Renter’s Advice and Resources

You mean that lovely orange sticker on your door isn’t a friendly note from your landlord? Read closer… it’s an eviction notice. You may think that things like this only happen to rowdy college students, but think again, because it can happen to you. The best protection from this harsh punishment is reading your lease completely – especially that fine print. Leases are riddled with all kinds of rules and regulations as well as consequences, so knowing where you stand from the beginning will prevent you from being kicked out into the cold. It’s also helpful to understand the eviction process so if you are served with an eviction notice, you’ll know how to proceed, and what your rights are. Here are a few things to keep in mind about the eviction process.

Federal Certificate of Real Awesomeness? Five Clearly Ridiculous Awards? Fun Cleaning Random Ashtrays? What is the FCRA, anyway, and how does it affect you as an apartment resident? This article demystifies the acronym of the Fair Credit Reporting Act, explaining how it protects you as a tenant.

An apartment fire: whether it happens when you’re away or whether you have to flee a burning building, the loss of your home is a traumatizing event. If you didn’t previously have renter’s insurance, the event will likely motivate you to learn more or even take out a policy. If you did have renter’s insurance, this article will let you know the steps you need to take following an unexpected disaster like a fire.

With housing prices rising steadily, the economy on the upswing and real estate developers (the people who build new apartment complexes) are re-grouping and looking for new projects, rents will likely rise in 2006. But alas, there are some parts of the country where renters will enjoy the benefits of high vacancy rates, move-in specials, and low rents.

Ok, maybe your roommate really didn’t eat those chocolate chip cookies you had been craving all day. The small bites in the box could suggest another culprit: mice. You mean those weren’t raisins on the floor the other day? Mice infestation can be a huge problem. Since mice reproduce five to ten times a year, with five or six in each litter, two mice can quickly turn into hundreds. So, if you don’t like the idea of things running across your feet when you get up to go to the bathroom at 2 am, here are some tips for getting rid of mice.

Carbon monoxide, or the “silent killer,” is a colorless, tasteless, mostly odorless, and poisonous gas that results from the incomplete oxidation of oxygen in combustion, often due to insufficient supply of oxygen for burning. Improperly ventilated or leaking appliances that burn fuel can be sources of carbon monoxide gas, as can older or heavily used appliances that no longer burn fuel properly.

You’ve found the perfect apartment, but just as your pen touches the lease, you remember to ask: “Pets are allowed here, right?” Who would mind Princess Fluffkin, the cat you’ve had since 8 th grade? Many apartments aren’t pet friendly, and if there’s a special furry creature – besides your excessively hairy boyfriend – in your life, it might be wise to ask this question up front before falling in love with the resort style pool. Pets can be extremely destructive, and even though Princess Fluffkin may have the manners of a noble, pet fees will most likely force you to switch to store bought cat food – don’t worry, she’ll understand. Here are some good tips for pet owners when searching for a new apartment.

Ah, college dormitories—havens of hedonism, homework help (and distractions), and the inevitable hellish noises. Campus-area apartments for college students are filled with people you don’t know and who don’t want to know you, far enough from campus to discourage class attendance, and not guaranteed to be much quieter or cleaner than a dormitory. So which should you pick as a college student? Let’s explore in detail some drawbacks and benefits of both options.

Imagine: you come home to your apartment after a hard day’s work, ready to kick off your shoes and relax with a beer (or your beverage of choice) and put your feet up on the coffee table. But wait–what’s this? As your turning your key you notice that the door wasn’t locked. Weird–you must have just forgotten to lock it on the way out. You kick off those shoes, drop your briefcase, and head for the fridge. On your way there you notice that half the linoleum tiles are missing from your kitchen floor. Tools and linoleum dust are scattered around your kitchen counter, and your cat is interestedly licking the linoleum dust. "Get out of that!" you yell. The cat obediently jumps off the counter and trots away. You wonder if maintenance is still somewhere in the apartment. That would explain the unlocked door. "Ummm, hellooo?" you call several times, wandering around your apartment and peeping into various rooms for evidence of someone responsible for the destruction in your kitchen (maybe the cat did it–not likely, though). You feel like an intruder on your own home. After determining that no one is in the apartment with you, you look for a notice of entry from maintenance but there is nothing to be found. You call the apartment management and leave a message about the situation. Bewildered, you decide to sweep up the dust and move on with your life.