COLLEGE ROW AT FRANKLIN & MARSHALL COLLEGE Frequently Asked Questions “FAQ’S” 10/20/06
1. Where is College Row Located? The Corner of College Avenue and Harrisburg Pike. This innovative, multi-use residential community is on the northern edge of Harrisburg Pike, a major thoroughfare connecting the campus to downtown Lancaster and a “front door” to the academic community of Franklin & Marshall College. 2. What size apartments are available? 1 bedroom/1 bathrooms 3 bedrooms/2 bathrooms 4 bedrooms/2 bathrooms Each Apartment will offer luxury amenities and will be finished to high-end market standards including beautiful furnishings for the bedroom and common areas of each apartment. The Apartments will also include the latest communication technologies for voice, data and safety. 3. What are the terms of the Lease Agreement? The Lease Agreement will be available on-line shortly at www.campusapts.com/collegerow. The lease term will be established in conjunction with F&M shortly, but will be in conjunction with the start date of the academic year in the Fall of 2007 and will end in late May 2008 at a date to be determined in conjunction with F&M. Students that are required or approved by the College to arrive early to campus should inform College Row of this need in order for some type of accommodation to be made. Documentation confirming this requirement must be submitted to College Row. Details on this will be sent to each student late in the academic year. The lease term for the ’07-’08 year will be shortened to coincide with the academic year and then will change to a 12-month term for the ’08-’09 year which will be June 2008 – May 2009. The shortened first year is to accommodate those graduating students in May 2008, who will be leaving the College. Each lease agreement will need to have a parental or financial guarantor for the College Row lease agreement. A .pdf of the College Row lease agreement will be available on-line at the College Row website. 4. How do I apply for occupancy/leasing at College Row? The College Row website will be updated shortly with an on-line application and qualifying process for each prospective resident. That website address is www.campusapts.com/collegerow. On November 12th, the College will be holding a Fall Housing Fair that will begin the leasing process for College Row. On that date, each resident must have completed the Resident Lease Application (available on-line) and been qualified to lease at College Row. In order to qualify for occupancy a credit check will be performed on the parental guarantor for each resident along with a criminal check on each resident.
Page 1 of 5
On November 12th, each student must bring a check totaling $165.00 payable to Campus Apartments, Inc. (the $165.00 is for a $35.00 Application Fee and a $130.00 Payment Toward the $250.00 Security Deposit). The balance of the security deposit ($120.00) is due on December 15, 2006. An invoice will be sent to each resident with the amount due along with the address to send the balance of the security deposit. 5. What if I’m currently studying abroad? How do I apply for Housing at College Row? Students currently studying abroad will receive a mailing from the College that includes an Application for Residency in College Row and proxy form. Alternatively, students studying abroad and wanting to lease at College Row can consult the College Row website (www.campusapts.com/collegerow). That site also includes the Application for Residency, which can be completed and submitted for leasing on line. A pdf of the Lease Agreement is also available on the College Row website. Once the Rental Application has been submitted, you should send your proxy form to the Office of the Dean of the College. Dean Taber will ensure that your proxy form is used to secure a room for you. If you don’t have a roommate chosen, then Campus Apartments will assign a roommate. In either case, a lease agreement will be sent to you via email. Please indicate in your Application for Residency that you are studying abroad so appropriate steps can be taken to accommodate your housing needs. 6. What if I plan to study abroad during the fall or spring semester of 2007-08? The College and Campus Apartments plan to establish a system to assist a student planning to study abroad during the 2007-08 academic year in finding another student with whom a lease can be shared. If you plan to study abroad during the next academic year, you should notify the Office of International Programs of your likely study abroad plans as well as your intention to rent in College Row. Students who desire to live in College Row and will be on campus during the fall semester and plan to study abroad during the spring semester may sign a lease for the entire year now. At such time as the College identifies another student interested in assuming the lease for the spring semester, College Row will transfer the lease for the spring semester to the second student. Please understand that there is some risk that the College will be unsuccessful in finding another student to assume this lease; in that event the student will be responsible for making payments. Students planning to study abroad in the fall and hoping to live in College Row during the spring semester should inform the Office of International Programs of your intentions. This office and Campus Apartments will then attempt to match you with a student planning to study abroad during the spring semester. 7. What is the rent for the bedrooms? The table below outlines average rental rates for the unit types offered at College Row. These rates reflect the monthly equal installment of the annual rate. This annual rate is broken into convenient monthly installments, which are not prorated for any month. Please note that the rents listed below are for the individual bedroom not the entire unit. These average rents vary based on specific bedrooms within units and based on premiums for unit locations in the buildings.
Unit Type Studio Apartment 1 Bedroom/1 Bathroom 3 Bedrooms/2 Bathrooms 4 Bedrooms/2 Bathrooms
Average Monthly Rental Rate $715.00 $750.00 $640.00 $595.00
Number of Units /Beds 4 Units/4 Beds 13 Units/13 Beds 24 Units/72 Beds 76 Units/304 Beds
Please note that in the 3 bedroom and 4 Bedroom units, there are additional bathroom sinks available for residents so that each resident has use of their own bathroom sink.
Page 2 of 5
8.
What are individual leases? Individual leases mean that each person signs their own lease agreement on their assigned bedroom, and the common area is shared amongst the roommates. Individual leases also mean you will not be held responsible for unpaid rent or damages in a unit not attributed to you specifically.
8.
