Parent Newsletter from Ohio University

For many Ohio students, signing a lease to live off-campus for their junior year of college is their first exposure to a legally binding contract. Unfortunately, the emotion and excitement of living alone or with friends for the first time, getting the best location, and the thrill of independence sometimes stands in the way of making sound decisions. Helping your student have the best off-campus living experience possible starts before your student ever signs a lease.

1) Avoid the rush. There is a belief among students that if they don't sign a lease in September or October, they will find themselves shut out of off-campus living the next year.   This is simply not true. There is plenty of rental inventory in Athens. Choosing where to live and with whom nearly a year before the lease commences often leads to disappointment and unexpected liability for students and their families. Waiting until Winter or Spring Quarter to select roommates and choosing a housing option places the student in a much better position to make good choices that are more in line with his or her goals for the next academic year.

2) Find out about the property before you sign the lease. Looking at the apartment and asking the Landlord questions about the property is a good start. Beyond that, students should talk to the current tenants and find out about their experience with the landlord and the property. Students can also contact the City of Athens Office of Code Enforcement to find out about outstanding code violations on that property. Finally, students can log-in and find out what other students are saying about their potential Landlord at the Pick-A-Property website at https://pickaprop.admsrv.ohio.edu/.

3) Read and understand the lease terms.   Although it seems obvious, many students enter into lease agreements without fully understanding what it is that they are signing. Sometimes they rely on the Landlord's explanation of what the lease says or they simply trust that there won't be any problems. Going over the lease carefully, seeking explanation for terms or conditions that are unclear and making certain that all of the Landlord's promises are in writing, will go a long way to ensure that your student isn't surprised by any of the conditions of the lease. When reviewing the lease, verify that the address listed on the lease is the address of the apartment that your student viewed, including the unit number. If rent is listed at the monthly or quarterly rate with an entire sum for the year, make certain that these figures add up properly. Take careful note of when and where the rent is to be paid, any late fees that may be assessed, how utilities are being handled, and the Landlord's position on pets.

4) Joint and several liability. When your student signs a lease with other tenants, it is most likely that these tenants share this lease under joint and several liability.   This means that each tenant can be held individually liable for the liability arising out of the lease. In other words, your son or daughter is not just responsible for his or her portion of the rent each month. If any number of the tenants fails to pay rent or causes damage to the rental unit, your student could be held liable. Likewise, if you have signed the lease as a co-signor, you could be held liable. Students should understand this when choosing roommates and choose them carefully. In addition, entering into roommate contracts to document and detail the arrangements among co-tenants can protect students if problems arise in the future. These contracts can contain information about how much each tenant is paying in rent, how the rent will be paid, how utilities will be divided, and even how household chores and groceries will be shared. Discussing these matters with roommates in advance and committing the arrangement to an agreement signed by all parties can be valuable.

5) Keep careful documentation. You should encourage your student to start a file pertaining to that rental unit to keep any and all documents pertaining to that lease experience. Included in that file should be a copy of the lease agreement that has been signed by all parties and receipts for security deposits, and rent payments. In addition, students should thoroughly record the condition of the property at the time they take possession of it. Taking video or photographs of the apartment at the time of move in will document the condition of the apartment so that the student will have evidence of the apartment's condition at the time of move out. In addition to recording the condition, the student should make written requests for any repairs that are needed and keep a copy of that written request for their records. At the time of move out, your student should carefully record the condition of the apartment again by filling out an inspection sheet and video-taping or photographing the entire rental unit.

The Center for Student Legal Services is available to assist your student with all of their concerns related to leasing, including lease review, maintenance issues, and securing the return of their security deposit. If your student has paid the $8 fee and is eligible for Legal Services, encourage him or her to make an appointment to review the lease agreement before it is signed. Your student can contact the Center for Student Legal Services at 740-594-8093 or visit us at our website at www.studentlegalrights.org.