Share your off campus move in experiences

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Alabama
1

<p>After reading the thread about various move in experiences and conditions of rooms on campus, I thought it might be helpful to students and families of students who will move off campus next year to share experiences and first impressions of those who moved off campus this year or relocated to another property like The Lofts, The Retreat, East Edge, The Woodlands, The Gates, Crimson, and others.</p>

<p>Feel free to provide as much or as little about your experience as you would like and include any information you think would be helpful to others as they navigate the move to off campus housing in the future.</p>

<p>How did you choose your new home?</p>

<p>How was your move in experience?</p>

<p>How do you like your new home? Brag away!</p>

<p>Were there items you found you really must have or didn’t need after moving from the dorm or from another property?</p>

<p>What is furnished? Utilities? Ammenities?</p>

<p>Recommendations/experiences with furnishing and decorating your new space?</p>

<p>Suggestions for future students in choosing a property and roommates?</p>

<p>What amenities does your property offer and which ones do you feel are important to your student? Location, convenience, safety, social aspects?</p>

<p>Did your student have roommates or did they use roommate matching? How many roommates?</p>

<p>Share costs or anything else you would like to share for the benefit of the next group of students.</p>

<p>Also, let the on campus experience of others in the thread about the conditions they found their rooms serve as a reminder to those living off campus. DOCUMENT, DOCUMENT, DOCUMENT…list any and all imperfections and take pictures now. Off campus properties WILL stick you with repair and replacement costs at the end of your lease if they are not documented at move in.</p>

2

<p>I have a question for all those who moved into on-campus housing. Was there anything so large that you needed two people to move it? Or was everything small enough that one person could move themselves in?</p>

3

<p>Are you asking about moving on campus or off campus? There is a staff of volunteers who move your belongings from vehicle to dorm during scheduled on campus move in. There won’t be a need for you to lug anything from your packed vehicle to move into on campus housing.</p>

4

<p>For those students who recently moved into off campus housing for the first time, here is an example of a move out checklist used by some properties. It might be wise to use this list to document the move in condition of your new digs. Don’t forget to take pictures!</p>

<p>Move-Out Procedures
Please see below a letter and cleaning check list you will be receiving soon regarding move-out. This only applies to those who have not renewed their lease for Fall 2013. Please note that your lease expires at noon on July 31st, and you must vacate the unit by that time.</p>

<p>Dear Resident:</p>

<p>We hope you have enjoyed your stay! We regret your decision to move out, but hope you consider us in the future should your housing needs change.</p>

<p>This letter is written notice to ensure move-out goes as smoothly as possible. Included is all of the information necessary for leaving the apartment in good condition. It’s a great tool to aid in inspecting the apartment for the same items we check. Following these guidelines may help avoid any additional damage or cleaning charges being assessed to your account.</p>

<p>It is imperative that any repairs/cleaning, keys, pool pass, and resident access card turned in on time in order to avoid additional fees. Keys and cards may be turned in at any time (you are still responsible for rent and utility payments through the end of your lease agreement), but you MUST be moved out and have all items turned in no later than 12:00 noon on July 31, 2013. Our office will open on Wednesday, July 31st at 8:00 AM. In the event that you have not checked out by the cutoff at 12:00 p.m., holdover rent of $150.00 per day will be charged for the delay. Additional costs incurred due to a delay in move-out (contractors fees, etc.) may also be assessed. Please refer to your Lease Agreement for specific details on this matter. If you are planning on moving out prior to July 31, 2013, you may check out any time during our normal business hours by setting up an appointment.</p>

<p>We have attached the Cleaning Checklist listing specific items that we will be checking for when we assess charges. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask. CAUTION: most rental and “for home use” machines will not clean the carpet properly. We strongly recommend hiring a professional carpet cleaning company (retain your receipt for proof) when you move out. Any damage or staining to the carpet, even if it has been cleaned, is your responsibility. However, if a receipt from a professional company is provided, we will credit your account for the base cleaning charge.</p>

<p>If you live in an apartment WITH ROOMMATES WHO ARE NOT VACATING, all areas that pertain to you must still be thoroughly cleaned and items replaced as need be in order to avoid charges. We do not expect for the cabinets or refrigerators to be emptied out, but we do expect for all of these areas to be cleaned AND IN GOOD REPAIR or your account will be charged for the item.</p>

<p>If there are items in the apartment that need repair, please be sure to report them to our office prior to move-out. Please call or stop by the office time to make a service request, and we will be happy to assist you.</p>

