Check landlord complaint records before you get your heart set on a place.
Complete the Request for Information form to obtain landlord complaint summaries.
• For the most comprehensive listings of available apartments for rent, go to the classified sections of local newspapers. The Daily Illini www.dailyillini.com has advertising for furnished apartments and houses that are less than 1 mile from the center of the U of I campus (an area referred to as "on-campus") and some listings of unfurnished or off-campus places. Most off-campus and unfurnished apartments and houses are advertised in The News Gazette www.news-gazette.com. At the web sites, choose "classifieds" and you will find many more housing choices than if you select "apartment search." Also try visiting www.craigslist.org for additional listings. Visit, call or email the Tenant Union and we will help you search the classified ads to find a place that meets your needs.
• Check LANDLORDS' COMPLAINT RECORDS at the Tenant Union. More than 1000 individuals and companies own or manage rental properties in Champaign-Urbana. Some are good landlords, others are not. Close to 40% of all landlords have no complaints!
• Beware of new construction. New buildings are often not finished by the lease start date.
• For information about privately-owned residence halls near the U of I, go to U of I Certified Housing Office on the first floor of Clark Hall (corner of Fourth & Gregory Streets in Champaign) or call 217-333-1420.
1. Make a list of questions to ask that will help you decide whether you want to see an advertised unit.
2. Call the phone numbers listed in the ads and ask your questions. Keep notes of the answers. Be sure one of your questions is "Who is the landlord?" Check the landlords' complaint records at the Tenant Union by completing the Request for Information form or calling or visiting our office.
3. Make appointments to view the places that interest you. Use the Apartment Hunting Checklist and add any other questions about items you consider to be important.
4. Be sure you see the EXACT apartment you will be renting and closely examine its condition.
5. Be sure you want the place. YOU CAN'T BREAK A LEASE AFTER YOU SIGN IT. There is NO GRACE PERIOD for changing your mind after you sign.
6. DO NOT PAY ANY MONEY UNTIL THE TIME THAT YOU SIGN THE LEASE. The landlord is not obligated to hold the place for you if you put money down, but the landlord will likely keep your money if you change your mind or if you and the landlord cannot agree on lease terms.
7. If you like a place, ask for a copy of the lease and bring it to the Tenant Union for review before you sign it. An experienced housing counselor will suggest additions and deletions to the contract that would protect your rights.
8. ALL roommates should meet together with the landlord to sign the lease. Many problems result from each of you signing the contract at a different time. Discuss with the landlord any lease changes needed and follow the instructions in this handbook for making changes on both copies of the lease. DO NOT SIGN THE LEASE UNLESS YOU ARE PRESENTED WITH TWO, IDENTICAL COPIES - one for you and one for the landlord, and the landlord (or agent) is signing one copy while you are signing the other. You need the landlord's signature on your copy of the lease. Get all promises in writing. Oral agreements are not binding when you have a written lease.
THE COST OF PRIVATELY OWNED RENTAL HOUSING FOR UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS STUDENTS
RENT: $285 - $850 per person, per month, for a 12-month lease is the range of rent most students will pay to live near campus in a furnished apartment with at least one roommate. The largest number of students are probably paying $375-$475 per person plus utilities. Most efficiency apartments (same as studio apartment) rent for $350 - $450 per month plus utilities. Most one-bedroom, furnished apartments near campus rent for $450 - $650 per month plus utilities.
UTILITIES: $85 - $160 per person, per month for 12 months is the range of most students' share of the costs for electricity, gas, water, cable television, internet service and fees passed along by landlords such as sanitary and sewer tax. In a 4-person apartment, the monthly share per person will be closer to $85 if you are careful about energy conservation. In a 2-person apartment, the monthly share per person will be closer to $130. A student living alone might spend as much as $150 - $200 per month for all utilities, internet and cable television.
Internet service costs $40 per month if you do not have cable television or a land phone. Cable television costs $55 per month for 70 channels or $13.50 per month for the basic service for 12 channels. Students who buy cable television service AND internet from Comcast will pay $95 per month (or $53.50 for 12 TV channels plus internet service). Water costs will be about $14 per person monthly. The big wild card is the power bill. How much you use air conditioning, how high you set the thermostat in winter and the location of your apartment within the building all affect the amount you'll pay for power. Some landlords also charge for sanitary and sewer taxes (around $9 per person monthly) and in Urbana, the recycling tax is a monthly fee of $2.50 per apartment. Some landlords pass this cost on to tenants. A new rental registration fee is also being charged by some Urbana landlords. That cost should be not more than $1-$2 per month per apartment or $4.17 for a whole house. (Beware of any place advertising "utilities included." Often, once you read the lease, you see that utilities are not really included).
PARKING: $25 - $85 per month is the range of parking fees charged by landlords for an off-street parking space in apartment buildings within 3/4 of a mile from the center of campus. Most charge $35-$45 per month. In Champaign, near campus, on-street parking costs $35-$45 per month depending on location. In Urbana, near campus, east of Lincoln Avenue and south of Green Street, on-street parking costs $135 per year (if you live within the first block east of Lincoln, you will probably have to park 2 blocks from your apartment if you buy a permit for on-street parking). West of Lincoln in Urbana, parking is prohibited on the street overnight on most streets. The farther away from campus one gets, the more likely parking both on-street and off-street will be available at no charge.
PARKING ON THE U of I CAMPUS: Students wishing to drive to campus during the day can pay 75 cents per hour for meter parking on the street -- if you can find an open space. Or, park in the student/staff commuter lot next to the Assembly Hall and ride the free shuttle to campus. The fee for a permit to park in the commuter lot (daytime only) is $110.00 per year. Call 217-333-3530 or visit the campus parking office at Goodwin & Springfield in Urbana for more information or to obtain a permit.
Overnight parking in one of two lots on the south side of campus (near the Assembly Hall in Champaign or south of Florida Avenue Residence Halls in Urbana) costs $180 per semester.
COMPARE PRICE TO RESIDENCE HALLS: For 2009-2010, a double room in a University of Illinois undergraduate residence hall with the 20 meal plan will cost $9284. If you rent an apartment and your monthly payment (for your share) on a 12-month lease is less than $475 plus utilities in a 3 or 4 bedroom apartment or less than $450 per month plus utilities in a 2-bedroom apartment, the apartment will probably be cheaper than the cost of the University residence halls. A student living alone would have to find rent of $415 or less per month, plus utilities, to keep costs equal to or less than the cost of sharing a double room in the residence halls.
University of Illinois STUDENTS and incoming students ONLY
Weekdays 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
WALK IN: 326 Illini Union, 1401 W. Green St., Urbana, Illinois 61801
OR CALL: (217) 333-0112 or email
tenant@illinois.edu
(For lease review, walk-in 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.)
IN THE COMMUNITY (If you are not a U of I student or incoming student)
44 E. Main Street, Suite 208, Champaign, IL 61820
PLEASE CALL: (217) 352-6220
Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Tuesdays & Thursdays 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
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The Tenant Union does not provide legal services of any kind. All information provided in this publication is intended to help the average person prevent problems and deal with common concerns of renting. When legal help is needed, always consult with an attorney at law.
This page was last updated on 5/19/09.
