2 | The Lantern | Thursday, November 4, 2021
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Knowing the law: What
community laws say about fire pits, porch couches and more MACKENZIE SHANKLIN | PHOTO EDITOR
Students moving to an off-campus house should be aware of the city codes that indoor furniture outside, grills, firepits and trash being too close to a building can lead to citations.
PAIGE CIRTWILL Senior Lantern reporter cirtwill.1@osu.edu For students who live off campus, be careful: Incorrect disposal of trash, furniture outside and grilling too close to a building can lead to trouble. Moving from a dorm to an off-campus house or apartment comes with more responsibilities for tenants. It’s important to be aware of city codes regarding housing and know tenant rights, Frank Kremer, staff attorney with Student Legal Services, said. “Things like indoor furniture outside, grills or other fire hazards that are too close to a house or apartment building, litter in
the yard, things like that,” Kremer said. “Those can be things that the tenant gets cited for because the tenant had control over it.” Landlords are required under Ohio Law to make sure rental properties are safe and habitable for tenants, Melissa Lenz, staff attorney with the Legal Aid Society of Columbus, said. “Generally, landlords have a duty under Ohio law to make sure that the rental home is safe and habitable,” Lenz said. According to Columbus’ Code of Ordinances, upholstered furniture such as couches, armchairs and mattresses cannot be kept outside on porches or balconies unless the area is fully enclosed. The city
banned porch couches in 2005, arguing they were a fire hazard and attractive targets for rioters to set on fire. Fire pits must be at least 10 feet from houses while in use and cannot be used on days when an Air Quality Alert has been issued, according to the Ohio Fire Code. Similarly, grills must be used at least 10 feet away from buildings housing more than two families. Trash must be disposed of in the wheeled containers provided to houses and duplexes by the city or in dumpsters, according to the city of Columbus website. Both types of receptacle are emptied once a week, and residents can find their trash pickup day by searching it on the city of Columbus
website. On their scheduled pickup day, residents with a personal container must put the container near the side of the road by 6 a.m., according to the city of Columbus website. Trash collectors will not collect trash that is piled around the container — it must be inside. Failure to keep properties trash-free can result in a citation.
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4 | The Lantern | Thursday, November 4, 2021
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BECCA DUNCAN Lantern reporter duncan.1282@osu.edu
Landlords, leases and lighting, oh my! Apartment features to consider in search
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Everyone always says location is key, but there are other important factors students should consider when apartment hunting. As students search for their off-campus housing, there are many safety concerns they need to be aware of when touring units and considering where they want to live, Molly Hegarty, managing director for Student Legal Services, said. “Do your research,” Hegarty said. “Landlords are business people, and you want to be an educated consumer.” The first thing students should do is make sure they see the actual place they will live before renting, Hegarty said. “Some of the larger complexes may have a model apartment,” Hegarty said. “If possible, we really want the students to see the place that they’re actually going to rent because they can differ quite a bit from a model apartment.” LANDLORDS CONTINUES ON 5
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Before students decide to sign a lease, they should consider a few concerns when looking at places to live, including safety, location and condition of the unit. LANDLORDS FROM 4
After students know what unit they are looking at, Hegarty said they should check the location of the apartment and consider the commute to and from the place. Even if the location is great, Hegarty said students should take a friend with them to look at the conditions around the unit and consider safety after dark. “If it’s a freestanding house or a duplex or something like that, do you enter from the alley, or do you enter from the road? Is your entrance adequately lit?” Hegarty said. Kyle Huffman, graduate associate for Off-Campus and Commuter Student Engagement, said adequate path lighting is important to consider when looking at apartments.
Hegarty said it is also important for students to tour inside the apartment because it can reveal the true condition of the unit. “If you’re seeing things like insulation coming out in the basement or there’s hanging or loose wires around, those are both fire hazards,” Hegarty said. “If that’s what they’re showing you when they’re actually letting you tour the property, that should be a red flag to students.” Huffman said signs of existing damage can also indicate other issues. “If you have water damage, you are probably likely to have other issues in your unit as well, like mold,” Huffman said. Students should make sure all windows can open and close and have working locks,
especially in older buildings, Hegarty said. Additionally, Hegarty said she is wary of bedrooms in basements and attics. Students should ensure that windows are accessible in those spaces in case of a fire. Hegarty said even after the apartment itself passes inspection, there are still issues students need to watch out for in their lease. In particular, she said some landlords will say all damages to the property, while it is being leased, are the responsibility of the tenant, but this is not always the case. “You can’t be liable for the acts of a third party,” Hegarty said. “If somebody breaks into the place while you’re living there, and let’s say they break the window, the landlord can’t charge the tenant to replace
the window. That’s unenforceable.” Huffman said there are many parts of the lease that are important to consider before signing, such as the stipulations the landlord includes and, for students, the idea of living independently. Hegarty said students should not feel discouraged while searching for an apartment because they have many resources at their disposal. “Please do not feel like just because you’re a student that you have to live in deplorable conditions or that you have to put up with behavior or treatment from people that is not respectful or, quite frankly, are not following the law,” Hegarty said.