<p>If you have any questions, please call our office. We thank you again for your residency, and wish you all the best in your future endeavors!</p>

<p>Sincerely,</p>

<p>Management Team</p>

<p>Checklist for Cleaning Your Bedroom/Apartment
All of the items on this list must be thoroughly completed prior to turning in your keys on July 31st at noon. Items that are not done may result in invoiced charges to complete and/or repair.</p>

<p>Living Room:
Vacuum carpet
Sweep/Mop hard surface floors
Clean window tract, frame & blinds
Clean light switch/outlet covers
Clean air vents
Replace any non-working light bulbs
Doors/Walls are clean & free of damage
Wipe down baseboards
Clean light fixtures
Return furniture to original position</p>

<p>Laundry:
Sweep/Mop floor
Wipe down washing machine/dryer
Clean out lint trap in dryer
Clean light switch/outlet covers
Replace any non-working light bulbs
Clean light fixture
Wipe down baseboards
Clean wire shelf</p>

<p>Dining Room:
Vacuum carpet
Sweep/Mop hard surface floors
Clean window tract, frame & blinds
Clean light switch/outlet covers
Clean air vents
Replace any non-working light bulbs
Doors/Walls are clean & free of damage
Wipe down baseboards
Clean light fixtures
Return furniture to original position</p>

<p>Bedroom:
Vacuum carpet
Clean window tract, frame & blinds
Clean light switch/outlet covers
Clean air vents
Replace any non-working light bulbs
Doors/Walls are clean & free of damage
Clean baseboards
Clean light fixtures
Return furniture to original position</p>

<p>Kitchen:
Clean counters, cabinets, shelves & drawers
Make sure all items/contact paper is removed
Clean stove/oven of all stains
Drip pans should be clean or replaced if stained
Clean exhaust fan above stove
Clean microwave (inside and out)
Clean Refrigerator (inside and out)
Clean under & behind refrigerator
Sweep/mop floor
Replace any non-working lights bulbs
Clean light switch/outlet covers
Wipe down baseboards
Doors/Walls are clean & free of damage
Clean light fixtures
Return bar stools to counter area (if applicable)</p>

<p>Bathroom:
Sweep/mop floor
Clean toilet, tub and sink (inside and out)
Clean cabinets, shelves and drawers
Clean exhaust fan
Replace any non-working light bulbs
Clean light switch/outlet covers
Wipe down baseboards</p>

<p>Hallway:
Clean light switch/outlet covers
Wipe down baseboards
Vacuum carpet
Sweep/Mop hard surface floors
Replace any non-working light bulbs
Doors/Walls are clean & free of damage
Clean air vents</p>

<p>Balcony/Patio:
Remove all personal items
Sweep clean</p>

5

<p>I’m hoping some CC’ers will post their off-campus experiences, as we need all the info we can get for next year.</p>

6

<p>That’s a lot to expect of a college student bamagirl, wow! Good to know. S just moved into East Edge Saturday. His apartment was in very good condition, so I guess the previous resident must have done his cleaning!</p>

7

<p>I have resisted replying because our experience was not good, but maybe something can be learned from it.</p>

<p>I moved my daughter into her apartment on Wednesday. She picked her unit and we signed our lease in November 2012. It was VERY important to her that she be within VERY close proximity to campus because she does not have her car on campus and she spends lots of late nights in the lab. Given this restriction, it limited the complexes available. </p>

<p>We began by having her walk around and write down the complexes that she would consider. Once she identified them, I had her call and set appointments to see the units. We came up with a list of questions that she would ask each of the complexes, and agreed that she would take pictures and videos of each using her phone. Once we had all the information we made a decision and signed a lease. The lease, as expected, really protects the landlord, but did have a whole section of what would be done to each unit between tenants. I think this gave me a sense of security, which turned out to be a false sense of security </p>

<p>Fast forward to Wednesday- When we walked into her unit I cried, my husband was speechless and my daughter was crushed that we did not love the unit she picked. The place was filthy. The carpets were not even vacuumed let alone steam cleaned as promised. The wood floors were not swept, no painting…I could go on and on but will spare you the gory details.</p>

<p>Keep in mind we had flown in from Colorado and were only in town for a few days with a lot to do. We did not factor cleaning into our schedule. I began by calling the complex and asked to speak with the manager. I was told he was out and that he would get back to me. He did not. Again, given our limited time, off to Target I went. </p>

