Tenants Rights and Things You Should Know

Transcription

1 Tenants Rights and Things You Should Know Rules of the neighborhood Because St. Ambrose University students constitute such a significant segment of the population living near the campus, the impact of students is a major concern to long-term residents. This means that you are a representative of the university student body. Your conduct not only reflects on other students, it shapes future housing decisions and restrictions on off-campus housing in Davenport. While you may not be subject to all the restrictions that apply to living in the dorms, there are rules for living off campus. Consider the costs associated with being a not-so-good neighbor. Noise Davenport City Code states that any noise that interferes with the comfortable enjoyment of life or property of the neighborhood is forbidden. What does that mean? It means: be sensitive to the amount of noise you are making especially between the hours of 10 PM and 6 AM when noise should not (according to the code) cross a residential property boundary. You may be ticketed $100 for you first offense and $250 for you second offense. The price only goes up from there. Parking Don t park on the grass and don t block sideways or driveways with your car. Also, don t leave your car parked in the same spot in the street for more than 48 hours. Cars parked on private property must park on approved, hard surfaces spaces only. Parking on grass is illegal and may result in a $250 ticket. Parking on gravel areas is approved ONLY if that area has been continuously maintained as gravel parking. Do not assume, however, that your gravel parking pad is legal. Check is out by calling The police will ticket and may tow vehicles that are parked across public sideways and driveway entrances. The police may ticket any vehicle parked on the street that have not been moved in 48 hours. Parking in alleys is illegal. Parking during the winter months During the winter months you may be required to remove your car from the street during snow emergencies to allow snow plows through. Snow emergencies are declared by the City and announced on television, radio, and in newspapers. Rules for parking during snow emergencies are as follows: If you don t move your car during a designated snow emergency, the city may ticket and tow it. Plowing is often necessary during the Christmas holiday and other breaks. If you plan to leave your car in when while you are away, consider moving it to an off- set location or risk having it towed. For more information on parking laws and violation visit the City of Davenport Web page.

2 Snow and Ice Removal If you are responsible for snow and ice removal for your apartment/housing unit, be sure to take care of this in a prompt manner. It s also a good idea to find out whether your landlord provides a shovel and salt or ice remover before the winter season arrives. Snow or ice must be removed from the entire width of all sidewalks within twenty-four (24) hours of the clearing of the adjacent street. If snow or ice is left on the sidewalk for more than 24 hours, the City may remove it and a bill will be sent to the property owner. Again this cost will be passed to you. Repeat offenders may face additional fees. DO NOT deposit snow and ice removed from sidewalks, driveways, or private property onto the street. Trash and Recycling City ordinances describe the kind of containers that may be used for storing garbage, where it can be stored, and when it can be picked up from the curb. If garbage and recycling are not properly bagged or placed in a container at the curb, they will not be picked up. If garbage is left at the curb for longer than a day, the City may remove the waste and bill the property owner. If you are responsible for moving trash or recycle bins for your rental unit, your landlord may deduct the fee from your security deposit. Garbage by the bag If your apartment relies on City trash removal, do not store loose trash in your outdoor garbage can. All trash should be bagged first and then deposited in the can. This makes sense since loose garbage is more likely to spill and blow around making it harder for City workers to do their job and keep the neighborhood clean. Trash becomes a major issue when renters are moving in and out. Old ironing boards, broken TVs, worn out chairs, and other items accumulate in huge piles along the curbs in many neighborhoods, especially in August. Believe it or not, the guys who pick up the garbage don t just pick up any old heap of trash left on the curb. If it is not in a garbage bag or properly sorted in a recycling bin, it is not going anywhere without an additional charge. This means the City will charge your landlord, and your landlord may deduct the charge from your security deposit. That heap of junk that you were too tired to recycle, bag up, or donate to Goodwill may cost you $250 or more. For more information about garbage or recycling services, go to the City s web site. Nuisance Policy-Disorderly House Renters need to be aware of the impact their behavior is having on the neighborhood. When you choose to live off-campus in Davenport you take on some responsibilities to control the sort of activity that happens in and around your apartment. In short, this means that you are required to preserve the safety and peace of the neighborhood.

