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DearOSUStudent,Thankyouforreadingthe2018-2019versionofTheOhioStateUniversity
Renter’sGuide,providedbytheUndergraduateStudentGovernment’sStudentAffairsCommittee.Itisoursincerehopethatthispublicationwillmakeyoursearchforoff-campushousingeasier,andthatitwillallowyoutomakewell-informeddecisionsintheleasingprocess.Thefollowingpageswillprovideyouwithdataonlandlordsintheoff-campusarea,whichwascompiledfromasurveycommissionedbytheUndergraduateStudentGovernment(USG)andadministeredbytheCenterfortheStudyofStudentLife.TheRenter’sGuideisoneofmanyyearlyUSGinitiativestoimprovethestudentexperienceatOSU;formoreinformation,pleasevisitourwebsitetolearnmoreaboutyourstudentrepresentativesandtheworkthatwedo.Wewelcomeyourfeedback:pleasefeelfreetocontactusifyouhaveanyquestions,concerns,orfeedbackforhowUSGmightbetterserveyou.
EnjoytheRenter’sGuideandGOBUCKS!
DanielKennedyDeputyDirectorforStudentAffairs
TheUndergraduateStudentGovernmentkennedy.1035@buckeyemail.osu.edu
MaggieAsh
DirectorforStudentAffairsTheUndergraduateStudentGovernment
PurposeandMethodologyThedatainthefollowingreportisintendedtoprovideusefulinformationaboutthepreviousexperiencesofOSUstudentslivingintheoff-campusarea.Thisisdonethroughsurveyingandevaluatingtheperceivedlevelofservicetenantsreceivedfromtherentalcompanies.Surveyparticipantswereaskedtocompleteonlinequestionsrelevanttotheirexperiencewiththeirrespectivelandlordfromthepreviousyear.Wehopethatyouwillutilizethisguidetohelpyoumakeaninformeddecisionwhenchoosingalandlord.AnexcellentresourceforrelatedleasinginformationisOffCampusandCommuterStudentServices,locatedinroom3106oftheOhioUnion.ThereisasectionoutliningtheirresourcesattheendofthisGuide.TheUndergraduateStudentGovernmentRenter’sGuidesurveywasadministeredbytheCenterfortheStudyofStudentLifeinSeptemberof2018toundergraduatestudentswholivedoff-campusinthepreviousyear.Thesampleincluded2,000undergraduatestudents.Thesurveyyielded550validresponses,orapproximatelya27.5%responserate.TheUndergraduateStudentGovernmentwouldliketosincerelythankeveryonewhorespondedtothisyear’ssurvey.DisclaimerInpublishingthisinformation,neithertheUndergraduateStudentGovernmentnorTheOhioStateUniversityendorseorsupportanycompanyorbusinessoveranyother;thissurveysimplyprovidesadirectreportoftenantopinions.Becausethedatacontainedinthissectionreflectsopinions,differentinterpretationsarepossible.Theabovementionedorganizationsassumenoresponsibilityforreader,tenant,orprospectivetenantinterpretationorreactiontothedata.Nothingincludedinthedataisintendedtogivelegaladvice.Ifyouhaveanyquestionsregardingthelaworitsapplicationinacertainsituation,wesuggestyouconsultStudentLegalServices(studentlegal.osu.edu)oranotherattorneyservice.
Table of Contents Page 4: Monthly rent per person and number of utilities included in rent Page 5: Commute times to campus Whether landlord showed exact unit you would rent Page 6: Clarity of the leasing process & document signing Page 7: Landlord cooperativeness during move-in
Cleanliness of property at time of move-in Page 8: Repair needs & repair completion prior to move-in Page 9: Condition of rental property
Exterior maintenance of rental unit Page 10: Sidewalk and driveway maintenance Safety measures provided by landlord Page 11: Parking availability
Landlord cooperativeness during move-out Page 12: Willingness to rent from landlord again
Ease of contacting landlord Page 13: Landlord professionalism/politeness
Whether landlord provided 24-hour notice prior to entering property Page 14: General maintenance concerns and response time Page 15: Emergency maintenance concerns and response time Page 16: Return of security deposit Page 17: Overall performance rating of landlord
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800A
vera
ge
mo
nthl
y re
nt ($
)
What was the monthly cost of rent per person for your rental property?
0.00
1.00
2.00
3.00
4.00
5.00
6.00
Num
ber
of u
tiliti
es
How many utilities/costs were included in your rent?
