TENANT UNION

326 Illini Union(down the hall!)

A Program of the Office of the Dean of Students

A FREE Service!- Help finding an apartment-Landlord Complaint Records-Lease Reviews-Help with landlord issues

We will be talking about…

• How to start your search

• The Landlord Complaint Records

• What to look for in a Lease

• Roommates

• The Move-In

• Renters’ Insurance

• General Laws to Know

The Search – Where do I begin?

Set a budget

Rent + Utilities + Food + Housewares = $$$

(Refer to worksheet)

Rent Costs

Estimates

•Efficiency/1 bedroom: $400 - $700

•2 Bedroom: $600 - $1200

•3 Bedroom: $700 - $1500

•4 Bedroom: $900 - $2,200

Utilities

Estimates for 1 bedroom unit

*Electric heat is more expensive than gas heat!*

Gas: $50

Electric: $50

Water: $20

Garbage/Sewer: $15

Internet: $30

Cable: $50

Other things you will need

Food! $200/month

Campus Meal Plans available

Housewares

Where would you like to live?Close to campus & furnished?

– Start looking NOW– 3+ bedrooms go FAST!– Studios, 1 & 2 bedrooms are still available in

November & December

Further from campus?

Unfurnished?

Wait until Spring to search

ResourcesGoogle Maps

Crime Reports

https://www.crimereports.com/

City of Urbana

http://urbanaillinois.us/

City of Champaign

http://ci.champaign.il.us/

Start Your Search1. Start your search late fall for 1 – 2

bedroom units, NOW for 3+ bedrooms

2. Ask the Tenant Union for housing choices from landlords with few or no complaints

3. Check the issues other students have had in The Landlord Complaint Record!

4. Ask to view an apartment.

If you like the apartment you are shown, ask “If we sign the lease, would it be for THIS apartment?”

If the answer is “no,” ask to be shown the exact apartment for which you would sign

*Use the Apartment Hunting Checklist on page 3*

5. Ask for a copy of the lease. Bring it in!

Note: Discrimination is against the law! Race, Student Status, Ancestry…

Check The Landlord Complaint Records

Landlord complaint records tell which landlords do not take care of problems like mold, roof leaks or roaches

Read what other students have experienced!

This apartment looked great when the tenants signed the lease…

• But when they moved in 9 months later, this is what the ceiling looked like

• The landlord had complaints on record about ignoring roof leaks, but the students ignored the complaints

Signing a Lease

• LEASE: a LEGAL contract you sign

• When you sign a lease, you are held to the conditions stated on the document

Ask for a copy of the lease

• If you like an apartment you’ve been shown, ask for a copy of the lease to take home and look over. Then read it.

• Bring the lease to the Tenant Union so we can discuss it with you and point out any problems

About Leases• Once you sign a lease, you cannot cancel

or “break” the lease, even if the apartment is dirty or has many repair needs or if you leave school before the lease ends

• DO NOT PUT DOWN MONEY until you sign the lease

• Get all promises IN WRITING

• Check how many people can live in the apartment or visit for a long time.

You cannot:

• Sublet your apartment

• Keep any type of pet (even fish)

• Let anyone live in the apartment who has not signed the lease

• Do anything else that is prohibited in the lease. . .

Without the landlord’s PRIOR WRITTEN CONSENT

Roommates

Would you get married to your roommate?

* If they don’t pay rent, you could be held liable.

By-the-Bedroom Contracts

• These contracts are not joint and several– If your roommate drops out, you are not held

responsible.

…but that doesn’t mean there aren’t potential problems.– You could be a roommate with someone you

don’t like or someone who isn’t a student– Usually, there is a big fee to move to another

apartment

NOTE:

• The only University-affiliated apartments are leased by the University of Illinois Housing Division: – Ashton Woods– Orchard Downs– Goodwin-Green Apartments

Deposits

• DEPOSIT: an amount of money given to a landlord to HOLD until the end of the lease.– They can take out for damages, cleaning, rent

owed, and others– They CAN NOT withhold for normal wear and

tear (e.g. replacing a 20 year old carpet)

The Move-In Report• On move-in day, write down EVERYTHING that

is not 100% perfect

• Give the landlord a copy of the report within the first 2 – 3 days after you move

• Get a Copy!

• Take Pictures!

Buy Renter’s Insurance

For only about $130/year, you get…•Hotel stay if fire forces you from your home

•Replace personal or stolen property

Laws to know

Landlord Entering your apartment

•In Urbana, the landlord must give you 24 hours notice before entering

•In Champaign, it is “reasonable notice”

More Laws to KnowSecurity

•Both cities: Your entrance door must have a deadbolt

•Health & Safety must be maintained (no mold, chipped paint, no leaks, etc.)

A FREE Service!- Help finding an apartment-Landlord Complaint Records-Lease Reviews-Help with landlord issues

Tenant Union provides FREE help

CONTACT US!

