If you're thinking about renting, you need answers to several questions: Where do I begin looking? What do I need to look for? What is it going to cost? Where can I get help if I have problems?
Ads appear in the Manhattan Mercury and other local newspapers, as well as in the Kansas State Collegian.
Consumer and Tenant Affairs in the OSAS office maintains a bulletin board that lists available rental units and various other housing options. You can check with the Office of Student Activities and Services for a list of larger apartment complexes, property management companies, and real estate companies that handle rental properties.
Size
Apartments range from one-room studio apartments to four-bedroom apartments. Houses and mobile homes also vary in size and number of rooms. A student can also rent an individual room.
Furnishings
Some apartments and houses are unfurnished, and others are furnished. Some may offer either option with a price differential.
Restrictions
The most common restrictions are: no pets, no smoking, no waterbeds, no children, and a maximum number of occupants per unit. A few do not allow subleasing.
Contracts
Leases are almost always for 12 months, though a few are written for 10 or 11. Common contract periods are June 1 to May 31 and August 1 to July 1,
Read the lease agreement carefully before signing.
Get it in writing. If the owner/manager offers you an oral lease, pick up a sample written lease, and modify it to meet your needs and those of the owner/manager. Once you have modified a lease, the signatures of the owner/manager and all renters are necessary for the lease to be valid.
Condition of property
You should carefully check the rental unit and its contents. Do an inventory with the owner/manager within five days after moving in. Make needed repairs a part of the lease.
Owner/Manager
Find out about the owner/manager's track record for prompt repairs and fair deposit return. As present or former renters, K-State's Consumer and Tenant Affairs, or the Manhattan Department of Human Resources.
Inspections
Ask how frequently the unit is inspected.
Roommates
Agree ahead of time on the "rules of the house." Use a sample roommate agreement as a guide. If you need assistance in getting a roommate, the Consumer and Tenant Affairs office has a roommate matching service.
Price Range
An unfurnished studio apartment rents for approximately $300-$500, while a two-bedroom apartment rents for approximately $500-$800.
Utilities
The renter is usually responsible for gas/electricity and the owner for water and trash. The landlord/manager should provide you with phone numbers so you can turn on the gas/electricity, water, or trash service.
Startup costs
Most utilities require deposits. The cost to hook up your telephone is $45. A minimum utility deposit for new customers may be $120 for a one-bedroom apartment and more for larger apartments or houses. The cost to hook up your cable TV is $60 and the monthly rate for basic service is $15, while there is an additional $25 for expanded basic and further fees for premium or movie channels. Check with the various utilities for specific costs.
Don't forget about other necessities, such as kitchen and dining supplies and sheets and towels.
Deposits
The amount of the deposit can't be more than one, one and a half, or two months rent. The amount is usually dependent on whether the apartment or house is unfurnished, furnished, or whether pets are allowed.
Whether you're looking for a place to live or are concerned about related issues, such as interpreting leases or getting along with your roommate, both K-State and the city of Manhattan have several offices that can help you.
These offices can provide sample leases, sample roommate agreements, inventory checklists, and tenant's rights handbooks. They help with interpreting leases, mediating landlord/tenant disputes, understanding the Kansas Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, and inspection for code violations.
Code Inspection Office
City Hall
11th and Poyntz
537-0056
Consumer and Tenant Affairs
Office of Student Activities and Services
K-State Student Union
532-6541
Department of Human Resources
City Hall
11th and Poyntz
537-0056
Student's Attorney
Office of Student Activities and Services
532-6541
Office of Student Activities and Services
Kansas State University
K-State Student Union
Manhattan, KS 66506-2804
(785) 532-541
A very helpful publication, Tenant's Handbook of Rights and Responsibilities, is available in the K-State Student Union Copy Center. The cost is $1.60.
**In the main office of the English Language Program is a list of all apartment complexes, property management companies and real estate companies. It also has the phone numbers of local banks and the phone numbers to the utility companies.**