2 Housing Guide February 2011
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Renters, don’ t neglec t your securit y deposits By Lauren Healey The Standard
Getting your security deposit back is not as secure as it may sound. Josh Hayes, a senior management major, said he was kicked out of his first house in Springfield after three months of living there. “It was my roommate’s and my first experience not living at home with our parents,” he said. “It was a beautiful time in my life, but we partied way too hard. The security deposit was $650, but obviously, we didn’t get a cent of that back.” Glynis Tatum, general manager at Sunrise Management and Real Estate, said the key to getting your security deposit back at the end of a rental period is to leave the property cleaner than you found it. Renters should make sure they find out from their landlord exactly what they need to do to get their deposit back at the end of the rental period. “We understand the last thing on your mind at the end of a semester is cleaning your house and taking care of it,” she said, “but those are the people who don’t get the deposit back because it does cost money to get the property ready for the next people. Somebody has to pay for that, which is why we have the security deposit in the first place.” Hayes’ rental house had an entire mudroom dedicated to trash, he said. “There was an awful stench of stale beer,” he said. “Then trash bags full of everything imaginable, plus more pizza and beer boxes than you could count. The only real cleaning we did was picking up pizza boxes and beer cans and putting it all in the mudroom.” Tatum said taking care of the property on a daily basis is one of the most important things to do to ensure you’re on the right road to getting your security deposit back. “If there are maintenance issues during the lease term, report them so your landlord can take care of them,” she said. “We can’t fix problems if we don’t know about them, especially water leaks because water doesn’t know when to stop tearing stuff up. Landlords get kind of a bad reputation, but we aren’t the ogres we’re sometimes made to be. You just have to let us know when there’s a maintenance issue.” Hayes said he thought he didn’t have trash service because he never paid for it. “Unfortunately for me and my roommate, we were being charged for the service the entire three months without our knowledge,” he said. “Somebody must have snitched on us for the enormous amount of trash because the city health department came and told us we had to get rid of all the trash and clean up the house.” A group of people living in a tent in the backyard left one day and never came back, leaving their things behind, Hayes said.
“We put the contents of the mudroom in the tent, along with a lot of beer-stained clothes, and burned the tent in the backyard,” he said. “The landlord definitely wasn’t happy about the burn mark in the grass.” Also, renters wanting to get their security deposits back should never put a stripper pole in a doorway because it will likely destroy the door frame, Hayes said. “Girls would run and jump on the pole, which wasn’t entirely sturdy, and it came crashing down rather frequently,” he said. “Every time that pole came down, more and more of the doorway was ripped out of the ceiling.” Hayes once had to beat down the bathroom door at a party, he said. “Some crazy girl ran into our bathroom with a knife screaming, ‘I’m going to kill myself!’ But no one was going to die on my watch,” he said. “The landlord wasn’t too pleased with the missing door.” Hayes said there was a giant burn mark in corner of living room that he didn’t even notice until the walk-through with the landlord. “We discovered a Christmas light had burned through a pillow, a rug and the hardwood floors,” he said. “We’re lucky the fire must have burnt itself out, or all those partiers could be dead.” There were innumerable other issues during the walk-through, Hayes said. “There was a hole in the living room wall the length of a shoulder and an entire arm,” he said. “Most of the blades were broken off the ceiling fans. There was a giant rip mark in the carpet; how that happened is still a mystery. The side of the bathtub had a giant crack in it because someone got dropped; don’t ask me how that happened.” Hayes said another reason he and his roommate got kicked out of their first house was because of the extra people sleeping there. “The landlord used to just walk in the house all the time without calling us or anything,” he said. “It’d usually be a night after a party, because most nights were, when multiple people slept at our house so they wouldn’t be drinking and driving.” The lease stipulated only two people could live in the house, which was technically accurate, but the landlord always thought the party stragglers were living there, Hayes said. “In the three months we lived there, I was only in the house alone twice,” Hayes said. “I’d wake up to go to work at 8 a.m., and people would still be up partying and making messes.” Tatum said it’s important to take a few days after moving into a property to write down a list of things already wrong with the property. “We don’t want to charge you for something you weren’t responsible for,” she said. “To be fair, we’ll bring the list with us for the final walk-through.”
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4 Housing Guide February 2011
Living options plentiful for MSU students Housing Type
Price per Price per Deposit school year month $ amount
Room-style
$6,228 - $6,394 $692-710
$100 per semester or deferred
Meal plan included. On campus. Community bathrooms. If you do not have a Close community. All utilities, cable roommate chosen, you will have one assigned. and Internet are included. Community kitchen if you cook. Only fish allowed.
