Tips For Being A Great Tenant

Moving into an off campus apartment is a big step for University of Georgia (UGA) students. After having to share communal bathrooms and deal with the restricting rules that dorm life brings, the freedoms off campus housing provides are hard to ignore. While there are fewer rules that have to be followed when choosing to live in UGA off campus housing, new renters still have to follow certain guidelines that are provided by their property managers. To ensure a smooth transition to this new lifestyle, tenants should follow these tips to guarantee a care-free environment in their new apartment.

FULLY UNDERSTAND YOUR HOUSING CONTRACT

Having a thorough understanding of your housing contract before you sign is the first, and arguably the most important, step in being a good tenant. You never know what little intricacies may be found inside a land-lord tenant agreement, such as limitations on the number of guests one can have over, at what time a noise curfew goes into effect, and amenities that may be included. Give your housing contract a read-thru before agreeing to it, and save yourself from unnecessary run-ins with your apartment complex management.

PAY RENT ON TIME

If you want to keep your landlord out of your hair and keep things going smoothly for the duration of your time in a UGA off campus apartment, you’ll want to send monthly payments to your landlord sooner rather than later. Thankfully, this process has been made easy with online payment systems provided directly to our residents. By being on time with payments, you’ll prevent any incurring any fees related to late deposits, and avoid any unfortunate scenarios where you have to be tossed out onto the street like Jazz from ‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’.

TREAT YOUR SPACE LIKE YOU OWN IT

It’s expected that during your time at our UGA apartments that your home will see some general wear and tear. But reckless actions that lead to property damage can add up, and renters can see a security deposit quickly evaporate. To avoid any unnecessary charges, keep personal and common areas clean and refrain from hosting any excessively rowdy events  — while it may seem like a good idea to host wrestling night in your living room, having to explain a foot-sized hole in the wall to apartment staff is less than ideal.

DON’T BE AFRAID TO ASK FOR MAINTENANCE

When things break in your home, it’s okay. It happens. At Athens Ridge, we’re more than prepared for leaking toilets and faulty stovetops. Leaving a maintenance issue to fester can lead to costly repairs, and when issues grow due to lack of tenant responsibility, a renter can face serious monetary charges. Contacting apartment management may seem daunting, but we’re more than happy to return your living space back to its former glory and get rid of inconvenient leaks or improperly working appliances.

BE THE NEIGHBOR YOU WANT TO HAVE

Having a noisy or rude neighbor can quickly take away the magic that moving into a new apartment brings. While it may seem like no big deal to blast music at 3 a.m., your neighbors and housemates may disagree. To prevent unwanted conflicts with your UGA student apartment neighbors, keep late-night noise down to a minimum, and be respectful with the number of guests over at any given time.