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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (April 13, 2000)
rhursdaT lursday, April 13,2000 AGGIELIFE THE BATTALION Page 3 CODY WAGES major, prunes and tenc;j Campus. The trees \ earn and appreciated r former stud former student Marine? ium at 2 p.m. i Marines whodiedintlie: ^ht near Tucson. Ariz. of Cadets, the Aggie lization. During his se«| ajor and received his Java I ROTC program, allow the many people mu entors an opportunity to o 2 c o o QJ zn cs <L> 2 3 C/3 3 t/5 o -G CQ a? | £ Correction O oo r \ ^ O -o $ 4 it Q Q •T3 < E 3<» IS tide '‘A&M pay increasf o see hike this W ino t all members ot cus/tf d services andM/ira^ receive pay raises. * ees whose present ssl ] v the Sept. 1,2000/ their position will rel tcluding newly hired oositions due to recs groundskeepers aid ot be included intoei J.P BEATO/Thk Battalion Students discuss pros and cons of subleasing BY KELLY PREISER The Battalion A s the end of the semester approaches, many students are faced with the not only the question of deciding what classes to take next semester, but an even more basic question — “Where will I live?” For many students, going home for the summer can turn into a big hassle when they begin to think about what to do with their apartments or houses after they leave. One option available is subleasing, but one should check with apartment management to see if subletting is an option before starting the process. According to the Off-Campus Student Services Website, when the sublessor (the person moving out) arranges to sub lease their apartment to the sublessee (the person taking over the lease), he or she will still be held responsible for the apartment, including damages and rent, and is not entitled to his or her security deposit until the lease ends. One should check with his or her apartment manager to find out what he or she is responsible for in these scenarios. Jeff Walker, a junior construction science major, said he initially signed a 12-month lease but then realized he would have to move out for the summer for an internship in Dallas. He decided subleasing was the best thing to do. “Some places require you to sign 12-month leases. If you won’t be there the full 12 months, subleasing will really save you a lot of money. That way you don’t have to pay for space you're not living in,” Walker said. “If you sublease, it really looks a lot better when you’re going to a new apartment because then you don’t have to break a lease or anything. It also saves you a lot of money, because someone else will be taking over the monthly rent and utilities,” said Abbey White, a senior journalism major. Subleasing can also be beneficial to the sublessor as well as the sublessee. Since it can be hard to find someone to sublease, some sublessors are willing to negotiate the amount of rent or bills paid and will then make up the difference themselves. For example, a sublessor may charge $400 dollars a month on an apartment that rents for $525. “We lowered the price of our rent so that we could [find someone to] lease it faster. It’s really a good deal for the renter,” White said. Students have used a variety of methods to find a sublessee. “I put flyers on campus but never got any calls. We [my roommates and I] eventually ended up subleasing by word of mouth. Luckily, we had friends looking for somewhere to sublease for the summer. Then all we had to do was run it by the property manager,” Walker said. Subleasing to friends would seem to be the easiest way to go, but not everyone can be so lucky. Many students have turned to the Department of Student Life’s Off-Campus Stu dent Services Webpage. This page offers students who are looking to sublease a place to advertise their apartment and also the opportunity to look through lists of students who are trying to find a place to live for the summer. “I’m graduating in May and wanted someone to take over my lease. I put signs up and got a couple of calls, but had a lot more luck with the Off-Campus [Student Services] Web page,” said Mara London, a senior civil engineering major. Another option for students is to put an ad in the newspaper. “I put up signs on campus but didn’t get any calls. Then, last Tuesday, I put an ad in [the newspaper] and got six calls this week. I finally found someone to sublease,” White said. Once one finds a place to sublease, or a sublessee, he or she then has to go to the property managers and sign over the lease. Some prefer not to go through the management and just do all the negotiating themselves. Either way, papers need to be signed. If one does not find someone to sublease to, according to Off-Campus Student Services, one may be gble to negotiate terms with his or her apartment manager or re-lease the apartment. When one re-leases the apartment, he or she is no longer liable for the apartment; the property owner and new resi dent create a new lease. When subleasing, students need to make sure they know exactly what they are getting into before signing a lease. Not knowing what to expect can cause trouble. Sunny Gerston, a junior accounting major, and her room mate had trouble renewing their lease for next year because they will both be graduating in December. The apartment manager told the girls they could extend their current lease into December, but then backed down. “Make sure you know what you’re getting into before signing anything,” Gerston said. “No matter what you’re told, make sure it is written and signed by someone. You need to make sure you have everything in writing.” t Theta ial Scotty’s House @ 9:00am HSC im - 3 pm efore 4/14 House) IING MPAIGN FREE COVER TONIGHT! 21 and Op Prink Specials from 9-11 p.m. HAVE A GREAT TIME AT THE SPORTS BAR AND OUTER LIMITS DANCE CLUB! le Field, m online at Outer Limits (gl Don’t forget to bring your parents to the Sports Bar this weekend! 701 University Dr. E., Ste. 300 691-0484