RAs on every floor. Floor checks every night. Campus security driving around.
Suite-style
$6,578 - $8,298 $730-$922
$100 per semester or deferred
Meal plan included. On campus. Own bathroom. All utilities, cable and Internet are included.
If you do not have a roommate chosen, you will receive one you may not know. No kitchen. Fish are the only pets allowed. Share a room.
RAs on every floor. Floor checks every night. Campus security driving around.
$406-$501
$100 per semester or deferred
More independence from regular dorms. All utilities, cable and Internet are included. Full kitchen.
If you do not have a roommate chosen, you will receive one you may not know. No kitchen. Fish are the only pets allowed. Share a room.
RAs and armed guards in buildings. Campus security.
Varies
Expense depending on the house. Consider how Sororities: Chef. Free parking. Cleaning service. Fraternities: Free many people you will be living with. No pets. parking. Has a kitchen. Very close to campus.
Varies
Most places allow pets if you pay a deposit. Have your own room. Can call maintenance if something breaks. Apartment pays for upkeep.
Utilities might not be included. Cable and Internet might not be included. Must pay for groceries/food. Spend more on gas. Could be between 5-15 minutes off campus.
Varies. Some have security vehicles that patrol. Some have security on call from 5 p.m. to 8 a.m.
Apartment-style $3,658-$4,512
Houses
Apartments
Greek housing
$3,000-$12,000 $333-$1333
Pros
Cons
Security
1 bedroom $3,600-$4,275
$400-$475
Same as rent
2 bedroom $4,950-$5,850
$550-$650
Same as rent
Most places allow pets if you pay a deposit. Have your own room. Oncall maintenance if something breaks. Splitting bills with your roommate(s).
Utilities might not be included. Cable and Internet might not be included. Must pay for groceries/food. Spend more on gas. Could be between 5-15 minutes off campus.
Varies. Some have security vehicles that patrol. Some have security on call from 5 p.m. to 8 a.m.
3 bedroom $6,975-$7,650
$775-$850
Same as rent
Most places allow pets if you pay a deposit. Have your own room. Oncall maintenance if something breaks. Apartment pays for upkeep. You pay less by splitting bills with your roommate(s).
Utilities might not be included. Cable and Internet might not be included. Must pay for groceries/food. Spend more on gas. Could be between 5-15 minutes off campus.
Varies. Some have security vehicles that patrol. Some have security on call from 5 p.m. to 8 a.m.
No neighbors above or below you. Most places allow pets if you pay a deposit. Have your own room. Utilities can be cheaper than an apartment.
Utilities ( cable and Internet) might not be included. Must pay for groceries/food. Might have to repair problems within the house yourself or hire someone to fix them if the landlord is not responsible for maintenance. Depending on your distance from campus, gas money.
Varies. Some have security vehicles that patrol. Some have security on call from 5 p.m. to 8 a.m.
1 bedroom $3,600-$4,500
$400-$500
Same as rent
2 bedroom $5,400-$6,300
$600-$700
Same as rent
No neighbors above or below you. Most places allow pets if you pay a deposit. Have your own room. Utilities can be cheaper. You pay less by splitting bills with roommate(s).
Utilities (cable and Internet) might not be included. Must pay for groceries/food. Might have to repair problems within the house yourself or hire someone to fix them if the landlord is not responsible for maintenance. Gas money.
Varies. Some have security vehicles that patrol. Some have security on call from 5 p.m. to 8 a.m.
3 bedroom $7200-$8100
$800-$900
Same as rent
No neighbors above or below you. Most places allow pets if you pay a deposit. Have your own room. Utilities can be cheaper. You pay less by splitting bills with roommate(s).
Utilities (cable and Internet) might not be included. Must pay for groceries/food. Might have to repair problems within the house yourself or hire someone to fix them if the landlord is not responsible for maintenance. Gas money.
Varies. Some have security vehicles that patrol. Some have security on call from 5 p.m. to 8 a.m.
