Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (June 7, 2002)
Minutes of prevention can save dollars of deposit ■Some basic maintenance of apartments and residence halls can save students money By Bethany Larson for the Emerald For many college students, every penny counts. Security and cleaning deposits can often make or break a student’s budget. With some common sense, a few preventive steps and a lot of ongoing cleaning, students have a good chance of getting back all of their deposit. The level of required mainte nance depends upon the residence and the landlord. However, whether a student lives in an apart ment, a house or a residence hall, the same basic rule applies: Return it to its original condition. Moving in The first preventive step happens at the beginning of a lease. Most property managers have an inspec tion sheet for tenants to fill out when they move in. If a company does not provide a sheet, students should write their own and give a dated copy to the landlord. Photos taken before anything is moved in are also good records to have. Charges for damage to common areas are often divided between all tenants, so roommates play an im portant role when it comes to de posits. Kyle Gray, president of Emerald Property Management, said tenants should try to choose roommates with similar values of cleanliness and responsibility. During the lease Tenants can protect their deposits from charges with regular cleaning and general maintenance. Because some landlords may charge for re painting the walls, students should follow the contract rules about smoking and honor restrictions on pets. If pets are allowed, students should treat the residence for fleas before they move out. Tenants can avoid excessive cleaning charges by taking care of spills immediately. Also, keeping carpet stain remover on hand can be helpful. To avoid damage charges, tenants should notify man agement, without delay, of any plumbing and electrical problems. Preparing for inspection Cathy Engebretson, office manag er of Duck’s Village, recommends doing a final “deep” clean of the residence, starting about a month before the tenant moves out. “Do a couple rooms a week and really scrub it, and clean all those weird places you would never clean normally,” she said. A deep clean includes getting cobwebs off the ceiling, wiping off the light fixtures, vacuuming the furniture cushions, scrubbing the dirt on the walls and washing the mini-blinds. Tenants should also replace any burnt-out light bulbs and smoke detector batteries. Gray also said if tenants have ex cessive holes in the walls from pic tures, they should not attempt to cover them without authorization from management. In bedrooms and living rooms, having a clean carpet is an impor tant factor. Many apartment com plexes have vacuums that tenants can check out. Students should consult the property manager if they are considering steam-cleaning the carpet. The kitchen usually requires the most attention, and the oven tends to be the most problematic feature. Gray suggests spraying oven cleaner a day early so it can soak for a while before the oven walls are scrubbed. Junior Sunshine Clark recom mends cleaning the drip pans un der the stove burners. After deep cleaning, students will have less stress and more success with the inspection. Yard maintenance As with other areas of the proper ty, return the yard to its original condition. At the minimum, stu dents should mow the lawn within a day or two before they move. Se nior Maren Zieba suggests letting the grass grow longer between mowing. “It’s much more environmentally sound,” she said. Tenants should check the rent contract for any specific plant care requirements, such as trimming bushes. Residence halls Although students living in the residence halls do not pay a Turn to Deposit, page14B 014116 Serving UO students for over 20 years A ATTI storage center 689-9230 - HWY 99 at Gilbert Center 014252 WELCOME DUCKS! WE DAVE MANY PLACES AVAILABLE ON AND OFF CAMPUS. On Campus 1220 Zi E. 23rdAvenue.4 Bedroom 2420 Kincaid.3+Bedroom 2460 Kincaid.4 Bedroom 1464 Jefferson.3 Bedroom Other Areas 167 Lea Avenue (Santa Clara).3 Bedroom 173 Lea Avenue.3 Bedroom 161 Lea Avenue.3 Bedroom Howard 3727 Peppertree (Churchill).4 Bedroom For more information please give us a QUACK at 485-1864. COMMONS apaRTmenTS 90 CoMmoNs DRive 338-4000 <ju\ ApyrT/nam • CLubHOusE w/GaMe Room • FiTNess CEnTEr • AMPle REsiDEnT and VisiTor PATKinG • SwiMMinG Pool • LiGHtEd VoLLeyBaLL & BASKetBaLL COURtS • OuTdooR Gas GriLLS & BBQ IgjpaTCHinl :oure to Ca 2sTaRtR.nGMAt2s3lT5h www.universitycommons.com 4 BeorooM, 2 bAtH stArrmg aT $325
