with the landlord those items that require maintenance. Discuss with your landlord what constitutes normal wear and tear.   
    
12. Have the landlord put into writing, in the lease, any improvements the landlord says he/she will make. Anything not required before you sign the lease should be annotated in the lease itself.
13. Send all correspondence to your landlord by certified mail. This way you will have a receipt of all communications with him/her.  
    
14. Have one roommate be the contact person for the landlord. 
    
15. Keep a photocopy of the lease for yourself.
    
16. Keep a copy of all correspondence to and from your landlord with your lease.
    
17. Help For Housing matches college students with families who need assistance in their home. By carefully screening both students and families, Help for Housing is able to introduce qualified students to appropriate families, so that the cashless exchange of help for housing can benefit both the student and the family.

UTILITIES

1. Discuss utilities with your landlord and review what the lease includes. Utility costs may or may not be a part of monthly rent.
2. Check with the landlord about specific companies you will have to deal with and what services they provide. 
   
3. Check with the landlord or former tenants about average utility costs.
   
4. Decide whose name will appear on the bill. Discuss ahead of time how the bill will be divided in order to prevent any disagreements.
   
5. If you are responsible for utilities, call the provider to be sure that any outstanding bills for the property will not rollover to you.

SECURITY DEPOSIT

1. The security deposit is typically the equivalent of one or two months rent.  
   
2. By law, the landlord must place your security deposit in an escrow account, (a separate account keeping your money safe for the length of the lease). In Pennsylvania, the landlord is not obliged to pay you interest at the end of the lease until you have rented for three years.  
   
3. By law, the landlord must return your security deposit or give a written list of the claimed damages within 30 days of the end of the lease. If he/she does not, the landlord loses the right to withhold any of the deposit. To protect this right, you, as the tenant, must give the landlord a forwarding address in writing.
4. To protect your security deposit make a careful inspection of the house or apartment as soon as you move in.  
   
5. Make a written list of EVERYTHING in less then “good” condition.
   
6. Look for stains, loose tiles/windows/door knobs, etc; turn on all lights and check all outlets; flush toilets and run the shower unit checking the pressure; turn on heating and air conditioning units; open and close all windows, check for torn screens; make sure all doors and windows lock and all keys fit in the locks.   
   
7. BE PICKY!  
   
8. Take pictures of the house/apartment when you move in. 
   
9. Date and sign the list.
10. Send the original to the landlord and keep a copy for your records.  
    
11. When you move out at the end of your lease, be sure to give the written notice required in the lease (usually 60 or 90 days before the end of the lease) and a forwarding address to the landlord in writing.

RENTER RELATIONS

As our disclaimer reads, Eastern University is not responsible for relations, bill collection, or contracts between landlords, renters, and roommates. However, we are always concerned about every aspect of our students' well-being, and our community relationships are also very important to us. If you are renting to an Eastern student and are having a negative experience, we would appreciate it if you would let us know. If you are an Eastern student and you are having a negative experience with your landlord, let us know too. While we do not screen the properties listed on our web site, we would like to be informed about negative experiences between landlords and our student renters. If you would like to make a confidential a report about any problem you may have, e-mail Bettie Ann Brigham.

RENTER'S INSURANCE

Renter's insurance, also known as tenant's insurance, protects your property from theft, vandalism, fire, and other hazards depending on the coverage. In most cases, your property is not covered by the lease or the property owner's insurance. Get more information from insurers. These are some companies that offer renter's insurance (but are not necessarily endorsed by the University).

All State Insurance
National Student Services, Inc.
State Farm Insurance

CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY

Most townships require that a certificate of occupancy be filed for any rental property. A certificate of occupancy certifies that a dwelling complies with all housing ordinances and may be occupied. IT IS THE LANDLORDS RESPONSIBILITY TO FILE THIS CERTIFICATE WITH THE TOWNSHIP. One month prior to moving in, check with your landlord or township to see if this has been filed. If it has not, you may not be able to move in.

IMPORTANT MESSAGE

MAKE SURE THAT YOU NOTIFY THE REGISTRAR’S OFFICE OF YOUR NEW LOCAL ADDRESS. This is very important because during the semester, the University may send pre-registration materials and other important student related information from the University to your local address. In order to update your local address, you can call the registrar’s office at (610) 341-5853 or by fax at (610) 341-1707. You can also write to

Office of the Registrar
Eastern University
1300 Eagle Road
St. Davids, PA 19087-3696

To ensure the security of your records, you are required to supply your student ID number. If you are concerned about access to your local address, you may ask the Registrar to tag the information as “confidential.”

As a commuting Eastern University student, Please Remember:

1. Commuting students should make sure that they purchase “renters insurance”. Your landlord does not insure your personal belongings. Renter’s insurance is reasonably priced and much less expensive than replacement of items lost or damaged. 
   
2. Commuting students MUST give the full address (local address - where they are living and commuting from) and their current phone number to the registrar's Office and keep it up to date. Commuters may not use Eastern University as their local address.  
   
3. As a commuter, you represent Eastern University in the community and neighborhood where you live. Eastern students who commute agree to uphold the local and community ordinances, laws of the state and country, and be good neighbors to those living around them. Eastern expects all students to respect the property and sensibilities of their neighbors at all times. Students are encouraged to get to know their neighbors and to act as helpful, responsible, and positive members of their community. 
   
4. Students who host, promote, or attend parties off campus where underage drinking, irresponsible drinking, illegal drug use, or violation of local laws and ordinances occurs place their enrollment at Eastern in jeopardy. 
   
5. Commuters who violate ordinances or laws off campus or who disrupt or disrespect their neighborhood community or property can expect to be held accountable by the University and put their enrollment at EU in jeopardy.
6. The Eastern University Student Handbook elaborates further on the expectations for Eastern University students. Every student is responsible to know and abide by these expectations.