6 | The Lantern | Thursday, November 4, 2021
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Tips for a successful house search in Ohio State’s off-campus neighborhood ARIANNA SMITH Lantern reporter smith.14268@osu.edu
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After hitting third-year status at Ohio State, some students can feel overwhlemed and excited when it comes to moving off campus into a house or an apartment.
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Upon gaining third-year status at Ohio State, many students choose to ditch the dorms and pick up a pair of keys to a new apartment or house. Moving into an apartment or house for the first time can be exciting, but also scary and anxiety-inducing. Students must navigate these feelings while keeping up with the daily workload of school. Rachel DeMooy, program manager of Off-Campus and Commuter Student Engagement, said students can look at their website for an off-campus living guide. Students can also access reviews of many properties listed on Ohio State’s housing search. Emma Adams, a third year HOUSE SEARCH CONTINUES ON 7
STUDENT LIVING JUST GOT UPGRADED
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in molecular genetics, said she felt unprepared and overwhelmed when searching for off-campus housing, having had little information on the process. “College is definitely a transition kind of time in life, and moving here is kind of seeing what being an independent adult is like,” Adams said. Morgan Hess, a third-year in nursing, said she was nervous to move into her apartment off campus because of safety concerns. She said she felt more safe on campus because of better lighting and security measures, in comparison to off campus. Adams said she valued her safety and wanted a house closer to campus — but that would be more expensive. “We’re looking for that happy medium of, you know, we would feel safe, but also affordable,” Adams said. DeMooy said students should do their research and can use CrimeMapping to look at local crime history. They can use filters to directly search the area they’re interested in. “If you can, talk with current tenants and
ask about their experience,” DeMooy said. “Visit the property during the day and at night to ensure that you’re comfortable in that area.” DeMooy said students should be proactive and take advantage of free resources through the university such as safety timers and window or door alarms. Students should prepare a budget ahead of time when looking for off-campus housing, DeMooy said. They can download a monthly budget plan from the university’s Smooth Move website. DeMooy said all students can meet with Ohio State’s Scarlet and Gray Financial coaches for help with budgeting. She said the average rent for off-campus houses is between $600 and $700 a month, plus an additional $100 for utilities. Both Hess and Adams said they have more responsibilities living off campus than in the dorms because there are more tasks to complete. Hess said she and her roommate had to distribute chores and other tasks evenly. “My roommate and I were just like, ‘Okay, who wants to take charge when
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getting certain furniture, or who is going to take out the trash, who is going to want to do the dishes?’ ” Hess said. DeMooy said she recommends students with four or more roommates live in a house and students with fewer roommates live in an apartment. Students should keep in mind that houses and apartments carry different maintenance responsibilities. “It might be in your lease that you have to mow the lawn or take care of different things around the house versus an apartment. Most of the time, companies will kind of take care of those extra responsibilities,” DeMooy said.
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How students can prepare, reduce costs in off-campus housing transition GABE BURGGRAF Design Editor burggraf.34@osu.edu Fall semester is creeping to a close, and as spring semester inches near, students may be tasked with identifying and evaluating off-campus housing for the first time. Pinpointing a place that checks all the boxes and transitioning from on-campus to off-campus living may be challenging for students new to the financial world, Ben Raines, program coordinator for financial education at the Student Life Student Wellness Center, said. Raines said fixed expenses — which are consistently paid monthly, like rent — are a good place for students to start calculating a budget. Raines said students can reduce unnecessary spending by being conscientious about what they spend on rent. “Be strategic in realizing that you
don’t have to live in necessarily the newest and shiniest apartment,” Raines said. “Columbus is a big place and there are plenty of places to live that are more affordable. Rent can cost a lot less.” The Office of Student Life’s OffCampus and Commuter Student Engagement department offers a housing search portal including properties in the University District and beyond, university spokesperson Dave Isaacs said. Isaacs said the portal can keep students from feeling overwhelmed when finding a place and help narrow their search. “If you know the price range you want to go with, you can use that as one of the search functions,” Isaacs said. “You can also use location or any number of other things that can help you with that search so that you know what’s available, where it’s available and a little bit more about each property.” Living off campus introduces additional expenses that are separate from rent, unlike
Ohio State’s residence hall housing costs that include both food and board, Raines said. “When you live on campus, you write essentially two big checks to the university a year and that covers your living expenses,” Raines said. “[Living off campus] turns two large expenses into an ongoing expense that you might buy groceries weekly. You’re going to have to pay monthly bills like rent and cable and utilities.” Isaacs said when considering expenses, students should bear in mind those costs previously covered by Ohio State’s lumpsum housing payment. “A great example of that is Wi-Fi service,” Isaacs said. “When you move off campus, you’re going to have to arrange for your own provider and your own service. This is an expense you might not have thought about because you hadn’t had to pay that before, directly as a separate item.” Variable expenses — things that students
spend money on weekly — can fluctuate depending on personal choices, Raines said.
