The Panther's Guide to Living Off Campus
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» Landlord Toolkit
On this page, you will find various resources, important contacts, mitigation tips for nuisance properties, addendum items to consider including in a lease, and letter template emails for certain times throughout the year. These resources are intended to create a positive relationship between the landlord and student tenants, as well as the surrounding community. These are only suggestions, and should not be considered as actual lease verbiage, nor considered legal advice.
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Landlord letter templates
- Move-in Letter: This letter includes general reminders for students, such as neighbor introductions, important ordinances, and parking information.
- Move-out Letter: This letter consists of expectations of the student tenants when moving out and general information about furniture disposal, cleaning, and trash pick up.
- Party Abatement Letters: Best practices and general reminders for student tenants that can be shared before the following popular party dates - Halloween, St. Patrick's Day, Cinco De Mayo, Christmas, Orientation Week, and Commencement.
If an issue arises...
From time to time, student behaviors can become an issue for the landlord/property manager, or even the surrounding neighbors and community. While these scenarios are unfortunate, they do happen. Below are some positive actions that can be taken to help when nuisances do arise.
- Send a warning letter to occupants with your concerns and clear guidelines of what you expect.
- Organize a meeting with occupants to clarify expectations for property use, rendering a written agreement or guidelines from that meeting.
- Call co-signer. As a co-signer they can be held accountable as much as the live-in tenant. Communicating issues with co-signers has been deemed to be effective.
- Contact Community Relations directly if students are involved to request support from administration, faculty, sports coaches or fraternal society liaisons.
- Contact neighbors to establish channels of communication by telephone, email, etc.
- Use rental agreement provisions that clearly state tenant responsibilities for use of premises including responsibility for litter control, trash container use, noise, parking and municipal penalties and fees for conditions attributable to occupant use. Some landlords prohibit use of front porches and steps for gatherings after 10 p.m., and also prohibit couches and clutter on porches.
- Engage a qualified property manager to manage the premises. A professional manager can often increase profitability and reduce problems associated with rental residences.
Addendum items that may be helpful to include in a lease
- Guests are not allowed to stay longer than two weeks.
- Loud parties or other disturbances that infringe upon the peaceful living environment of other residents or neighborhood is prohibited.
- The Lessee’s are responsible for the behavior and actions of their guests.
- Littering in outdoor and/or common areas related to the premises are prohibited.
- Vehicles are limited to tenants only and are to be parked in appropriate spaces provided. Inoperable and unlicensed vehicles are not allowed to be stored on the premises.
- Reckless driving on the premises and neighborhood is prohibited.
- Defacing and/or damaging the rental property is prohibited. Any damage will be charged to the Lessee via deposit or upon move out.
Safety and support
- Community Relations - (714) 289-2097 | neighbors@chapman.edu
- Orange Police Department (non-emergency) - (714) 744-7444
- Chapman University Public Safety - (714) 997-6763
- Chapman University Fire & Life Safety - (714) 744-7875
- City of Orange Ordinances