It is difficult not to look past the arrival of spring and see the signs of summer: flip-flops, watermelons, internships, action movies and popsicles are everywhere.
But for every pair of Reefs I see and every summer blockbuster released, I'm reminded that this season often brings its share of dilemmas.
The name of the game is summer sublets, folks. First person to find someone to rent their apartment at full price over the summer wins.
As summer begins to creep onto the calendar hard on the heels of springtime, many tenants find themselves reading the fine print they overlooked in October's mad dash to sign a lease for the next school year.
While you may not have missed the part about "free parking" and "DSL included," it's possible the sublet terms and fees remained hidden in the dense legal-ease of the rental contract.
For this very reason, I found myself seated in my landlord's office Monday, demanding to know why I was cutting her a check for $200 in sublet fees. I had found the subletters. I had posted flyers on University bulletin boards and online message boards. I had negotiated with the subletters and determined how to transfer utilities. If anyone was going to pay $200 for a sublet fee, they ought to be paying me.
So why did I owe the landlord $200?
"To update our computer files."
Computer files?! I update my computer files nearly everyday and never has it cost me $200. For a couple hundred dollars, the landlord could buy a new computer, let alone update files in the old one. I demanded more details.
"We have to transfer parking decals," was the answer she gave.
Parking decals? Like the little brown one I have in my back window that I can simply hand to the subletter? That decal? No dice, landlady.
I explained to her, as calmly as I could after looking at the already meager balance in my checkbook, that $200 just did not seem fair after I had been the one who did all the work.
"It is a little steep," she conceded.
A little steep? Observatory Hill is a little steep. This was a 90-degree angle.
She added that the subletter may lose a key during the term of her sublet and need to borrow one from the rental office. For $200, I told her that key ought to be 24-karat gold and diamond encrusted. It better read "Tiffany's" or "Cartier" down the side.
Promising to bring up the issue at the next office meeting, the landlord said she would do what she could to be fair. Muttering under my breath, "Well that would be a first," I picked up my broomstick and flew back over to my apartment.
When I signed this lease in Oct. 2000, the 12-month contract clause did not seem as intimidating as it did right now. At that point, I wasn't even moving in for almost 12-months, let alone looking for a subletter.
But the sublet fees and the search process aren't the only headaches renters like yours truly experience around this time of year.
The landlord had warned me to transfer utilities out of my name before the subletter arrived. She said you can never trust people to be fair with your money.
Oh, touch
Read More
It’s okay not to be okay
By Mai Hukuoka | 12 hours agoWhether talking to a friend, a loved one or a professional, it is so necessary, and human, to need more than you can provide for yourself.
Taking a break at Tangerines Kitchen
By Charley Thomas | 2 days agoWhat the restaurant somewhat lacks in ambiance, it compensates for in tasty dishes and prompt service.
Virginia Policy Lab — a hub for student-led policy action
By Katherine Haden | December 9, 2024Students propose their own projects and collaborate with other members to research their issues of interest, brainstorm solutions and write policy proposals.
