Students look for summer renters

By MICHELE DIGIACINTO
Collegian Staff Writer

As many students living off campus begin the annual hunt for someone to take over their share of the rent, more and more subletting signs are appearing around campus.

Colleen Henderson (junior-chemical engineering) pinned her signs on HUB bulletin boards about a week ago and has only received one call. She said her biggest concern about subletting her apartment is simply finding someone. While co-oping one semester, she said she was stuck paying the rent and does not want to do that again.

"Even paying half is better than paying it all," she said.

Rodney Landis (senior-chemical engineering), on the other hand, will not be hanging up any signs this year. For him, subletting once was enough.

After subletting his apartment to a friend last summer, Landis came back to an unexpected scene.

He said he found his apartment with mold and dirt in the bathroom, insects in the kitchen, trash under the counters, dirty dishes in the sink and broken blinds.

"I don't think she took the trash out all summer," he said about the subletter who lived by herself in his apartment.

And because the lease was in Landis' name, he was charged for the damages and the cleaning.

"I'm never subletting again unless someone else is here," he said.

Forest Wortham, assistant director student life and off-campus living, said subletting an apartment is a business deal that the students involved should should take seriously.

Wortham said the first thing students hoping to sublet should do is meet with their landlords. He said it is important to discuss the subletting policies because each realty agency has its own terms.

One of the terms shared by many agencies is a subletting fee, which can range from $25 to half a month's rent, he said.

But Laurie Row, property manager for Falk Realty, 532 E. College Ave., said the agency does not charge a subletting fee. Instead, she said, they have the prospective subletter fill out an application that the agency must approve. Also required is a signed, written agreement between both parties outlining each person's responsibility, Row said.

"I like to have everything clear so there are no questions, and to make sure everyone is protected. That's the important thing," she said.

Wortham said in many agencies, the landlord has the final decision on who sublets an apartment. The landlords' decisions can be based on whether they think the subletter will be able to meet the payments.

"That is the only thing they should base it on," he said.

Wortham also suggested that students subletting their apartments write an agreement to protect themselves legally in case the place is destroyed. The Office of Off-Campus Living has agreements already drafted by the student attorney for students to use, Wortham said.

Landis could have prevented some of the problems he had with the subletter if they would have written up an agreement. Wortham said some students even charge a security deposit from the subletter for themselves.

Lisa Comunale (junior-communication disorders) said she is nervous about subletting her apartment for the summer because of all that is involved.

"I'm not sure what to expect," she said, adding that she is just going along with her roommates who are also subletting.

But for those students whose roommates will be staying with the new tenant, Wortham said they should have some input into the selection.

Brent Leatherman (senior-agricultural engineering) said he will include his two roommates in deciding who will take his place in the apartment.

"It will be uncomfortable for them to live with someone they don't know," he said. He will have both of them meet the person before he tells the prospective subletter they can move in.

However, students looking for a subletter do not have to have their roommate's approval, Wortham said.

But as Bryan Koontz (senior-mechanical engineering) found out, students can never be too careful, even if the subletter appears responsible.

Last year Koontz said he subletted his apartment to a married couple who scratched the walls with all the furniture they tried to pack in.

"They seemed really nice," he said.

As for the students looking to sublet from someone, Wortham suggested they make arrangements with the landlord to pay them directly instead of paying the person they sublet from.

But he said some realty agencies want to be paid by one check --even when the subletter is not paying the full amount.

"That is where the problem is," he said.

Row said her agency insists on one check per month from all parties. She added that most of the people in their apartments seem to be able to get the full amount from the subletter.

Other agencies eliminate some of the headaches by not allowing students to sublet at all.

Linda Verbeck, property manager of the Apartment Store, 444 E. College Ave., said although subletting is not permitted, they do allow the "re-rental" of a unit for the remainder of the lease.

The difference is that the original party is not responsible once the apartment is turned over to the new tenant, Verbeck said. With subletting, the original party is held responsible for the subletter's actions.

"It's a safer way of doing it," Verbeck said.

For the students who do not have the option of "re-renting" and must sublet, Wortham has some suggestions before turning over the apartment.

First, change the name on the telephone, electric bills and on the mailbox. Also, document the condition of the apartment either by videotaping it or having the landlord check it. And at the end of the summer, the original tenant should go back to the apartment a few days before the lease is up to make sure it is being cleaned.

"It sounds like a lot of work," he said, "but you have to cover yourself."