Sources: RHA website, Andrea Weber, Haslehorst Properties LTD and Brentwood Management
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Have a plan in mind when shopping for your groceries By Rachel Bonar The Standard Living off campus is a completely different world for most college students. It’s a world that includes more bills and budgeting, especially for groceries. “Whenever I go grocery shopping, I do a few things to cut back on food costs,” said Bradford Owens, a senior finance and business major. “I avoid purchasing name brand items, buy items in bulk at discounted prices and I purchase items that store for longer periods of time since I usually cook for one.” Another strategy to save money is to plan ahead, Owens said. “I save before I even set foot in the supermarket,” he said. “If I’m making my own meals for the week, I plan ahead and make a menu. My weekly or monthly lineup consists of items that complement each other; that is, they all use relatively the same ingredients.” Freezing food can also help with a budget, Owens said. “If you have a full-sized freezer, take advantage of it,” he said. “Think ahead and buy things on sale, and then freeze it
for future use. This works well with all types of things, including large batches of spaghetti sauce, soups and other items you tend to make in large batches.” When looking for deals, look for store ads and special offers, said Lisa Wainwright, a graduate assistant in the Office of Financial Aid and a peer financial counselor. “Read the newspapers to find coupons and sale ads,” Wainwright said. “Also, Dillons offers a Dillons Plus Card for free. Using the Dillons Plus Card, you can save quite a bit on particular items.” Along with buying one’s own groceries, there is also a decision in investing in a meal plan, said Chase Conover, senior finance and business major and a peer financial counselor. “Before buying a commuter meal plan, a student should consider if they will be on campus at meal time and if they will have time to go to the dining halls or PSU to eat,” Conover said. “Students should also consider packing a meal to bring to campus. A packed lunch will be cheaper and more convenient to eat because stu See GROCERIES page 7
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Groceries Continued from page 6 dents will not have to wait in line or for their order to be made.� Commuter meal plan options can vary according to the amount of meals purchased, according to the Missouri State website. Options include meal plans of 10, 14, 19 and unlimited meals per week with prices of $867.47, $929.69, $980.56 and $1057.61, according to the Missouri State website. Block meal plans are also an option for commuters. More information on commuter meal plans can be found at http://missouirstatedining.com. Advice for this story came from members of the Peer Financial Counseling Team.
Illustration by Rachel Brown
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Con s id er u t ilit ies, q ualit y o f l i v i n g b e fo r e s i g n i n g t h e l e a se By Nick Simpson The Standard As their first school year begins to end, freshmen begin to think of moving out of the dorms and into a true adult existence. Learning to budget between food, rent, utilities and leisurely activities can be somewhat tricky and is the ultimate first step in growing up. So, settling on a place that will be cost efficient can be one of the most important decisions one can make as they begin a new school year. Brent Haselhorst of Springfield owns Haselhorst Properties. They have been in business since 1992 and specialize in catering their services to students since many of their available apartments and homes are located near the Missouri State campus. Haselhorst said renting an apartment or home can be more affordable than one might think coming from residence hall living. “Prices can vary a little bit depending on the number of bedrooms,” he said. “If you’re looking at houses, a two-bedroom
house will likely start at around $600 a month to be divided between two people. This does not include things like Internet, cable and utilities. But most students can expect an average of $350 a month for rent.” But there is more than just the face of the apartment or home to consider when approaching a lease with a pen. Haselhorst said there are a lot of things firsttime tenants are not prepared for or are unaware of. “Students need to understand what they are getting for what they are paying,” he said. “Are you getting free utilities paid? Is there a shuttle that will take you to campus? Is there available parking? There is a long range of things out there that can come with the price that is quoted.” Erin Hendrick, a senior in the Music Department, has gone through a couple houses and apartments in her trials through college and gives some sound advice. “You definitely need to look into the See APT HUNTING page 11
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Apt Hunting Continued from page 10
quality of the building,” she said. “My current apartment looks really nice and everything is new, but the materials are not of the best quality. I’ve had two cabinet doors that are rarely used just fall off on their own for no reason, and the power in my roommate’s room will just stop working, forcing us to reset it.” And problems don’t end there. “My boyfriend has to bang on a wall to get the lights in his bathroom to start working sometimes,” she said. “And if there is a low ceiling in your shower, you will get mold no matter what you do. And don’t ever expect to get your deposit back, so just let that go when you sign the lease.” Now, when you’ve finally settled on a place of personal value, the worry doesn’t end after you’ve signed the lease. Haselhorst said that it is very easy for students to mismanage their budget and wind up in a great deal of trouble. “One of the things I think most students don’t realize is that, when you sign a lease, you are entering into a legally binding Missouri contract,” he said. “It is a pretty serious piece of legal information, and they need to understand their commitment.” Haselhorst said sometimes the reper-
For more information about apartment, house and dorm prices, turn to page 4 to check out The Standard’s housing grid. cussions of breaking a lease can be more than the average student can handle. “It’s usually a 12-month commitment, so it’s not something that you can just try for two months, decide it’s something you don’t like and just walk away,” he said. “The key is communication with your landlord to minimize the long-term, negative impact the breaking of a lease could have on your credit history and on your ability to one day rent another apartment or buy a house or car. But these things are usually manageable.” It’s never easy growing up. What most people don’t realize is that we are getting a little older each day, but it’s the responsibilities we put on ourselves that truly signify our ascent into adulthood. The decision to take charge of our own living and get out of the dorms is something everyone eventually must decide. But understand that, once you’ve grown up, there might not be any going back.
