Oberlin Rent Book - Tenant Survey

Tenant Survey

This is a survey provided by a tenant to help you identify housing that meets your needs. These views do not reflect those of the landlord.

Landlord
Mr. Duane Baker
Phone: (419) 483-0605
E-mail: duaneandlynelle@hotmail.com
Address: 337 Northwest St., Bellevue OH, 44811

Rental Unit
Date survey submitted (yyyy-mm-dd): 2009-09-02
Address of Unit: 261 North Main Street Google map (opens in new window)

Type of Unit: apartment in apartment building
Number of total bedrooms: 1

Features

Rental Cost
Rent: $1 per Semester
Deposit: $260
Bedrooms included in this amount: 4

Utilities Included in the Rent
Note that water, sewer, electricity, and garbage disposal are all included in the same bill in the City of Oberlin.
None

Utilities (not included in rent)
Type of heating: Gas
January heating bill: $0
Average heating bill: $0
Average electricity bill: $0

Physical Condition of Unit
On a scale of 1 - 5, 1 being in dire need of change, 3 being sufficient, 5 being remarkably good, or N/A if the condition does not apply.

Plumbing
Showers/bathtubs: 3
Sinks/faucets: 3
Drains: 3
Toilets: 3

Electrical System
Wiring: 4
Outlets: 4
Light fixtures: 3

Appliances
Stove: 3
Oven: 3
Refrigerator: 4
Washing machine: 3
Clothes dryer: 2

Building Structure
Floors: 2
Walls: 3
Ceilings: 2
Doors: 3
Windows: 4
Stairways: 3

Security
Locks: 2
Outdoor lighting: 3

Safety
Smoke detectors: 4
Carbon Monoxide Detectors: N/A

Infestation
Insects: N/A
Rodents: N/A

Comments on condition:
It's a very old house (1900). The floors tilt down in the back of the house (upstairs and down), and doorways are no longer aligned (this leads to problems with the bathroom door getting stuck shut sometimes).There are some cracks in the walls and ceilings, especially in the first floor bedroom facing the street. The upstairs get damp in some parts of the walls when it rains, and there are water stains on the ceiling in the back upstairs bedroom. The stove is electric. The drier has trouble drying full loads completely.

The foundation was just reinforced in Fall 2008.

All wiring works. All appliances work.

The outside was just re-paneled (Fall 2008) and looks great.

Temperature
Is the residence well insulated? No
Are there window screens? Yes
Are there storm windows? Yes
Is the residence warm enough? Yes
Is it hard to regulate the heat?
(For example, does the thermostat work? Do you have to open windows in the winter?): No

Comments on any of the above (temperature):
It was a little cold for me, but another of my housemates was just fine. It depends on your taste. If you like it around 68 or more in winter, it could be a bit expensive to heat.

But the new paneling also had another layer of insulation but between it and the house. So it retains heat better than before.

Relationship With Landlord

Does s/he enter the premises without your consent or without giving legal notice? No

Have you observed on the part of the landlord/landlady discrimination on the basis of sex, race, religion, sexual orientation, etc.? No

Is the landlord/landlady willing to make repairs? If yes, comment on how promptly (below): Yes

Have you had any disagreements with your landlord/landlady concerning who has the responsibility for making the repairs? No

Do you expect to have any problems getting your security deposit returned? If yes, why? (Explain below.): Yes

Have you had any major disagreements with your landlord/landlady? (Explain below.): Yes

If yes, have you taken any legal action concerning the disagreement? (Explain below.): No

Explanations and comments:
The Bakers were great to us while we were living there. They were really nice. Any issues were fixed in an expedient manner. He even let us paint the inside what we wanted and paid for the paint.

But once we left he started bringing up problems. READ THE CONTRACT CAREFULLY. He did not bring it up when we did something he considered against the contract at the time that we did it. One student had $150 deducted from the deposit for paying the second semester rent late (when they returned from winter term instead of mailing it). He refused to return the deposit of another student, claiming they broke contract by letting another person occupy the house, because they had a friend stay in the house for a while in the summer.
Not only that, but he tried to double-rent the house over the summer, having the next renters move in before the lease was up without asking permission of all tenants. He charged the new for the month but did not refund the rent of the students that had vacated before the lease was up. When we found out, we told him "no" (I don't know if the future tenants were refunded).

Neighborhood & Location
Are your neighbors towns-people, students, or a mix? Mix
For whom is the noise level appropriate? School children
Problems with location? None of the above

Comments on the neighborhood:
It's a little past Union Street, which isn't too far away, but is not close either.

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