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
% o
f res
po
nden
ts s
ayin
g y
es
Prior to signing the lease, did your landlord/property manager show you the exact unit you would rent (rather
than a model unit)?
0.00
2.00
4.00
6.00
8.00
10.00
12.00
14.00
16.00
18.00
Ave
rag
e tim
e (m
inut
es)
How long, on average, was your commute from your rental property to campus?*
*Onaverage,89.2%ofstudentscommutedbyfoot.
0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
100%
% o
f res
po
nden
ts a
nsw
erin
g y
esDid your landlord/property manager give you a copy of
the signed lease agreement?
0.00
1.00
2.00
3.00
4.00
5.00
Ave
rag
e ra
ting
fro
m 1
(str
ong
ly d
isag
ree)
to 5
(str
ong
ly a
gre
e)
My landlord/property manager clearly described my lease (and all related documents) and all that they
entailed.
0.00
1.00
2.00
3.00
4.00
5.00
Ave
rag
e ra
ting
fro
m 1
(str
ong
ly d
isag
ree)
to
5 (s
tro
ngly
ag
ree)
My landlord/property manager was cooperative during the move-in process.
0.00
1.00
2.00
3.00
4.00
5.00
Ave
rag
e ra
ting
fro
m 1
(str
ong
ly d
isag
ree)
to 5
(str
ong
ly a
gre
e)
My rental property was clean at the time of my move-in.
0.00
1.00
2.00
3.00
4.00
5.00
Averageratingfrom
1(stronglydisagree)
to5(stronglyagree)
My rental property did not require repairs at the time of move-in.
0.00
1.00
2.00
3.00
4.00
5.00
Ave
rag
e ra
ting
fro
m 1
(a fe
w o
f the
m)
to 5
(all
of t
hem
)
If your landlord/property manager agreed to complete repairs prior to your move-in, how many were
completed on time?
0.00
1.00
2.00
3.00
4.00
5.00
Ave
rag
e ra
ting
fro
m 1
(str
ong
ly d
isag
ree)
to 5
(str
ong
ly a
gre
e)
My landlord/property manager properly maintained the exterior of my rental property (e.g., adequate lighting,
property free of garbage, grass cut).
0.00
1.00
2.00
3.00
4.00
5.00
Ave
rag
e ra
ting
fro
m 1
(str
ong
ly d
isag
ree)
to 5
(str
ong
ly a
gre
e)
I was satisfied with the overall condition of my property.
0.00
1.00
2.00
3.00
4.00
5.00
Ave
arg
e ra
ting
fro
m 1
(str
ong
ly d
isag
ree)
to 5
(str
ong
ly a
gre
e)
My landlord/property manager provided adequate safety measures for my rental unit (e.g., deadbolt on exterior door,
properly functioning locks on all windows).
0.00
1.00
2.00
3.00
4.00
5.00
Ave
rag
e ra
ting
fro
m 1
(str
ong
ly d
isag
ree)
to 5
(str
ong
ly a
gre
e)
My landlord kept sidewalks and driveways (if applicable) around the property free of significant damage and/or
holes.
0.00
1.00
2.00
3.00
4.00
5.00
Ave
rag
e ra
ting
fro
m 1
(str
ong
ly d
isag
ree)
to 5
(str
ong
ly a
gre
e)It was easy to find a parking spot at or near my rental
property.
0.00
1.00
2.00
3.00
4.00
5.00
Ave
rag
e ra
ting
fro
m 1
(str
ong
ly d
isag
ree)
to 5
(str
ong
ly a
gre
e)
My landlord/property manager was cooperative during the move-out process.
0.00
1.00
2.00
3.00
4.00
5.00
Ave
rag
e ra
ting
fro
m 1
(str
ong
ly d
isag
ree)
to 5
(str
ong
ly a
gre
e)
It was easy to contact my landlord/property manager with concerns or requests.
0.00
1.00
2.00
3.00
4.00
5.00
Ave
rag
e ra
ting
fro
m 1
(str
ong
ly d
isag
ree)
to 5
(str
ong
ly a
gre
e)I would rent from my landlord/property manager again.
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
% o
f res
po
nden
ts a
nsw
erin
g y
es
Did your landlord provide at least a 24-hour notice prior to entering your property during non-emergency
situations?
0.00
1.00
2.00
3.00
4.00
5.00
Ave
rag
e ra
ting
fro
m 1
(str
ong
ly d
isag
ree)
to 5
(str
ong
ly a
gre
e)
My landlord/property manager was professional and polite.