<p>The three of us spent 12 hours cleaning the apartment. We even did things like caulk the tub. When the cleaning was done, off to the management office I went again. I spoke with the manager who initially tried to say that they had cleaned the unit, that was until I showed him the pictures I had taken. At that point he had no choice but to agree that it must have gotten missed somehow. He then stated that I should have called the day before, when he could have sent someone over to clean. I recommended he go to his desk and find the message from me which he had not returned. I then instructed him that he would be writing me a check and also supplying me with paint and a paint brush for me to finish preparing the unit. He did just that.</p>

<p>Many of you may have handled this differently. I went into auto pilot. I knew exactly what needed to be done to this unit before I could leave my daughter there and fly back across the country. In the end it all worked out. She has a very nice unit that I think she will be comfortable in.</p>

8

<p>Sniner- Could you share with me which of the apartments your DD considered. DS was lucky to get housing this year but I doubt that he will be so lucky next year. He will not have a car, so distance to campus is his main concern. Thank you for sharing.</p>

9

<p>So sorry about your experience, Sniner.</p>

<p>@3kidsinhs</p>

<p>Yes, it likely fell to unsuspecting parents like me.:slight_smile: I’m so happy your son is settled and all is good.:)</p>

10

<p>My S moved into the Woodlands on Friday. For us, it went as expected.</p>

<p>He had pre-selected his roommates. He is living with 3 of the boys that lived in the suite directly across the hall from his last year. The complex does also have a roommate matching service for those that want to use it.</p>

<p>The apartment was clean. There was some damage (some small scratches and scrapes on the wood floor and the doors), a missing cover on a light fixture, and the entire corner was broken off the counter on his bathroom sink (there had been an attempt to fix it, but the adhesive wasn’t holding). We noted everything on the form provided and turned it in within 24 hours of move in as required. He is also going to put in a maintenance request to get the counter top fixed ‘again’, but isn’t sure how long it will take as it isn’t a high priority issue.</p>

<p>The complex has it’s own private security patrol and also has a security system in the apartment units although we weren’t given any instructions on how to operate it. </p>

<p>The unit comes with a full sized bed, desk and desk chair, 4 drawer dresser, and nightstand in each bedroom. A couch, chair, coffee table, and tv stand in the living room. And in the 4 bedroom unit 4 bar stools, as well as a dinning table with 4 chairs in the kitchen/dining room area. It wasn’t high quality furniture, but all in good condition.</p>

<p>There is a dishwasher, microwave, and washer and dryer included in the unit.</p>

<p>There is a basic cable package that can be upgraded at a cost and wired internet ports (8 in the 4 bedroom unit). Residents were told to purchase their own wireless router if they wanted wi-fi access as it was not available complex wide.</p>

<p>The complex has a pool area, a small gym, several computers for use in the clubhouse, pool tables, and a media room where residents can watch DVDs projected on a large screen. </p>

<p>There is a lot of parking available, but not necessarily directly next to your unit which was a little challenging when moving stuff in if you didn’t get a close spot, but shouldn’t be an issue during the year. The complex backs up to the back of Target and there is a rear entrance to the complex that allows access to Target without going onto McFarland which is pretty convenient. </p>

<p>The complex does have a shuttle to campus, but not certain how often my son will use it since he does have his own car there. </p>

<p>The biggest issue I noticed is that the walls are THIN and with students keeping odd hours before the start of classes, there was noise ALL NIGHT, but I don’t think my S minded, or even really noticed. I guess parents sleeping in college apartments need to pack earplugs. :)</p>

<p>The cost for this year is 12 payments of $560 which includes all utilities up to a capped amount. </p>

<p>Overall move-in was quick and went smoothly.</p>

11

<p>As many of you may remember, we got the “start planning for next year” letter from UA housing in October of last year. Consequently, we went into turbo mode on apartment hunting. I remember being so frustrated that we needed to start looking for housing so soon! DS was a brand new OOS freshman with limited knowledge of the area. We didn’t know yet how things would go with his freshman year roommates (2 known, 1 unknown). How in the world would he do this?</p>

<p>Well, that sense of urgency turned out to be a blessing. DH and I told DS that we wanted him to stay close to campus at least for his first year in an apartment – preferably west of McFarland and north of the railroad tracks. DS was charged with investigating properties, doing cost analysis and finding roommates. He narrowed the field so that we could tour apartments when we came to town at the end of November. After touring, we agreed that our first choice was East Edge, but at that time, there was already a sizeable waiting list! He and one of his known (and dependable!) freshman roommates decided to take their chances with an unknown third roommate because the 3BR apartments had the shortest waiting list. We signed the paperwork and prayed that he and his friend would get a place. They called him 2 weeks later and told him that they didn’t get in. A couple of days after that, they called back and said they DID have a place for them. </p>

