Making informed decisions

Local landlords and the Office of Off-Campus Living advise students to do their homework before signing rental leases. Although University residential initiatives seem focused on encouraging more students to live on campus, University administrators said they must take the needs of off-campus residents seriously. "We have at least three [classes] of undergraduates who have the potential to live in West Philadelphia," said Carol Scheman, vice president for government and community affairs. "The question becomes how to make sure that they are not living in sub-standard housing." To that end, Scheman said she and the Office of City and Commonwealth Relations have involved themselves in off-campus living issues in order to "make demands on landlords in a friendly way and increase expectations of landlords." All properties known to house students were inspected this summer by the Philadelphia Department of Licensing and Inspections for safety or fire code violations. And while almost all were found to have complied with the regulations, Scheman noted that "things can fall out of compliance pretty quickly." While Scheman said several weeks ago she would "establish full expectations" that landlords enroll in a lighting improvement plan, University officials have been focusing their efforts on trash collection. Assistant Director for City and Commonwealth Relations Sid Holmes said for the past semester, his office has worked with students and landlords facing problems meeting city trash disposal requirements. Holmes cited the 3900 block of Baltimore Avenue -- where landlords moved sidewalk trash cans behind houses -- as an example of improvements. Homeless people had often rummaged through the cans, spreading trash on the sidewalk in the process, he said. Although Scheman and Holmes handle the "broader issues" of off-campus living, students should bring specific questions to the Office of Off-Campus Living, said OCL Assistant Director Mihaela Farcas. Farcas encourages students to visit OCL when they begin looking for an apartment, preferably before they have problems. "We try to be pro-active and explain to students what they should write into leases," she said. Farcas said students should know their rights as tenants, adding that OCL can provide information on lease requirements and legal questions. Local landlords also encouraged students to be careful consumers. "With this type of business, when a tenant signs a lease they have to be sure this is the place they want to spend nine months," said Demetri Melekos, a manager for Peachtree Properties. "If it doesn't feel right, don't do it. "Buyer beware, and if it sounds to good to be true -- it is," he added. "There are no bargains -- you get what you pay for." Before signing a lease, tenants should attach a list of necessary repairs, according to Realty World owner and broker Alex Chamberlain. "When I was a college student renting apartments I got used to two items happening to landlords after I signed my lease," Chamberlain said. "Either instant amnesia set in, or their memory became shorter as time went on." While he admitted to sometimes forgetting what he promised to fix, Chamberlain said if tenants are honest and put requests for repairs into the lease, they will be completed. Melekos advised students to make sure their lease is written in "plain language" and that all of their questions are answered, adding that Pennsylvania law requires leases to be written in a comprehensible manner. He also suggested students ask for a security deposit agreement that outlines what repairs will be done prior to move-in. Chamberlain said tenants do have a legal recourse available to them if significant repairs are overlooked. The student must begin the process by requesting the repair, he said. That request must be followed by a letter -- hand-delivered or sent by certified mail with a return receipt -- indicating that the repairs had been requested and setting a reasonable deadline by which the request must be addressed. If the repairs are not handled by that date, the tenant can transfer their rent money into a bank account to pay for the repairs if the landlord does not. If the landlord refuses to complete the repairs after having been shown proof that the account was set up, the students may use the money to pay for the repairs themselves. Chamberlain emphasized the need for proper legal counsel before undertaking such measures, though. Any damage found in the apartment during move-in should be documented to ensure students are not fined for causing the problem, he said. But if face-to face negotiations fail to resolve the difficulties, University City Housing Manager Bill Groves encouraged students to bring their problems to OCL. "They tend to get things done quickly because they are not confrontational," he said.

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