New renters greeted with deposits
Deposits, deposits, de
posits. Finding a new home
means laying down deposits.
The phone company wants
one, the gas company wants
one and your new landlord may
want one or two. If you pay your
bills on time, the utilities will
give you your money back, but
landlords aren’t always so
generous.
Damage deposits are de
signed to keep the owner of a
rental from being stuck with
costly repairs that result from
the negligence or wild parties
of a tenant. Unfortunately, they
sometimes become mad
money for less-than-honest
owners who take advantage of
the transient nature of most ren
ters. But remember, it’s the
law that your deposit must be
returned to you if you don’t
damage the rental, and if you
plan ahead, you shouldn’t have
any trouble getting it back.
From the beginning, set up a
place where you can keep im
portant papers concerning
your home — rent and deposit
receipts, leases and contract
and letters between you and
the owner — they could be im
portant if you have to take any
action against your landlord
One of the first papers you
should put in your new-found
storage place is a check list of
the condition of the home on
the day you move into it. A very
thorough list can be picked up
at the ASUO’s Off-Campus
Housing Office, along with a
'‘model’’ residential rental ag
reement. Arrange a time to
meet your new landlord at the
house, and take a tour, check
ing things off the list. When you
move out, arrange another tour
and, with your list in hand,
there will be no doubt about
what you broke or what you
didn’t clean. Remember, you
can’t be charged for normal
wear and tear.
If your landlord doesn’t show
up for the final tour, make a list
of the damage you feel re
sponsible for and list the clean
ing you intend to do. Then ask
him to return what’s left of your
damage deposit to a listed ad
dress within 30 days after you
move out. If the money doesn’t
show, keep writing and calling
until it does, or until you get an
itemized list of why your de
posit was kept. If two months.
pass, and you stilt aren’t satis
fied, the off-campus housing
office suggests considering
small claims court.
Damages of up to $500 can
be recovered in small claims
court, and because no lawyers
are needed, it can be an inex
pensive way of getting your
money back.
But deposits aren't the only
interaction between renters
and owners. Each side is leg
ally required to meet certain
responsibilities and observe
certain rights. It’s a good idea
to investigate these rights and
know what you can require of
your landlord. Off-campus
housing has the information
you need in OSPIRG’s hand
book on landlord-tenant law, or
you can write the State Hous
ing Division, 308 State Library
Building, Salem, Oregon
97310.
The Off-Campus Housing
Office also has information on
rights and responsibilities such
as a tenant, inventory and con
dition reports, small claims
court regulations and rental re
fund requirements for the com
ing tax period.
Counseling on landlord
tenant problems and informa
tion on emergency housing is
also provided. The office will
refer desperate students to
generous Eugene residents
who will provide lodging for a
few days until a more perma
nent home can be found. The
University YMCA is also con
ducting a similar emergency
housing program.
Late start makes housing search difficult
At this time of year, when
Eugene is being flooded by
thousands of students looking for
housing, finding a place of your
own may be next to impossible.
But housing can be found, espe
cially with perseverance and help
from local and campus services.
For openers, check the ASUO
Off-Campus Housing Office in
Suite 3 of the EMU. Information is
provided on just about any kind of
housing in Eugene, along with
free rent referral and listings of
rent referral agencies. A pamphlet
published by the office warns that
houses and duplexes are the most
difficult types of housing to find.
One bedroom houses are scarce,
with rent averaging $120 to $175
per month. Larger houses are
more abundant, but still difficult to
find.
There are lots of apartments in
Eugene, and many are close to
campus. But those next to cam
pus normally have higher rental
rates than those in outlying areas.
Studio apartments run from $105
to $120 per month; one-bedroom
apartments, $100 to $160 per
month; two-bedrooms $150 to
$250 per month; and three
bedrooms, $200 and up. Re
member, many of these require
three, nine or twelve-month
leases, cleaning fees, security
deposits and do not allow children
or pets.