<p>Fast forward to move in on Saturday. Things went pretty well for us at East Edge thanks to the great advice I got from bamagirls! EE had 4 check-in times spaced throughout the day to “load” the buildings from the back of the complex to the front. DS had the last time slot (3:30) and we were told that no early check-ins would be allowed. Being a very laid back personality, DS wanted to skip the crowds, so we aimed to arrive about an hour and a half after his check-in time. (I called ahead to make sure that someone would still be there to check him in.) We had a completely calm and relaxed move in. In fact, I only saw one other student moving in while we were unloading. It was still light outside, but it had cooled down a bit and we were able to make a lot of progress in a short amount of time. Of course, we didn’t have to move furniture to EE since it comes furnished, but his sedan and my SUV were full.</p>

<p>Thanks to bamagirls, we had curtains and curtain rods the right size and type and had them hung in 3 windows in no time flat. DS didn’t think he wanted curtains, sofa pillows, etc., but he was surprised by how much homier they made the place feel. We took a queen size gel mattress topper and cut 6” off the side for a perfect fit on the full xl bed. Knowing that we were going to do these things, I came prepared with the appropriate tools, including a stepladder for hanging curtains and scissors for cutting the gel pad. Couldn’t have done it so efficiently without such great advice!</p>

<p>Thanks for posting the move out info, bamagirls. I have already forwarded it to DS so that he will know what they expect of him when the time comes. I will be very content if move out happens after graduation!</p>

12

<p>:) I’m so glad to hear all went well, SECfam. I was thinking about you all weekend!</p>

<p>Thanks for the report from The Woodlands, jrcsmom!</p>

<p>The information y’all provide should be helpful to other OOS students and parents who will soon navigate the off campus move.</p>

13

<p>Son’s friends moved into Crimson Student Living last week/this weekend. I know one of them at least did not buy a parking pass and will depend on the shuttle to go to classes every day.</p>

<p>They are in a four bedroom, and at least two of them are on the six year plan, so they will be looking for good kids to fill their empty suites next year. There are lots of honor students who got shut out of on campus housing this year, and as the older kids graduate, their suitemates will be looking for kids to fill the empty rooms.</p>

14

<p>Well…my DD and her roommate went for location, location, location. We moved her in to, what we now call “The Dump”, a week ago. She and her roomie were swamped with rush activities so my husband and I drove the dreaded U-Haul from Dallas to T-town, loaded with furniture. Her unit is unfurnished, but no worries, it’s hardly large enough for any furniture anyway!</p>

<p>My husband’s face had a horrified expression when we walked up to her unit. It really disturbed him that there were cigarette butts on the walkway. The unit, itself, was very clean. The 10 yr old carpets had been steamed and the rest of the unit was spotless. The kitchen had pretty new appliances and is mostly taken up by a full size washer and dryer. The bedrooms were a decent size and the closet space was ample. </p>

<p>This unit is about a block from the stadium and a block from the strip. We loved that we could take a break from move in and walk a couple of steps to happy hour! All in all, the move in was a piece of cake and our D is thrilled to be out of Tut! For T-town, this place is very inexpensive housing. There is no swimming pool or workout room or tanning…but D seems really happy with the location that she wanted and we are happy about the price. The new units right next door to her are going for double what we are paying. We are leasing through College Station Properties who specialize in walking to campus locations. They have been very easy to work with and were even open extended hours (and days) during move in.</p>

15

<p>This is all fantastic feedback to hear, as we may eventually find ourselves in need of an off-campus option. Just too many variables up in the air right now. But, I thank you all for posting your experiences and tips. Definitely helpful. It appears UA on-campus housing is not alone in getting a little complacent and lax with their deliverables. It doesn’t appear that the same applies to their expectations from us, now does it??</p>

16

<p>SMB- our “dump” (also with TONS of cigarette buts) is also a college station property. Like your daughter, mine is thrilled with her location and to be out if the dorm. In the end, I guess that is all that really matters.</p>

17

<p>Congratulations to your daughter on her new place and to you for being resilient. Roll Tide.</p>

18

<p>Bumping this</p>