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HOUSING

GUIDE 2016

Upcoming U housing projects

Wednesday, November 9, 2016

Wednesday, November 9, 2016 Vol. 117 No. 20

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View from North East 5 Story Scheme A rendering of the proposed Pioneer Hall renovations.

HOUSING INVESTMENT STUDY – PHASE 1 PIONEER HALL

The University has a series of upgrades for many campus residence halls. BY KRISTINA BUSCH AND KEVIN BECKMAN kbusch@mndaily.com, kbeckman@mndaily.com

With more and more private housing options on campus’ border, over the past few years, the University has increased its efforts to expand student housing on and off-campus and to remodel and renovate current dormitory housing. The school currently has close to 7,000 beds on campus in 12 different facilities. The University’s Board of Regents voted last year to renovate the Sanford Hall dormitory and dining facility, expanding and upgrading the dining hall and improving the quality of the dorm’s rooms. The University has also conducted smallerscale fixes and upgrades to many other campus dorms, including Centennial, Territorial, Yudof and Comstock.

Since school leaders and officials say students who live on campus get a better experience, the school has also entered into master lease agreements with the nearby Keeler and Radius at 15th apartment complexes to mimic the on-campus housing experience. The leases begin before the start of the 2017 school year, and includes agreements to rent out 164 beds in 44 furnished apartments from Keeler and 772 beds in 200 furnished apartments from Radius at 15th. The school is leasing the apartments at a discount, keeping rent costs low for students. “More and more students want to live on campus or as close to campus as possible,” said Board of Regents Chair Dean Johnson. “It gives them a better student experience and it’s a lot cheaper than private apartments. This is a good deal.” Still, regents said there is more work to do to fix up and improve dorms.

Pioneer Hall Renovations There’s still a long way to go until Univer-

COURTESY OF HOUSING INVESTMENT STUDY PROJECT # 01-052-16-1234

sity of Minnesota students live in a renovated Pioneer Hall — the oldest of the superblock dorms. The University’s Board of Regents approved the $104.5 million renovation early September and the University is currently looking for a construction manager to design the project. “We are just about ready to have a design made,” said Marc Partridge, design manager for the University’s Capital Planning and Project Management group. The construction manager will supervise the design of the residency hall, which will take about year to complete. Building will begin soon after, Partridge said. The renovation project will expand the building and include an 850-seat dining facility. The hall will close for the 2017-18 and 2018-19 school years. “Fundamentally, we want to improve the residency hall experience,” Partridge said. “We’re modernizing it but maintaining the traditional outside design.”

BUSINESS Catherine Vaught Retail Sales Manager cvaught@mndaily.com Emily Vermeulen Creative Director evermeulen@mndaily.com =

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Wednesday, November 9, 2016

spacious affordable housing private and shared options utilities included annual scholarships www.umnvillage.com | 612-676-1000

Wednesday, November 9, 2016

Developments in Dinkytown, Stadium Village BY KEATON SCHMITT kschmitt@mndaily.com

Over the past few years Dinkytown and Stadium Village — two of the most popular areas for off-campus living — have had steady growth in new housing. Luxury housing complexes have grown more common in Dinkytown as complexes like the Bridges and the Marshall were joined by new ones like the Radius at 15th and the 4th Street Housing Co-op. Stadium village has followed a similar trajectory. WaHu Student apartments opened last fall and a new complex will soon follow, replacing three businesses on Washington Avenue. Ward 2 City Council Member Cam Gordon said the bump in housing has probably pushed out some more affordable options. “Clearly they’re still interested in investment and in some ways that’s good,” Gordon said. “I think we’re seeing in the whole city a loss of naturally-occurring, affordable housing.”

Compared to the luxurious student complexes, options like the 4th Street Housing Coop, which opened last year, have sprung up to offer more frugal students options. Meanwhile, other common student apartments have undergone major changes. Floco Fusion — a complex known for its game-day tailgating events and partying — cancelled its game-day events and reduced the allowed size of parties after conflicts with insurance providers. Some think the increased competition is ultimately good for the area, and students needed new options. “A lot of the owners have sold out and left,” Dinkytown Rentals Owner Tim Harmsen told the Daily in March. “The people whose houses were run down used to be able to charge large rents and not do any repairs and not have any service. … The customers are saying that’s not good enough anymore. I think it’s great u See DEVELOPMENT Page 12

SAM HARPER, DAILY FILE PHOTO

A concentration of luxury student apartment complexes, including WaHu, Stadium Village Flats, The 700 on Washington and The Station, line the Washington Avenue corridor in Stadium Village.

Choosing houses vs. apartments BY KEVIN BECKMAN kbeckman@mndaily.com

As a student looking for housing off-campus, you may be wondering whether to rent a house or an apartment. Students living in both spoke with the Daily to give you pros and cons of each.