3 A recent City ordinance makes landlords and tenants responsible for repeat nuisances and disruptive or criminal behavior. This ordinance makes it easier for neighbors to report nuisances, so extra attention is being focused on students who do not comply. Just what is a nuisance? Here is an example: You re a fun-loving person, so you throw a couple of parties-just 20 or 30 people. At one party a couple of your guests get out of hand, shouting in the front yard, and you are cited for a disorderly house. Another party runs late, so you re tired the next morning and don t get around to picking up all the plastic cups left around the yard until your neighbors complain. And sometimes when it s rainy or you come home late at night and there s no place to park on the street, you park in your drive way and block the sidewalk or you block your neighbor s driveway just a few times. Your apartment is listed as a two-bedroom, but you have a friend from high school that needs to crash someplace for just a month or two until he finds work. You let him sleep in the living room your roommate doesn t mind. Oh, and maybe a once or twice your sidewalk didn t get shoveled right away, but there was only a couple of inches of snow and it was pretty packed down. Guess what? If you re not a nuisance already you are fast on your way to becoming one and could face penalties from the City. Not to mention you have really annoyed your neighbors and the next time you throw a party they re going to call the police or your landlord right away. If a property becomes a problem property to the neighborhood, you will be required to attend a compliance meeting involving the City, your landlord/s, and other tenants involved. A schedule of sanctions may be enforced. While many of these sanctions are imposed on the landlord such as restrictions on his or her rental permit this may ultimately have serious consequences for the tenant (you), such as eviction. Most leases state that if tenants violate city codes they are also in violation of the terms of their lease. That is grounds for eviction. WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHILE LOOKING A wide range of housing opportunities exist in Davenport: size, proximity to campus, price, and age. As you begin to think about where you plan to live next year, you should remember that available housing options, both on-campus housing (residence halls and on-campus apartments) and off-campus housing. The checklist below can help you think through the kind of things you need to consider when deciding to move off campus and when you begin your search for an apartment or other rental arrangement. Mark anything that is essential or important to you and use this checklist as you begin your search.

4 Academic Needs Will you have the computer and Internet connection you need? Will it be easy to get to the library, computer labs, advisors, study groups, etc? Is there a quiet and well-lit place to study whether within the building or nearby? Can you get to your classes easily and quickly without a car? Physical Needs Is there enough space to live and study? Are there recreation/ workout facilities on-site or nearby? Are laundry facilities on-site? Is there a secure or covered place to store your bike (porch or garage)? Will you be close to grocery and shopping? Does the neighborhood or complex provide a safe, secure, and well-lighted environment? Will you have off-street parking? Does the landlord provide garbage/recycling pick-up? Does the landlord allow pets? Does the landlord allow smoking? Does the apartment have air conditioning? Are curtains or blinds provided? Are any furnishings provided? Does the apartment have the physical adaptations and/ or accommodations you may require? Are banks/ credit unions/ ATMs or check-cashing facilities located nearby? Are daycare or school facilities for children nearby? Affordability Issues Does the rent or lease agreement include the following: Utilities in the rent ( heat, water, electricity, cable, garbage pick- up)? Off-street parking? Cable or internet service? On-site facilities? Air conditioning? If the rent doesn't include utilities, are the utilities affordable? (You can find out what utilities cost the previous year by contacting the power and gas company.) Additional deposit for pets? Additional fees for late payment or subleasing? Safety Considerations A safe apartment should have the following features: Well- lighted entryway and hallways. Well-lighted off-street or on-street parking. Well-lighted and well-trafficked pedestrian areas and sidewalks A locked outer security door on multi- unit apartments. Locked access to common areas such as laundry rooms and storage facilities.

5 Deadbolt lock on the apartment door. Peepholes or chain locks on door. Locks on all first floor or ground level windows. A sufficient number of electrical outlets in every room (two and three-prong) no extension cords or adaptors. Working appliances plugged directly into appropriate outlets. Locked mailboxes. A fire escape for upper floor apartments. Locks on any windows accessible from a fire escape. Many of the above features are required by city code. If you are concerned that your apartment does not meet code, contact the rental housing inspectors at Also, keep in mind that two of the most common causes of fire and smoke damage are extension cords and candles. Before you sign a lease, research the facts about the apartment you hope to rent. Leases are legal contracts, so it may be difficult or costly if you change your mind after you have already moved in. Don t be shy about asking specific questions.