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Living with Mom and Dad has both its pros and cons By Bobbie Sawyer The Standard For many college students, moving out of the house means more freedom, later hours and less exposure to your mom’s Tivo-ed episodes of “Dancing with the Stars.” But it can also lead to homesickness and a depleted bank account. With a few months of dorm living under their belt, some students find themselves back under their parents’ roofs and experiencing the ups and downs of life with Mom and Dad. Senior English education major Sofie Blount, who opted to live with her parents for about a year while saving up money to get her own place, said moving back home was a smooth transition and one that she embraced. “It was easy to get back in the groove,” Blount said. “Some people are worried that their independence would go away, but my parents were really cool about it.” She said her time spent at home strengthened her family bond. “We had dinner every night together
when I was home,” Blount said. “It has a lot to do with the type of parents you have. I’ve always been close to my parents.” Sarah Schupp, publisher of University Parent Media (an organization that partners with universities across the country to distribute literature and monthly e-mail newsletters to parents of students), said discussing the interests of both parties beforehand is as crucial with a student-parent relationship as with any living arrangement. “It’s important for (students) to set up really strong boundaries and expectations with parents,” Schupp said. “Without discussing expectations, that can set up a family for failure. It’s almost like a roommate agreement.” Schupp suggests discussing individual schedules and responsibilities, such as whether the student will be expected to pay a portion of rent or groceries. “Think through what impact it will have on their relationship with their family,” she said. “You don’t want to do See PARENTS page 13
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Parents Continued from page 12
anything that will be harmful. It’s even like living with a really close friend. Sometimes that’s harder than living with a stranger.” However, Schupp said living with family can also offer a built-in support system. “Sometimes you can find additional support there,” she said. “There’s less of an adjustment. You don’t have to get adjusted to a new roommate.” Mary Beth Mann, an associate professor in the Childhood Education and Family Studies Department, said while families can provide much-needed comfort, it’s important for students to consider the potential loss of freedom and negotiate rules and boundaries beforehand. “It calls for a straightforward conversation,” Mann said. “After you’ve had a semester or two away from family, you don’t want parents breathing down your neck, telling you what you can or can’t do.” John Autry, a sophomore music major, lived with his parents during his freshman year. “I’ve always had a good relationship with my parents. They had their social and work life, and I had mine,” Autry said. “It was kind of like being independent, just living in the basement.”
He said, though living at home was a benefit financially, commuting to the university from his parents’ home didn’t allow for the college experience he hoped for. “There was no reason for me to be on campus other than class,” Autry said. “I wouldn’t have made a lot of friends. I’d be stuck with everyone from high school.” Schupp said it’s often especially difficult for commuter students to feel included in college and recommends getting involved with oncampus social organizations. “If you are a commuter student, you have to try that much harder to be involved at school,” she said. “Students have to take initiative.” Autry said he remedied the situation by joining a fraternity and now shares space in a much louder, messier and more chaotic environment. Despite the loss of personal space, he said the change of environment suits him. “I had to sacrifice cleanliness and organization for the social part of it,” Autry said. “I’m finally coming to grips with it.” Mann said she’s noticed that the trend of sharing space with parents is extending to postcollegiate life. Mann said it’s important for both parents and students to recognize their changing roles. “There’s a pattern of behavior that’s been established in the home, and that’s going to change,” Mann said. “Parents have to let their kids make their own mistakes. That’s the hardest thing for parents.”
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Safeguard Continued from page 9 surance to protect his or her personal property, said Scott Berry, an independent insurance agent at Scott Berry Agency. “What you need to do is sit down and make a list of your larger items, estimate your smaller items and come up with a price that you would be comfortable with to cover your goods in case there was a disaster,” Berry said. “All insurance companies base insurance off of your credit score. “It is hard for me to say what (price) renter’s insurance is because every indi-
vidual is going to be different. There is just no way for me telling you what it is actually going to be unless I actually gave you a quote.” Renters should discuss theft coverage with their insurance agent because, even though most insurance companies have theft coverage, some companies use theft as an endorsement where you have to add theft on, Berry said. Homeowners also need homeowner’s insurance to protect their personal property, he said. “Your personal property on homeowner’s insurance is most of the time 70 percent of your dwelling ‘A’ coverage—the amount that you have your house insured for,” Berry said. “If that is not enough, then we can add more to it.”
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