Don't forget to c|ean 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 company a total of
over $300,000 for inadequate
cleaning.
"This is especially impor
tant for students to under
stand," she said. "If they owe
us money and we send them
to collections, 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
things like showers and stoves.
It gives descriptions such as
"clean under burners, do not
use oven cleaner, hot soapy wa
ter 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
Couple
« i
Some couples take the "'next step"
by moving in together
By Michelle Golden • Freelance Reporter
“W
tester's New World College Dictionary"
defines a cohabitant as a “person living to
gether with another or others.” Often, liv
ing together is seen as the “next step” for some couples.
Sophomore Malia Bennett
said living together with her
longtime boyfriend was hard
in the beginning.
"We were together all of the
time," she said. "It was a learn
ing experience that I value. We
learned from our mistakes. It is
important to have separate
lives as well as one together. *
Bennett and her boyfriend
took some time apart from
their living situation and
briefly separated.
"I think one of the reasons
we did break up is because we
were not living together," she
said. The influence by friends
is so intense, especially in these
developmental years."
Bennett added that the two
learned to communicate to
work out problems more
effectively.
That is one of the reasons
we are doing so well today,"
she said.
Not all have a positive
experience when they live with
a significant other.
Junior Emily Birkland said
her live-in experience had
some unpleasant effects on her
relationship as well as her life.
"Living together you really
get to know an individual,"
Birkland said. "In some ways it
really made me like my
boyfriend more, but adversely
at times I really felt as though I
did not have enough alone
time because we spent all of
our time together. *
Many couples fault a lack
of space as a main pitfall to
of a live-in relationship,
sometimes feeling the need
to suppress their feelings to
avoid an unmanageable situ
ation, which can be un
healthy for the relationship
and the individual.
"When I lived with my
boyfriend, I would try to avoid
a fight by bottling up my feel
ings, which eventually ended
with an even bigger unneces
sary dispute," Birkland said.
Birkland said because she
and her partner are no longer
living together, they have be
come closer and more recep
tive to each other's feelings.
"Because we spend less time
Leaving places in good condition can
help ensure tenants receive their
security deposits back
By Lindsay Burt • Freelance Reporter
ensure 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
down everything not
sufficiently cleaned to avoid
getting charged for it.
Theater arts major Katherine
Lewis said she was charged for
cigarette butts in the front yard
of her comer 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
cludes lawns and porches, and
both von Klein and Umbrella
Properties clearly 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
together, we are more eager to
see each other," she said.
In some cases, finances play
a significant role in the deci
sion to live with a partner.
"We both paid rent and had
our own separate places,
which cost a lot," Bennett said.
"It just didn't seem logical fi
nancially because we were
sleeping at each other's hous
es every night."
Despite potential difficul
ties, the number of unmarried
couples living together is in
creasing. The numbers have
risen steadily from 439,000 in
1960 to 5.5 million in 2000,
according to the U.S. Census
Bureau.
Michelle Golden is a freelance
reporter (dr the Emerald.
double check that the
inspector is marking
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.
SOUTH
MILS
VILLAGE
143 S. 15th St.
Springfield
746-9036
018980
Student Manor
Reserving For Fall
Low Summer Rates!!
Fail: 1 Bdrm $475, 2 Bdrm $595-615
Summer: 1 Bdrm $350, 2 Bdrm $385
Large, Clean, Quiet,
1 & 2 bedrooms,
Nicely Furnished, Laundry Room,
Water/Sewage/Garbage Paid,
1 Block from campus. No Pets.
1442 E. 18th Mgr. #20
call Chuck @ 344-4760
please call for appointment
019089
Two blocks from UO
Studio. 1.2. & 3 Bdrm Apartments
ly Swimming pool
y Free parking
y On site laundry
y Most with fireplace and dishwasher
y Summer leases available & thru fall
fy Great on site management!
Call about great
summer and fall rates!
484-9922
15th Olive
95 W. 15th Ave. • 484-5633
LOCATION, LOCATION!
• Studios & 1 Bedroom Lofts
• Complimentary Covered Parking
• Walking Distance to U of O,
Downtown, and New Library
• Secured Bike Storage
o • On-Site Laundry Care Centers
__Professionally Managed by
BENNETT MANAGEMENT COMPANY, LCC
Ready. Set. Dansko
Goes well with graduations and weddings
Houses For Rent
3 Bedroom
2650 Baker St. $1125
5 Bedroom
1697 Orchard St. $1200
2966 Alder St. $1675
2334 Augusta St. $1695
1135 E. 36th St. $1550
2685 Tandy Turn $ 1475
6 Bedroom
1431 W. Broadway $1525
310 E. 14th St. ‘B’ $2135
7 Bedroom
2552 Alder $2065
1247 Villard St
Questions: call 343-6000
www.campusrental.com