Source: https://www.amherst.edu/offices/rental_properties/mhc/handbook/occupancy
Timestamp: 2014-03-08 11:19:03
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Occupancy Information | Amherst College
Home » Offices & Departments » Rental Properties » Mount Holyoke College » Tenant Handbook » Occupancy Information
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8:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.Monday-Friday (413) 542-8506rhd@amherst.edu212 Northampton RoadAmherst, MA 01002
Mount Holyoke College Tenant Handbook Click here for a printable version of the handbook.
Part 1: General Occupancy Information and ProceduresPart 2: Maintenance InformationPart 3: Other Important Information
Part 1: General Occupancy Information and Procedures
Subletting and Responsibilities
Police and Fire Contacts
The Rental Property Department sends an application form, via email or mail, to all new appointees eligible for College housing only when their signed employment contracts have been received and when so advised by the Dean of Faculty's Office.
Application forms should be returned directly to the Rental Property Department as soon as possible. Application forms received by the Rental Property Department by May 15 will be put in priority order for assignments. Those application forms received after May 15 will be dealt with on a first-come, first-served basis. Cooperation between the parties who are moving out and moving in is helpful and appreciated.
Application forms received by the Rental Property Department before May 15 will be placed in priority order as follows:
1. Academic rank at the time of appointment is considered in descending order as follows:
Regular part-time faculty members who file jointly for housing will be considered on a combined basis of one full-time faculty member: The appointee with the highest rank will be considered for priority purposes.
2. The President will establish the rank of administrators for priority purposes.
3. Additional consideration will be given for the number of dependents in a family. Dependents are defined as those so qualified according to the rules of the Internal Revenue Service and can include dependent parents or other close relatives that live with the appointees. Back to top
Should situations arise where there is a perception of disagreement between or amongst applicants for housing or for requests to move, the criteria for resolution of the issue(s) will be:
The appointee with the higher rank will be given preference.
The appointee with longest total service at the College, if applicable, will be given preference.
The Dean of Faculty will adjudicate.
In accordance with the priority list, the Rental Property Department will offer College housing to eligible appointees. The applicant will in turn notify the Rental Property Department of his or her interest, if any, and assignments will then be made.
New tenants are required to sign a lease agreement in duplicate before occupancy. The terms of the lease are important and binding and should be read carefully and in their entirety.
Several types of College residences are available for occupancy as follows:
No. Bldgs.
All College housing is rented without furnishings. (The College does not own any furnished units.) Some multiple-family apartment units have coin-operated washer/dryer units available, and some buildings are equipped with washer/dryer connections. The College does not supply any dishwashers in any of the units. The Rental Property Department will not be responsible for repair or replacement of appliances that are not owned by the College. Prospective tenants should check to see if utility hook ups are available for their personal appliances before accepting an offered unit. There will be a charge of $50.00 for removing a gas stove and $25.00 for removing a refrigerator or electric stove if the tenant uses/brings their own appliances rather than using those offered by the College.
Monthly rental payments for College housing, which includes heat in some units, are due on the fifteenth day of each month and are made by payroll deduction. In the event that a tenant is not on the College payroll, the College will bill the tenant each month.
A tenant wishing to sublet his or her apartment or house must first obtain written permission from the Rental Property Department. The tenant may charge the subtenant a modest amount of additional rent (not more than 10%) for the use of furnishings and appliances. The College considers the signer of the lease (the tenant) to be the person responsible for the rent and all other terms of the lease.
Occupants wishing to sublet are encouraged to give consideration first to other members of the faculty, and then to other members of the College community. Once someone has agreed to sublet the apartment, both the tenant and the subletter will sign a sublease agreement before the subtenant takes occupancy. These forms are available from the Rental Property Department.
College housing is intended for use by Mount Holyoke College faculty and administrative personnel and may not be sublet to students during the academic year. However, it is permissible to sublet to students during the summer months with the written approval of the other tenants in the building and the Rental Property Department. The sublet of individual rooms or sections of apartments or houses is restricted by town regulations and the College.
