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Greetings off-campus
students and welcome back to
UVM and Burlington! We know there is much to navigate in living in the
local community and the Office
of Student & Community Relations created this newsletter to
provide information, helpful tips, and to let you know about upcoming
opportunities. Feel free to contact us with ideas
for future Off-Campus Life editions! Alicia
Taylor (656-9405)
Off-Campus
Burglaries on
the Rise
 Criminals
know when
students return to town and they know your apartments are sometimes
easy pickings -- all those unlocked doors and windows. Keep your
property locked up
and valuables such as laptops, ipods, cell phones, and bicycles out of
sight and locked away when not in use. If you have roommates make sure
you are all on the same page about keeping the doors/windows locked and
that everyone has a working key.
To protect yourself you can also buy renters
insurance. It is cheap and can be easily set up through your family's
homeowners insurance or through your car insurance
company. It also helps to register
your property and keep a log of all of your serial numbers in case
you have to prove what you own.
For more
tips on crime prevention check out the
UVM Police Services and the Burlington Police
Department websites. If you have been a victim of property crime in
Burlington contact the Parallel
Justice Program to see what services are available to you.
Know Your Tenant
Rights & Responsibilities
A brief summary brought to you by Vermont
Tenant's Inc.
Your Rights:
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You are protected by tenant rights law even if
you do not have a written lease.
-
You have the right to safe and decent housing.
-
You have the right to privacy.
-
If the landlord wants you to move, you have
the right to a legal eviction notice and process.
-
You have the right to fight an eviction in
court.
-
You are protected by law against retaliation
from your landlord
-
You cannot be locked out without a court order
called a “Writ of Possession”.
-
If you report to your landlord, in writing,
that a minor repair is needed and the landlord does not fix it
within 30 days, you have the right to have it done and deduct it off
your next months rent. (can be no more than one half months
rent.)
-
You have the right to have a city health and
safety official inspect your apartment and order the landlord to make
repairs.
Your Responsibilities:
-
Pay rent on time. Never pay in cash.
-
Keep apartment clean and safe.
-
Notify Landlord of any problems.
-
Take care not to cause damage. Do not fix or
change things without the landlord’s permission.
-
You are responsible for your
guest’s behavior.
-
Act in a respectful manor that will not
disturb neighbors.
-
Never cook over an open fire inside or
on a porch.
-
Do not put cloth/stuffed furniture on a porch
or outside to give away. It is a fire hazard and against the law.
-
Put trash only in containers provided for it.
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Recycle .
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Never store toxic or hazardous chemicals in
your apartment.
-
It is illegal and dangerous for a tenant to
disable a smoke or carbon monoxide detector.
-
Your lease is a legal contract, if you move
before it ends, the landlord could make you pay rent until new tenants
move in.
Give proper, written notice before you move.
Landlord Responsibilities:
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The landlord is responsible for ALL repairs,
even if you broke it. He or she can charge you for the repair if
you caused the damage.
-
As long as no money is owed for rent,
utilities or damages, the landlord must return your security deposit
after you move.
-
The landlord must make sure that each
apartment has adequate heating and hot water systems.
-
The landlord must allow tenants full use and
enjoyment of their apartment.
-
The landlord must give a tenant 48 hour notice
before entering the apartment unless there is an emergency such as
fire, flooding or gas leak.
-
The landlord must allow you to have guests of
your choice.
-
The landlord must give a tenant proper written
notice of rent increases or termination of tenancy.
-
In Burlington apartments, the landlord must
pay for trash removal (tenants renting single family homes must arrange
for their own trash pick-up).
This is not intended to be legal advice. If
you are having rental problems, please contact Vermont
Tenants Inc. for help. (802) 864-0099. Walk in hours:
Mon-Fri, 9:00am-3:00pm
294 N. Winooski Ave., Burlington VT
For housing discrimination questions:
The
Fair Housing Project - (802) 864-3334
For questions regarding unsafe or unhealthy
housing conditions:
Burlington
Code
Enforcement - (802) 863-0442
Have
YOU
Joined Your Front Porch Forum?
Chances are good that dozens of
your neighbors and classmates are connected to each
other
online via a local invention called Front Porch Forum. Please join the
conversation today by SIGNING UP at http://frontporchforum.com
and POSTING a message or two. 
"As a college
student and renter, I often don't have the normal tools for doing
things around the house. Front Porch Forum has been a great help
at finding neighbors willing to lend out a shovel in the wintertime, a
hammer & nails, or even some flour. I definitely feel more at
home here in Burlington as a student thanks to Front Porch Forum." Matt, UVM student.
FPF hosts 130 neighborhood forums covering all of Chittenden County.
More than 15,000 households
subscribe, including one-third of
the City
of Burlington and 1,000+
UVMers!
Check it out today at http://frontporchforum.com
Remember those tragic hit and runs last
fall?
Have you had a couple of close calls recently?
Whether we're walking, driving, skating or biking,
we're all
responsible for creating a culture of
safety and civility in the Queen City. Burlington
residents and leaders have launched a
Safe
Streets
campaign with the message
Give Respect, Get Respect. Safety Is a
2-Way Street.
You can help out by doing these 4 things:
1) GET THE GEAR:
Yes, we'll pay you to be safe! Cyclists,
Skaters,
and Walkers - get $6 off
reflective clothing, helmets
or lights. Drivers - get $6 off a
hands
free headset
so you can keep both hands on the wheel.
Download
the $6 coupon here.
2) BE AN AMBASSADOR:
Help spread the word! Distribute the
materials
($6 coupons,
brochures, cards, web PSAs) to friends
and neighbors. Pick up
printed
materials at
Local Motion or download
them.
3) REPORT
RECKLESSNESS:
If you see reckless behavior on our streets,
report it!
Call 540-2345. The Burlington Police will attempt to
contact the
reckless driver, cyclist or pedestrian and
explain the rules of the
road. Also, your report will be
put on file to track repeat
incidents by the same person.
4) GET INVOLVED:
Our next meeting is Thurs. Oct. 1st Noon to 1:30
at the Burlington Police Department. Contact Chapin Spencer or Lt. Bill Ward for more
info.
Do
You Know What Burlington
Ward You Live In?
The City of Burlington has seven wards.
To find
out
which one you are in click
here.
Each Ward has a Neighborhood Planning Assembly
(NPA). The NPA’s, working as neighborhood advocacy groups, help
improve communication between the citizens of Burlington and City
government
Neil Grosberg, Ward 6 NPA Steering Committee
member, extends the following invitation to students
living in his Ward:
"Please join the
Ward 6 NPA. At the monthly meetings neighbors learn about public issues, and
advise the City of their
concerns and needs. From neighbor-college student relations: stop signs; to major
development projects, the
NPA’s offer you an innovative way to get involved in neighborhood and
City issues and make your opinions heard. The university and the
local colleges also provide updates so residents like you can stay
informed about initiatives and activities.”
For more details about NPA’s, click
here.
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