When food service management senior Tom Chodl and his roommates agreed to paint the living room area of their apartment a darker shade, they thought it would be a simple task to get the white color back by the end of the semester.
No matter how much paint they applied to the wall, Chodl said, there was no way to obtain the original shade, and he and his roommates were charged with damages by their management company, Abbott Place Apartments.
“You are technically responsible for your room and the common area,” Chodl said.
“Understand that if something happens at an apartment, it’s your deal. If it’s your fault, you pay for it.”
Joanna Gibbons, area marketing director for Chandler Crossings, agrees with Chodl.
Gibbons said although most people do not encounter damage charges, the handful who do pay very little.
“(The) rule of thumb is read your lease. We are here to further a student’s education goals and not chase you around for damages,” Gibbons said in an e-mail.
“If a resident has a question about any damages before they move out they can schedule a walk though with a manager or even request to see what the damage would cost them.”
Besides Chandler Crossings, East Lansing area management companies usually charge a security deposit to cover damages and other costs relating to the wear and tear of an apartment.
Psychology senior Meredith Derian-Toth said there was a $200 charge for each of her roommates due to small issues when she received her final deposit.
“The only thing I can suggest to get much of your security deposit back is that your apartment should be impeccable — perfectly clean,” Derian-Toth said.
“If you think it makes a small difference in the way the place looks, you should put it back to the way it was.”
Derian-Toth said, based on her experiences, even if small problems remain before moving out, such as holes in the wall due to thumbtacks, blue sticky tack on the walls or even a spot of mildew on the window sill, the company might charge the tenant.
Some charges can be avoided through cleaning, Derian-Toth said.
“My roommates and I cleaned out our apartment before we left and we had a wine stain on the carpet, so we just moved the couch over the stain,” she said.
“We never got charged.”
Although living options practically are endless for MSU students, Chodl said to keep a cost and benefit analysis of every living option in mind.
“The dorms are a good alternative, but the dorms were not for me,” Chodl said.
“In college, you want your freedom.”
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