Tenants of College-owned housing are responsible for any loss or damage that they cause to the property. The College has property insurance on College-owned housing, but that coverage protects only the College's interest in the property (it protects neither the tenant nor the tenant's personal property, nor does it cover any of the tenant's liability). If, for example, a tenant accidentally caused a fire that heavily damaged a College-owned rental house, the College's property insurance would reimburse the College for the loss. However, the College's insurance company has the right to pursue the tenant for any claim that it paid.
In order to avoid placing its tenants in such a position, the College requires each tenant to carry Renter's Insurance with at least $100,000 personal liability coverage. Renter's Insurance protects the tenant if someone claims that he or she accidentally damaged another's property or caused bodily injury.
Each tenant must provide a certificate of insurance from his or her insurance agent demonstrating current coverage in the amount shown above as a minimum within 10 days of the execution of their lease with the College (and annually upon any renewal or extension of lease). It is strongly recommended, however, that each tenant purchase this insurance prior to his or her arrival to South Hadley. A policy with these limits plus $12,000.00 of personal property coverage (with a $250.00 deductible) will cost approximately $150.00 per year. There are several insurance agents who can easily write this insurance, including Remillard Insurance Agency at (413) 538-7862, with whom the College has arranged for 6% discounts to Mount Holyoke College employees.
Tenants must apply directly to the utility companies for electrical, cable, gas and telephone service. It generally takes several days from the time of application to when service actually begins. Utility companies may require a deposit prior to servicing your unit.
To apply for electrical service, each tenant must fill out and mail an application form to the South Hadley Electric Light Department, 85 Main Street, South Hadley, MA 01075. A $50.00 deposit is required at the time of application that is refunded after six months. Application forms are included with the offering form sent by the Rental Property Department.
Mount Holyoke College has an arrangement with the South Hadley Electric Light Department whereby the electric service is not turned off and reconnected when tenants vacate and enter College housing. The College is billed for any electric usage during interim periods, and the tenant is saved the substantial connect and disconnect fees ordinarily charged. It is the responsibility of the tenant to have the service put in the tenant's name as of the effective date of the lease and to arrange for the final meter reading at the expiration of the lease.
Water service is provided and paid for by the College.
The tenant will be responsible for turning gas service on. All requests for gas service should be directed to Baystate Gas 800-882-5454. The Rental Property Department will be responsible for turning gas service off.
Telephone service is available from Verizon at (800) 870-9999.
Cable service is available from Comcast at (888) 633-4266.
If in doubt about arranging for utilities, inquiries should be made to the Rental Property Department at (413) 542-8506.
Residents of College houses requiring gas as a heating fuel should contact BayState Gas 800-882-5454 to make necessary arrangements.
In those cases where the resident is responsible for the fuel oil, the fuel oil tank will be full upon resident’s arrival and the resident is responsible for leaving the oil tank full upon departure. You may choose any fuel company to have service set up as an on call account or automatic fill account. The Rental Property Department strongly recommends that you set your account up as an automatic fill. Here are some local companies to contact.
South Hadley Fuel: 413-532-3500
Whiting Energy: 413-584-3500
Surner Heating: 413-253-5999
National Heating: 413-549-6011
The South Hadley Police Station is located at 41 Bridge Street. The phone number is: (413) 538 8231.
The Mount Holyoke College Campus Police can be reached at (413) 538-2304.
The South Hadley Fire Department's telephone number is (413) 533-4010. To report a fire, dial 911. (If you are in a campus building dial 1-911.)
The Rental Housing Department will supply, install and replace battery-operated smoke and CO detectors in all units. Additionally, the Rental Housing Department will test the CO and smoke detectors and replace batteries annually. If either alarm (CO or smoke) is “beeping” (but not going off), please notify the Rental Housing Department immediately.
Statement | Part 1: General Occupancy | Part 2: Maintenance Information | Part 3: Other Information