Houses The biggest and most obvious advantage of renting a house is the space, student say. University of Minnesota sociology senior Robyn Smith said she enjoys the storage space her two-story house provides. Houses may also have a grassy yard, which Smith said she likes to use for barbecues. She said some house landlords, like hers, let tenants have pets. Roth Fricke, a biomedical engineering senior, said he likes the fact that he doesn’t have to share a wall with a neighbor. He said he also enjoys not having to worry about noisy upstairs or downstairs neighbors besides

his roommates, and he can walk around the house singing “My Heart Will Go On” at the top of his lungs. “Plus, when I’m cooking food and I set off the smoke detector, I don’t have to worry about someone calling the fire department,” he said. The downside to houses is typically the maintenance. If something breaks and you don’t want to try to fix it yourself, Smith said a maintenance employee isn’t always around and it might take your landlord a few days to fix it. Some houses don’t facilitate snow removal from sidewalks, so you might also have to shovel the walk yourself, Fricke said. “It’s cold out there,” he added. “I don’t like it.”

Apartments Sophomore strategic communications major Montana Day, who lives in an apartment building right off campus, said she loves the proximity to her classes, restaurants and bars in the campus neighborhoods. “The conditions are usually nicer too,” she

said. “I’ve seen some pretty crappy houses, but not as many crappy apartments.” She said she also feels safe with the security measures and security monitors typically found in apartment buildings. Pre-law student Phil Paulson said he enjoys reliable maintenance, and the fact that most apartments are furnished and offer amenities like weight rooms and game rooms. But, Paulson said apartments are typically more expensive and you get less space for what you pay. Day said you often have to deal with noisy and nosey neighbors, and have to constantly interacting with people you don’t know. “There’s just a lot of people,” she said. “You always run into someone in the hall.” Paulson said apartment leases are also usually way more complicated than leases for renting houses. “I looked at my lease and I had no clue what it was trying to tell me,” he said. “And I’m in pre-law.”

Wednesday, November 9, 2016

Students reflect on top avoidable housing blunders BY RYAN FAIRCLOTH rfaircloth@mndaily.com

As students prepare to look at on-campus housing options for the next year, some warn that last-minute decisions can have dire consequences. Brenda Tran, a graphic design junior, said there are many good choices for students, especially with the large amount of luxur y apartments available. “There are better options, and not a lot of people know that.” In Februar y, Tran signed a lease with an apartment on campus. But the staf f made a mistake with her lease, she said. She thought she was signing a 9 month lease, but was scheduled u See BLUNDERS Page 12

Wednesday, November 9, 2016

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Wednesday, November 9, 2016

Legal Service experts explain what new renters need to know BY RAJU CHADUVULA rchaduvula@mndaily.com

As fall semester at the University of Minnesota starts its final stretch, many students begin their quest to find housing for the next year. Be it an apartment in St. Paul or a house in Southeast Como, students should know some basic facts about their lease, location and rights. Some students feel pressure to sign as early as possible from apartments on and surrounding the University campus, said William Dane, an attorney with the University’s Student Legal Services. But, he said, students should wait to make sure they are committing to the right people, in case plans change once the lease starts. Students looking for houses in the Como or Prospect Park neighborhoods have a little more time to find a location, Dane said, because housing is less limited in those areas. One big thing to look for is the end date when signing any lease, Dane said. In the past, apartments would have a one year lease that, for example, goes from Sept. 1 to Aug. 31, Dane said. But now, he said, many apartments near campus push the end date up so that management has time to clean up the apartments for the next tenants. Students who aren’t aware of their lease’s end date might find themselves without a place to live near the end of summer, Dane said. Furthermore, students need to make sure exactly what they are responsible to pay for, he said. An individual lease means that a student is responsible for paying for their own room, he said. A joint-lease means that all tenants in the apartment claim responsibility to pay for the entire unit, he said. The distinction is important so students know how to handle the lease if one of the roommates moves out and stops paying, he said. Most houses are under joint-leases, Dane said. In addition to making sure everyone pays their rent, utilities also play an important role,