Quads are also abundant near
campus, but like houses and
apartments, most have been filled
by this time. A quad is a single
sleeping room built around a
kitchen which is shared by tenants
of three adjacent rooms. Many of
the quads are co-ed, with rent
ranging from $85 to $125 per
month during the school year
often with reduced summer rates.
A lease is usually required, but the
tenant can sell the lease if he or
she decides to move out.
After checking with Off-Campus
Housing, make sure local ac
quaintances know you are looking
for housing. Many houses change
hands without even being placed
for open bid. Landlords often ac
cept the recommendations of the
current tenants as to who should
replace them and it is important to
be plugged into that informal refer
ral network. Of course, if you’ve
only been in town for two days and
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don’t know a soul, there are other
roads to take.
The place to find real estate is in
a real estate office and most of
them are listed in the yellow
pages. Off-Campus Housing also
provides a handy list of some of
the rental agencies in Eugene. So
find a nice quiet telephone some
where and start dialing. It takes a
long time to go down the list, but it
may prove very worthwhile.
Make sure to leave your name
and where you can be reached
with each office. Owners lose
money when their buildings or
rooms are vacant, and if they have
your name and know you are look
ing for a place, they are likely to
give you a call when something
opens up.
Also check out the bulletin
boards in the bottom floor of the
EMU by the Off-Campus Housing
Office. Notices are put up by peo
ple looking for roommates in al
ready filled households.
But don’t forget the local media
in your housing search. Both the
Emerald and the Register-Guard
are likely prospects. The Emerald
runs Monday through Friday and
is the first paper to hit the stands in
Lane County. In the classified sec
tion, you can find listings of both
places for rent and people who
need roommates.
The Guard comes off the pres
ses sometime around one in the
afternoon, and anyone seriously
counting on finding housing
through this paper’s classifieds
should be at the office at 10th Av
enue and High Street to pick up
the paper as soon as it hits the
stands. Waiting until it’s delivered
will surely mean that someone will
answer the ad before you.
Finally, for desperate people
with a few extra bucks, there are
rental referral agencies. For a fee
of $10 to $30 these agencies give
you access to their list of available
rentals. The registration fee usu
ally covers a 30-day period and if
you don’t find a place by then, ask
for your money back. Studies
made in 1973 of the rental referral*
business revealed widespread
consumer abuse, and you should
check the agency's record before
paying the fee, and report any un
fair treatment to the real estate di
vision of the state government,
But a home without services is
like a, —well anyway, you have
to have services, and here’s at
least a partial list of where to find
them:
• Phone—Orders for phone
service can be called in to
343-8601, but it’s $5 cheaper if
you go to the phone company and
place your order in person. It usu
ally takes two business days to get
the phone put in and installation
charges for standard phone ser
vice start at $25. New customers
— people who haven’t been with
the phone company for at least
nine months — will probably be
asked for a $20 to $30 deposit.
That deposit can be waived if
you find a co-signer, or can pres
ent two major credit cards and
some identification with your pic
ture on it. If there is existing ser
vice in the place you are moving
into, talk to the people moving out.
If you can simply assume their
service, it can save you $15 to
$20.
•Gas—Like the phone cam
pany, Northwest Natural Gas is a
monopoly created and protected
by the free enterprise system. If
you need gas to heat your home
there isn’t any competition. So
give them a call at 342-3661 and
they’ll hook up your gas and turn
on your pilot lights for free. Most
new customers will be asked to
deposit $10 to $30 with the com
pany, and getting that deposit
waived is pretty hard unless
you’re buying the house you’re
moving into.
•Electricity and Water — The
Eugene Water and Electric Board
is one of the few public utilities in
Oregon. A call to 484-2411 and a
$5 service charge will put you in
touch with the juice and liquid. Un
less you’ve had trouble paying
EWEB bills before, there will be no
deposits.
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Can now 344-4226
for reservations
Rent me’ T-shirts
with rental
344-4226