326 Illini Union

www.TenantUnion.illinois.edu

Tenant Union is a program of the Office of the Dean of Students

Other Renter Information

• Parking

• Public Transportation

• Trash/Recycling

• Library services

• Postal services

• Events

Parking• Parking Permits

– University of Illinois – Rates very depending on location– Purchase Permits through cities of Champaign and Urbana

• Parking Meters– If a spot doesn’t have a meter that doesn’t mean it’s free!– Located throughout University, Champaign and Urbana for various

prices per hour– CashKey - $19.50 new, $10 used, replenishments made in person

• Disabled/Handicapped Parking – MUST display placard– Issued by Illinois Secretary of State or the City of Urbana Finance

Department

• More information on rates, locations, etc.– University: http://www.parking.illinois.edu/– Urbana: http://urbanaillinois.us/parking– Champaign: http://ci.champaign.il.us/departments/public-works/parking-

programs/

Public Transportation • Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District (MTD)

– Transportation fee provides unlimited CUMTD use with iCard, – Don’t have an iCard?

• $1 one-way fee, $2 all day pass for Saturday or Sunday – Goes to various locations Champaign, Urbana, and Savoy – Shuttle service provided by MTD

• Located in parking lot E-14 west of Assembly Hall, $127/yr• Shuttle buses run throughout campus

• Zipcar– 24 hour access and parked on campus – Reserve a car online or by phone for a few hours or the entire day– UIUC discount– Students aged 18-20 can use cars dedicated and stationed on the UIUC

campus• Amtrak

– Passenger trains go to other cities and states in the U.S. – Located at Illinois terminal in Champaign

Public Transportation • Bicycle Transportation

– Register your bike • University of Illinois Parking Department - http://www.parking.illinois.edu/index.htm

– Champaign Fire Department• CFD numbered decal; easier to retrieve information if bike is lost or stolen

– Bike routes• Installed on main city streets; lanes may be on street or separated from road • Champaign Park District trails , Champaign, UIUC, Savoy, and Urbana bike

routes all tie together – MTD Buses and some Amtrak trains have bicycle carriers– Things to remember when riding:

• Illegal to ride bike in central business district of Champaign or Urbana – $100 fine for biking on sidewalks in downtown Urbana

• Bikes must follow the same rules of the road as cars!!

• For more information:– Champaign: http://ci.champaign.il.us/about-champaign/transportation/– Urbana: http://urbanaillinois.us/visitors/getting-around

Trash/Recycling• Trash

– Check your lease for garbage collection information– Burning of Garbage or leaves is prohibited– Yard Waste collection for each season– List of private garbage haulers provided

• Champaign: http://ci.champaign.il.us/departments/public-works/residents/utility-service/

• Urbana: http://urbanaillinois.us/GarbageHaulers

• Recycle– Do NOT recycle:

• Garbage bags, Styrofoam, ceramics/mirrors, light bulbs, plastic cutlery, electronics, batteries, etc.

– Urbana Residents - $2.50/month recycling tax• Check your lease! Landlord cannot charge recycling tax unless it is stated in

the lease agreement– More information:

• Champaign: http://ci.champaign.il.us/departments/public-works/residents/recycling/

• Urbana: http://urbanaillinois.us/U-cycle• Feedthething.org

Libraries On-Campus

• Over 50 libraries on campus!– UGL, Grainger, ACES

– Major-specific libraries

– You can request materials and have them transferred to your library of choice (library.illinois.edu)

– I-Share Network

Champaign Public Library• 200 W. Green Street • champaign.org

Urbana Free Library• 210 W. Green Street

• urbanafreelibrary.org

Both are very accessible by bus!

Libraries Off-Campus

• Students can apply for a FREE library card in the city they reside in– Bring a driver’s license and proof of address

• Cards can be used at both libraries but must be obtained from your city to avoid paying a fee

Postal Service• USPS Campus Locations

– Altgeld Hall (1409 W Green St)– 302 E Green St

• City locations– 202 S Broadway Ave, Urbana, IL 61801– 600 N Neil St, Champaign, IL 61820

• Services offered for a fee– Change of Address– Mail Forwarding– Hold Mail– P.O. Box (Green St. location)

• Pricing ranges from $22-380 depending on size of box and length of time in use

– Visit USPS.com for more information on services and fees

Campus/Community Events• Events are advertised everywhere!

– CUMTD buses and stops– Around campus – Illini Union, academic buildings, etc.– Local businesses – Facebook/Twitter

• Popular Calendars found online– Krannert Center:

http://www.krannertcenter.com/makeplans/calendar.aspx– Assembly Hall: http://www.uofiassemblyhall.com/calendar.aspx– Fighting Illini Sports: http://www.fightingillini.com/calendar/events/– City of Champaign: http://ci.champaign.il.us/about-champaign/events/– City of Urbana: http://urbanaillinois.us/posts/events-activities

• “The Connection” (CCSS Newsletter)– Lists more local calendars: http://odos/ccss/programming/connection.asp

Campus and Community Student Services300 Student Services Bldg

(NE Corner of 6th St and John)

Campus and Community Student Services

@CCSSuiuc

http://odos.illinois.edu/ccss/