especially heat in the winter which can get expensive, he said. Students should also research the neighborhood, said Mike Vraa, managing attorney with Homeline, a tenant advocacy association. Students should go to the apartment or house at different times of the day so they can get an overall feel for the location, he said. Vraa said students should look up the landlord on the state court’s database to see any eviction notices, lease issues or lawsuits against the landlord. Some of these issues might indicate other problems with the location or the landlord, he said. If there are problems with the landlord once a student moves in — like parts of the house that need repair — it is best to deal with the landlord directly first, he said. If that doesn’t work, send them a complaint in writing, he said. Vraa said documenting any issues and building a paper trail gives the tenant a legal foothold if they go to court. Tenants should have their lease, proof of rent payments and any complaint forms together in a folder so they can show proof if necessary, he said. Another big issue for renters is getting their security deposit returned, Vraa said. The best thing to do, once moved in, is to take pictures of any pre-existing damage with the apartment or house, Vraa said. During a lawsuit over a security deposit, tenants with photos have a higher chance of winning, he said. If there is still trouble with the landlord after all necessary steps are taken, the Student Legal Services at the University can get involved, Dane said. “We can change the dynamic a lot if a student comes in and talks to us,” he said. SLS can mediate situations and litigate the issues if necessary, he said. Dane said its best for the student to bring in their lease and have the legal advisors at SLS look over it to make sure the student knows exactly what they are signing. If students open a file at the SLS, it is possible for legal advisors to check in from time to time to make sure that everything is running smooth, Dane said.

How to get your deposit back BY ELIANASCHREIBER eschreiber@mndaily.com

When renting a house or apartment for next school year, you’ll likely have to put down a deposit to secure your spot. Landlords usually return the deposit at the end of the lease if the place remains in good shape, but we’ve prepared some helpful tips to make sure you get that money back at the year’s end.

Know your lease First thing’s first, before signing the lease and making a deposit for a new living arrangement, it is crucial to read over the lease and know it well. Look over the entire lease carefully to understand what’s expected of you. If you have questions or doubts about parts of the lease, schedule an appointment with the University Student Legal Service to clear up concerns or confusion.

Inspection One of the most important things to keep in

mind when moving to a new place is inspecting it upon move-in. Take pictures of all the bedrooms and living areas to identify pre-existing conditions. This is crucial for getting back your deposit, because if your landlord accuses you of doing something, you have photo evidence to back you up. Usually, landlords will provide some sort of move-in inspection checklist to fill out, which you should fill out as soon as possible. While examining the new place, take note of its conditions. For example, make sure the place is clean and nothing is broken. If there are scratches or holes in the walls, take note of that, too.

Post move-in Once you’ve inspected the place for any major damages, and you’ve settled into the new crib, make sure you keep it in the same — or better — condition as when you arrived. There’s no worse way to end a lease than not getting back your security deposit because you threw a crazy party and let it get out of control! With that in mind, make sure guests are

respectful; if you have people over occasionally, make sure you set some ground rules and keep them under control. But this doesn’t mean you are off the hook as the house or apartment’s tenant. While it may sound obvious, make sure you’re keeping the place clean and in good condition.

Building trust If possible, having a positive relationship and open communication with your landlord never hurts, and helps solve other problems that can come up throughout the lease. Child psychology and anthropology junior Emily Robinson said forming a relationship with her landlord helped her get her deposit. “We had … an open line of communication, and I think that played a big role in it [because] he felt like he trusted me,” Robinson said.

If all else fails… If you’ve followed all the above tips and still have no luck, consult a lawyer. Sometimes, documentation may not help

Wednesday, November 9, 2016

HOW TO GET YOUR SECURITY DEPOSIT BACK

DO:

Take pictures of your apartment/house as soon as you move in Read your lease carefully Clean your space Be assertive with your landlord Make sure your guests behave

DON’T: Damage the property Get on your landlord’s bad side Make holes in the wall Let your parties get too out of hand Back down! SOURCE: MNDAILY REPORTING

and it will come down to a “he-said, she-said” situation, which is harder to pinpoint. If the deposit was a significant amount of money, it may be worth it to consider a lawsuit. Refer to USLS for more help at that stage.

In their own words: Students talk off-campus housing recommendations BY OLIVIA JOHNSON ojohnson@mndaily.com

Alex Lackner; Business and Marketing, Education, Junior Lackner currently lives in his fraternity house, Tau Kappa Epsilon, and said he decided to live there after joining last year. “Veer away from luxury apartments,” he said, when asked what students should not do. He said his house is cheaper in comparison to a lot of his friends’ places. “Don’t get carried away with amenities.” Catie Kollath; Microbiology, Sophomore Kollath lives in Sanford Hall because she said she didn’t want to live with a roommate and a studio apartment was not within her budget. “Think about what you need,” she said. Kollath said she is not a good cook and was not ready to live on her own, although next year she said she is looking into living at the Knoll or the 412 Lofts.

Morgan Wischstadt; Psychology, Sophomore Wishcstadt lives at Stadium View. “I found a roommate and she had already found [Stadium View],” she said. “Tour the buildings, don’t just look at one place,” she said. “Ask people who live there.” Annie Chen; Chemistry, Senior Chen, who lives at the Chateau Student Housing co-op, said she is graduating this semester and needed to find a place to live just until December, not for the whole year. “There aren’t that many options,” she said. “Start looking early. I’ve signed all my leases before the end of the year. Tour the place.” Kelly Cullen; Interior Design, Freshman Cullen said she is living at home this year in order to save money. “It’s a lot cheaper,” she said. “I can have as much food as I want when I want.” She said she would advise students to find housing that meets their needs and is financially logical.