When is rent due? All leases reflect a fixed term with a fixed annual rate that is divided into equal monthly installments, which are not prorated for shortened months. The first month rent payment is due on March 1, 2007 and the Last Month’s Rent payment is due on April 1, 2007. These pre-paid rent payments must be paid in full on the date above. Other than these pre-paid rental payments, all other rent is due on the 1st of each month, with the next rental payment due on September , 2007.
9.
What Utilities are included in the rent? • • • • • • Cable Television – Basic Service High-Speed Ethernet Service – (Franklin & Marshall Network) Secured Access to Buildings Water & Sewer Pest Control Landscaping and Grounds Services
Residents will be responsible for Electricity, which includes heating and cooling. Each Unit will be submetered and residents of each unit will be responsible for setting up service with the local utility. Detailed information on set-up will be provided to via the website. The buildings are highly energy efficient and will have high-efficiency appliances in each unit. 10. What Amenities are included in the rent? • • • • • • • • Fitness Center with State-of-the-Art Equipment Computer Labs on Two Floors Fully Furnished Apartments with Contemporary-Styled Finishes and Fixtures Laundry Room on Each Floor – (Coin Operated Machines) Study Rooms in Certain Common Spaces Multi-Purpose Rooms throughout the Buildings Full Kitchen with full-size appliances (Refrigerator & Freezer/Stove/Dishwasher/Microwave) Limited Parking
The Study Rooms, Computer Labs and Social/Common Spaces will be dispersed throughout the two buildings in well-located spaces. The Fitness Center will be located in Building A. 11. What Furniture is included in the Apartments? • • • Each Bedroom has a Full-Size Bed/Stackable Dresser/Desk/Chair/End Table Dining Room Table with Chairs Living Room has a full-size couch/tub chair/Entertainment Stand/Coffee Table
(See Website for Photos and samples of Furnishings)
Page 3 of 5
12.
How big are the Units? The square footage (SF) range and average size of the units is below by unit type. The bedroom size is on average 10x14, which ranges by unit type and the variations assigned to the unit type. The website will be updated with exact measurements for each unit shortly. See the table below for approximate square footage of each unit type. Unit Type 1 Bedroom/1 Bathroom 3 Bedrooms/2 Bathrooms 4 Bedrooms/2 Bathrooms SF Low Range 367 SF 921 SF 1147 SF SF High Range 537 SF 1060 SF 1317 SF SF Average 452 SF 991 SF 1232 SF
13.
What Retail Stores will be located in the buildings? There will 50,000 Square Feet of retail including the possibility of a specialty grocery market, restaurants and bistros, several local and national retailers. The idea of the retail is to create a hip, vibrant, mixed use community where students, faculty, staff and others from the Lancaster region gather to live, shop and dine and meet one another. The residential portion of the buildings will have separate, secured access to only allow residents to enter the residential buildings.
14.
What happens if I cancel my lease agreement? Once a lease agreement has been signed, it cannot be canceled. The only available option to residents not wishing to fulfill their lease agreement is to find a sub-lessor that must be approved by Campus Apartments.
15.
What happens if I don’t like my roommate? The Campus Apartments property staff members will be available to assist in roommate mediation to help resolve any conflicts that arise between roommates. Residents may also transfer to another open bedroom upon availability and for a transfer fee of $250.00
16.
Are pets allowed? There are no animals allowed on the premises of the property at any time with the exception of sight-seeing dogs. Fines for pets will be assessed to residents for their own animals or their guests.
17.
Does College Row accept residents on financial aid? Yes. Residents who are using financial aid to make rental payments must qualify for residency as all other residents. A prospective resident on financial aid must provide to Campus Apartments a copy your Financial Aid Award letter for 2006-07 from the College with the total aid awarded. A resident must still make the initial payment due on November 12th and the first month’s rent payment as outlined in #8 above. Further, a resident must never accrue more than two months of rental payments regardless of financial aid disbursement dates or aid amount awarded.
Page 4 of 5
18.
If I don’t have a roommate, how do you match me with other roommates? Many prospective residents of College Row will likely lease with enough friends to fill an entire unit. If a student does not have other students they desire to live with, Campus Apartments has a roommate matching process to match residents. Each prospective resident of College Row will complete a roommate matching form. This form will be used to match residents based on commonly used questions such as music preference, study habits, social habits, sleeping habits, etc. While every effort is made to match residents based on these and other criteria, often matches are made that ultimately don’t work out. Campus Apartments will make efforts to mediate these issues and will work with the residents to help them overcome their concerns. We recognize that College life includes learning how to live in a world with different viewpoints and different people. We attempt to celebrate our similarities and not our differences and thereby cause students to find harmony in their housing experiences.
19.
When will we receive Fall room assignments? Room assignments, along with roommate information and move-in day information will be provided upon lease execution at the Fall Housing Fair. For residents who will be matched with other students, these room assignments will be sent out during the end of July 2007. It is not necessary for you to call and request this information as final assignments and move-in preparations are not made until the end of July.
20.
Can I pay my rent on-line? At the present time, on-line rental payments are not available. Your rent check must be mailed to the leasing office or hand delivered on or before the 1st of each month. Only personal checks, money orders or cashier’s checks are accepted at this time. Absolutely no cash will be accepted for rental payments.
21.
What if I have other questions regarding College Row? Please email us at fandminfo@campusapts.com or view additional information at the College Row website located at www.campusapts.com/collegerow. We will respond back to you as soon as possible.
Thank You!!
Revision: 10/19/06
Page 5 of 5