Contracts/Leases

Whenever you move into an apartment, you will (almost) always be required by the landlord or manager to sign a contract or lease. "Contract" is a very general word for an official, written agreement. A lease is a very specific type of contract which specifies how long you are expected to stay and how much rent you are expected to pay. The law regarding apartment contracts (or leases) in California is very strict. If you sign a year contract/lease, you are expected to live in your apartment for a year. If you sign a six-month contract/lease, you are expected to live there for six months.

Please read your contract/lease carefully before you sign it. Your contract/lease may state that your landlord may not increase your rent during this time and that you may not move out during this time. If you break your contract/lease, your landlord has the right to keep the money you submitted as a deposit when you moved in. You may lose a few hundred dollars! Or you may be required to pay the rental fee for the entire contract period. You may have to pay several hundred dollars! For example, if you sign a year lease, but you decide to leave after 4 months, you may still be responsible for paying for the other 8 months! Sometimes you must continue to pay the rent until the landlord, apartment manager, or you can find a new tenant for your apartment.

If you are not sure how long you wish to live in your apartment, sign the shortest possible contract/lease agreement, even if this means you must pay a higher rent every month. Sign a year contract/lease only if you are fairly sure you will stay for one year in the same apartment complex. Please think carefully before you sign a contract/lease or before you decide to move out early.

 Safety Tips for Renters

Apartment living is a very special experience. It's a place where you can meet many different people, people from different parts of the U.S. and the world. Living on your own, away from your parents can be very fun and exciting. However, you must use caution when you live in an apartment complex. A house is very private; apartments, on the other hand, are not very private. At an apartment complex, there are more strangers walking around in your building and parking lots. Your roommate may be your friend, or he/she may be a stranger.

If you are living in an apartment with roommates, there are a few things you should do to ensure your safety and the safety of your property.

• Install a lock (approx. $25) on your bedroom door and keep your valuable items in your bedroom at all times.
• Lock your bedroom door whenever you leave your apartment.
• Lock your front door at all times, even if you or your roommates are home. Especially lock your front door whenever you leave the apartment.
• Keep your bicycle in your apartment. If it is impossible to do so, buy a very strong lock (approx $35) so that you can keep it secure outside.
• Do not keep large sums of money in your apartment. Keep your money in the bank.
• Keep your passport and other important immigration documents (I-20, for example) in a very safe and secret place.
• Close windows whenever you leave the apartment, especially if you live on the ground floor.

In general, wherever you are, if you are uncomfortable in your apartment, or with your roommate(s), please do not hesitate to talk to the apartment manager. The apartment manager will assist you in your situation and, if necessary, find a different room for you.

 Being A Good Roommate

Having a roommate may be a new experience for you. In the U.S. it is very common for university students to live with roommates. Some people live with friends or acquaintances; some people live with strangers. Sometimes roommates can become your best friends. Sometimes roommates rarely see each other. In order to enjoy your apartment living experience, it important to HAVE a good roommate and to BE a good roommate.

Are you a good roommate? What is a good roommate? In the U.S., a good roommate...

• shares the responsibilities and duties for maintaining a clean apartment;
• helps with vacuuming;
• helps to clean the dishes;
• takes out the trash;
• helps to keep a neat and tidy environment (does not leave personal items and personal trash laying about the apartment for long periods of time);
• does not disturb the peace of others. (This means not playing loud music while your roommate is trying to study or sleep, for example);
• does not use roommate's property without permission;
• does not use roommate's telephone without permission;
• does not eat roommate's food without permission;
• respects the space and privacy of others;
• pays his/her portion of the rental payment and all other shared expenses (e.g. electricity, phone) on time.

If you have a roommate from the same country as yourself, you may have no difficulties living with him/her. However, if your roommate is from a different country, or from the U.S., it is possible that you have different ideas about sharing an apartment than your roommate. Even roommates from the same country do not always see eye-to-eye about sharing an apartment! You can enhance your U.S. living experience greatly if you follow the above guidelines. Having roommates can be and usually is a wonderful, special experience if there is mutual respect and consideration.