Andy Tjomsland; Biology, Senior Tjomsland said he lives in a house in Dinkytown for the second year with seven roommates. “One of my current roommates set up a tour with the leasing company,” he said. “I wanted rent to be under $500.” Tjomsland said he also wanted his own bedroom and an adequate number of bathrooms. “Check out as many places as you can,” he said. “Don’t sign the lease without reading the entire thing. Don’t sign the lease until you have all roommates ready to sign.” Hannah George; Physiology, Sophomore George, who lives in Yudof Hall, said she and her roommate had a hard time deciding where to live. They chose Yudof because it was a convenient location, was a good price and had the space they wanted. “Definitely tour the place,” she said. “I wouldn’t just trust what you read on the internet.”

George said when looking for housing don’t base your opinions on one person’s point of view. Lissa Vo; Graphic Design, Junior Vo lives by herself in an apartment near the University’s St. Paul campus. She looked for places that were close to public transportation. “Know yourself. Know your financial state,” she said. “Be realistic.” Vo said students should not just go with what their dream apartment is, but that they should research all options. Jon Cukla; Spanish and Portuguese Studies and Journalism, 2nd year transfer Cukla said he currently lives off-campus, but applied to be a Community Advisor in the dorms. “I’ve never lived in a dorm. It’s easier to be in the action,” he said, adding that living offcampus is hard for students. He said he would advise others to research all options and to tour any place they are considering living in.

Wednesday, November 9, 2016

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Top tips for new renters BY OLIVIA JOHNSON ojohnson@mndaily.com

Students are encouraged to look for offcampus housing earlier and earlier each year. Once there were more pads than people, but now open units can fill up quick. This can be problematic for first-year students who still looking for roommates and trying to understand the lay of the land. Though it can be stressful, it doesn’t have to feel like you’re wandering through a dark maze of apartments and houses, where every “good deal” comes with an unexpected caveat. Here are 7 tips that will simplify this process for first-time, or not-so-savvy renters. 1. Know your budget. Don’t sign a lease with a monthly payment you can’t fork up. Take a hard look at your income, tuition expenses, and food and fun money. 2. Make sure to ask whether you’ll need a parent or guardian to co-sign the lease. Often, first-time renters will need to do this in case

they are unable to pay rent. Leasing companies prefer that there is someone that the burden could fall on. 3. Know what you want. Can you handle roommates? Do you need extra space? Will living independently be too stressful? Don’t get yourself into a situation you’ll regret later. 4. Be realistic. Sure, those luxury apartments with a swimming pool, tanning salon, basketball court and theater are AWESOME. But how much time will you really have? Don’t opt to pay hundreds more a month if you won’t even be able to enjoy the amenities. 5. Great friends are not always great roommates. If you’re worried about living with a friend, observe their living habits. Do they clean regularly? Are they reasonable and understanding? Will they remember to lock the doors? It’s okay to be picky — you’ll thank yourself later. 6. Over-communicate with your landlord and leasing company. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, ask them to clarify terms on the lease or explain a process until you understand. You are in control — it’s your money!

Blunders u from Page 5

for twelve instead. The employees told her they’d update it, but the apartment changed management and lost her information, Tran said. When she tried to move out after 9 months, the apartment charged her roughly $200 to break the lease, she said. Other problems she encountered included constant noise from neighbors due to the building’s insulation, and bad security, Tran said. University Senior Danielle Korby, a journalism major, said she often encounters maintenance issues at her apartment in the Marcy Holmes neighborhood. “We find something wrong once a month, or every few weeks … with the apartment,” she said. Korby said at one point, her apartment had a bad insect problem. “We had a huge ant infestation, which is really gross,” she said. To avoid similar experiences, Korby said prospective tenants should closely inspect the residence, and ask people who live there about

problems they’ve had. “A lot of students will just … sign with a place without really looking into it very closely,” she said. But Tran said said students should avoid corporate landlords altogether. While some people may have better experiences, most end up having problems with their leases, she said. “Read your lease from start to finish,” Tran said. “Don’t skip a line.” Editor’s Note: Danielle Korby is a former Minnesota Daily reporter.

Development u from Page 4

the way the market is working.” Still, reactions are mixed. “I think [the trend] is going to make it harder for people to afford to live near campus or even in the city,” Gordon said. “I actually get concerned about some of the student housing that it’s going to force more students to take on more student debt.”

Wednesday, November 9, 2016