“When you live on campus, you write essentially two big checks to the university a year and that covers your living expenses,” Raines said. PREPARATION CONTINUES ON 9
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Students should prepare a monthly budget for bills like rent when looking to move off campus. PREPARATION FROM 8
“Grocery shopping’s a perfect example. Instead of going to the dining hall, you’re going to either buy your food at a restaurant or cook it from a grocery store,” Raines said. “You can go to Aldi, which is a rather inexpensive grocery store, or you can go to Whole Foods, which costs a lot. You have individual decisions while you’re there that are going to raise or lower your overall bill.” The range of potential student income sources, from financial aid to jobs to family support, may make establishing a budget tricky in college, Raines said. He said understanding fixed and variable expenses is an important step in financial planning. “It’s important to have a conversation about what exactly am I going to be responsible for, what is a parent or guardian or friend going to be accountable for?” Raines said. “You have a really good sense across all these different options, what exactly is my income?” Raines said cooking and meal choices play major roles in filling a student’s budget, and carefully planning can save money and develop lifelong skills. “If you can do bulk meals with your roommates, very inexpensive way to feed
yourself,” Raines said. “That’s a lifetime skill that will save you a lot of money, and you can impress other people with it too.” Raines said while students may feel spending on anything outside of necessary expenses is overspending, recognizing the value and importance of any given purchase can help alleviate concerns.
“Being very clear about why you spend the money you do and what value it provides you is more helpful framing than ‘You shouldn’t buy lattes,’ ” Raines said.
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Keeping your off-campus home safe MARY KIDWELL Campus Editor kidwell.118@osu.edu Previously published Feb. 3. Off-campus and commuter students have multiple options for making their homes safer this academic year. The Office of Student Life OffCampus and Commuter Student Services offers free safety devices year-round, such as free window and door alarms, smoke alarm batteries and light timers, Rachel DeMooy, program manager of the department, said. Off-campus students can also purchase their own devices like smart locks and doorbell and security cameras. According to Off-Campus and Commuter Student Services, 18- and 19-year-olds experience the highest rates of home burglary in the U.S., with renters experiencing a higher rate than homeowners. University spokesperson Dave Isaacs said the available safety devices are helpful for students who depart from and return to their residences at atypical times. Smart Locks Smart Locks provide the peace of mind of knowing the door is locked when not home and allows it to be locked and unlocked from a smartphone. At Best Buy and Amazon, most smart locks are more than $100. At Walmart and Target, smart locks start at about $70. Security Cameras Security cameras are also sold on Best Buy’s, Amazon’s, Walmart’s and Target’s websites. Best Buy sells cameras for more than $100, while there are some on Amazon for less than $100. At Walmart and Target, the price
The Office of Student Life provides students with free safety devices year round.
varies from about $30 to more than $100. Doorbell Cameras On both Best Buy’s and Amazon’s websites, smart doorbells start at around $59.99. Prices vary on Walmart’s website, but some can be purchased for less than $100. Target’s website includes many different price ranges.
Smart Plugs Smart plugs allow for the turning on and off of household amenities and lights from a phone or on a timer. These devices have a variety of prices on Best Buy, Amazon, Walmart and Target, depending on the make and number of plugs. Security System Home security systems are sold by both Best Buy and Amazon and are typically more than $100.
COURTESY OF THE OFFICE OF STUDENT LIFE
Walmart and Target do not offer many options for home security systems.
According to Off-Campus and Commuter Student Services, 18- and 19-year-olds experience the highest rates of home burglary in the U.S., with renters experiencing a higher rate than homeowners.