Don’t forget to clean house
Cleaning is usually a
thankless chore that peo
ple put off until the last
minute. This is especially true
for college students moving
out during hectic times.
However, cleaning an apart
ment well can make the differ
ence between losing hundreds
of dollars or walking away with
deposit money.
When renting an apartment
from property management
companies, it can be hard to
know their standards of clean
liness. It's even harder to re
member to clean every comer
in the midst of packing, mov
ing into a new place and coor
dinating with other deadlines.
Faye Caswell, vice president
of Umbrella Properties, said
the main thing to remember is
to leave the unit as clean as it
was upon moving in.
"Most people forget the lit
tle things, like moving the
stove out, or the refrigerator,
but keep in mind while you're
cleaning that you wouldn't
want to move into a place that
had grimy fingerprints all
over the walls or cover
plates," she said.
Caswell said last year
tenants owed the com
pany a total of over
$300,000 for inade
quate cleaning.
"This is espe
cially important
for students to
understand,"
she said. "If
they owe us
money and
we send
them to
collec
tions,
that can ad
versely affect their credit rat
ing. It's not a good way to try
to start out in life."
Like most companies, Um
brella Properties provides a
move-out checklist that in
cludes the cleaning fees it
charges. This list is provided
when the tenant gives notice,
allowing 30 days to ensure
proper cleaning.
Carmen von Klein, owner of
von Klein Property Manage
ment, said one problem is that
most people leave cleaning un
til the last day or two.
"My best advice to students
is to start cleaning two to three
weeks prior to move out," she
said. "And call your company
to see what their cleaning
guidelines are."
Von Klein's move-out check
list is so extensive that it even
provides suggestions for clean
ing products that work well on
9.
f Leaving places in good condition can
help ensure tenants receive their
security deposits back
By Lindsay Burt • Freelance Reporter
things like showers and
stoves. It gives descriptions
such as "clean under burners,
do not use oven cleaner, hot
soapy water and a scouring pad
work best."
Von Klein said the cleaning
fees are exactly what cleaning
companies charge them.
Schedule a walk-through be
fore turning in keys in to en
sure nothing is missed.
University graduate Randy
Stokes agreed.
"I got this advice out of an
OSPIRG handout and made
sure I did a walk-through at
the last place I moved out of,"
he said.
Stokes also said to
double check that the
inspector is marking
down everything not suffi
ciently cleaned to avoid get
ting charged for it.
Theater arts major Katherine
Lewis said she was charged for
cigarette butts in the front yard
of her corner house rented
through von Klein. Although
this isn't necessarily stated in
the guidelines for cleaning, it is
important to remember that
the tenant is responsible for
every part of the rental. This in
dudes lawns and porches, and
both von Klein and Umbrella
Properties dearly state that
these areas must be taken care
of as well as the inside of the
apartment or house.
Lewis said many college stu
dents are new to renting and
don't know their rights or re
sponsibilities as tenants.
"Read the tenant landlord
act so you know your rights,"
she said. "Also, save your re
ceipts for everything so you
and your landlord know that
you've paid rent in full and
paid it on time."
Von Klein said giving back
the full deposit to tenants also
simplifies things for them.
"We want to give back as
much as we can," she said. "It
saves time and money for us
too."
Lindsay Burt is a freelance
reporter for the Emerald.
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Large, Clean, Quiet,
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1442 E. 18th Mgr. #20
call Chuck @ 344-4760
please call for appointment
You're always close to campus.
-> www.dailyemerald.com
11 floor plans
to choose from.
Call ahead for
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Space is limited
Month to month
contracts available.
We offer:
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and 1, 2, &3 bedroom
town homes available
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with each unit
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« 24 hour emergency response
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| Kiver Area
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Special move-in incentives
available at this classy alternative.
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K 4*
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Broadway Place
APARTMENTS
253 West Broadway, Eugene
(541) 242-1077
Office open 6 days a week
www.broadwaypl.com
Managed by
LOR
n m
Management Service,
w. LLC