0.00
2.00
4.00
6.00
8.00
10.00
12.00
14.00
16.00
Ave
rag
e re
spo
nse
time
(day
s)
On average, how quickly did your landlord/property manager tend to general maintenance concerns?
0.00
2.00
4.00
6.00
8.00
10.00
12.00
Ave
rag
e nu
mb
er o
f occ
urre
nces
How often did you have general maintenance concerns during the last year?
0.00
10.00
20.00
30.00
40.00
50.00
60.00
70.00
80.00
Ave
rag
e re
spo
nse
time
(ho
urs)
On average, how quickly did your landlord/property manager tend to emergency maintenance concerns?
0.00
0.20
0.40
0.60
0.80
1.00
1.20
1.40
1.60
1.80
2.00
Ave
rag
e nu
mb
er o
f occ
urre
nces
How often did you have emergency maintenance concerns during the last year?
0.00
1.00
2.00
3.00
4.00
5.00
Ave
rag
e ra
ting
fro
m 1
(muc
h le
ss)
to 5
(muc
h m
ore
)
How much of the security deposit did you receive compared to the amount you feel you should have
received?*
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Ave
rag
e %
of s
ecur
ity d
epo
sit r
ecei
ved
bac
kIf applicable, what percentage did you receive back of
your security deposit?*
*Giventhatrespondentreceivedtheirdepositback(N/AforUniversityApartments)
*N/AforUniversityApartments
0.00
1.00
2.00
3.00
4.00
5.00
Ave
rag
e ra
ting
fro
m 1
(wo
rst)
to
5 (b
est)
Please rate the overall performance of your landlord/property manager, with 1 being the worst and 5 being
the best.
TheOff-CampusHousingExcellenceProgramisacomprehensiveStudentLifeinitiativedesignedtoimprovethequalityofoff-campuslife.TheprogramiscurrentlyofferedforpropertieswithintheUniversityDistrictboundaries(N:ArcadiaAve.,S:5thAve.,W:OlentangyRiver,E:railroadtracks).AnylandlordwhowishestoregisterwithOff-CampusandCommuterStudentServicesandownsand/ormanagespropertywithintheUniversityDistrictboundariesiseligibletooptintothisfreeandvoluntaryprogram,invitingrepresentativesfromStudentLifeandtheColumbusDivisionofFiretowalk-throughtheirpropertiesandassessthemannually,generatingaBuckeyeExcellenceLevelforeachpropertybasedonsafety,securityandsustainabilityfeaturesoftheproperty.Informationfrompasthomewalk-throughsisavailablethroughOff-CampusandCommuterStudentServices’onlinehousingsearch(http://offcampus.osu.edu)for12monthsfromthedateofthewalk-through.Byfocusingonsafety,securityandsustainability,StudentLifeaimstoenhancethequalityandamountofinformationavailabletostudentsmovingoffcampus.Regardlessofwhethertheirlandlordparticipatesintheprogram,anystudentrentingpropertywithintheUniversityDistrictiswelcometorequesttheirownhomesafetywalk-throughathttp://go.osu.edu/ochep.ThefollowinglandlordswhosenamesappearinthiseditionoftheRenter’sGuideareparticipantsintheOff-CampusHousingExcellenceProgram:BuckeyeRealEstate HarrisonApartments PellaCompany EdwardsStudentHousingManagement Kohr,Royer,Griffith,Inc.GeorgeKanellopoulos/OSUPropertiesLandisProperties
LEASE REVIEW
SECURITY DEPOSITS
GETTING REPAIRS
we are your lawyers STUDENT LEGAL SERVICES
Have your lease reviewed by SLS before you sign and become legally obligated. SLS will explain your rights and responsibilities, point out unenforceable terms, and answer your questions.
off-campus housing criminal misdemeanors
traffic offenses credit & debt issues
contract review consumer transactions
contract drafting victim assistance
name change dissolutions
power of attorney wills, notary & much more
DonÊt get charged for pre-existing damages . Document the condition of your place before you move in and when you move out using our checklists and by taking pictures and video.
You must put your repair requests in writing to your landlord. Keep a copy for your records. If you donÊt get your repairs made, schedule an appointment with SLS.
ROOMMATE AGREEMENT Draft a roommate agreement to clarify how rent and utilities are paid, special house rules, and other important info.
SAMPLE DOCUMENTS Find checklists, agreements, and notices on our website.
Issues Covered
studentlegal.osu.edu 614.247.5853
