University Apartment Rates on the Rise - Again

Students residing in the University Apartments will have to save more pennies: Rent is going up again.

The University Apartment Board has increased rent rates for all residents of Hadley Village, South Lake Village, Flint Village, Flickenger Court and Creekside Village.

Rent increases range from $20 to $37 a month, depending on the apartment complex. According to Joseph Krakowiak, director of University Residence Halls and Apartments, the increase is quantitatively greater this year than in previous years.

"Utility costs are going out the window," Krakowiak said. "The cost is up 15 percent from last year. Our insurance costs have tripled."

In addition, the amount of the security deposit - currently a month's rent, due at the signing of the lease - is increasing to a total of $450 per student.

Robert Stasio, a junior mathematical physics major living in Hadley, questioned UB's reasons behind the rent increases.

"I would like to see a breakdown of the costs," Stasio said. "They have been raising the rent for a couple of years. The amount that they are increasing the rent is more than any increase in utilities. I think they just want to put the money elsewhere in the university."

"Rent increases happen because of cost of living increases," said Elizabeth Lidano, assistant director of the University Apartments. "The cost of contracting, garbage and snow removal, landscaping, insurance and utilities go up each year. We need to accommodate for that."

Laura Baker, a senior pharmacy major, is moving out of her Hadley apartment because of the hike in her rent.

"I really do not know if they are justified in raising the rent," Baker said. "Even my tuition is going up. The school collects almost two grand a month for my four-person apartment alone. I am just not sure where all the money is going."

T.J. Fitzgerald, a second-year law student currently residing in Flint, is also leaving because of the annual rent increases.

"They have been raising the rent every year," Fitzgerald said. "From a business standpoint, I cannot argue with them for doing it, because there (are) obviously people that will always be willing to pay that premium. The reason that I am leaving, though, is because I do not believe that these apartments are worth that price."

According to Krakowiak, UB tries to keep the cost of living down by using the interest accumulated from rent.

"Money that we receive from students sits in interest-bearing accounts," he said. "We are not getting the same amount of interest as we did because of the situation the economy is in."

Provided the cost of living does not increase, Krakowiak said, rent costs would stabilize within the next few years.

"We have a reserve account that will go towards problems such as appliance and furniture replacement, a new roof or a new parking lot," said Krakowiak.

Joe Shorr, a junior communication major who lives in Hadley, said he has not seen any improvements to the apartments.

"The quality of the apartments is not improving," said Shorr. "Maybe if they wanted to increase the monthly rent, they could make some improvements on the inside of the apartments."

Monday, all residents in the university apartments received an e-mail notifying them of the increases in rent and the security deposit. Shereene McDermott, a junior health and human services major residing in Flint, responded by e-mailing her concerns to all of the residents on the university apartments' listserv, in the hopes of encouraging greater student participation and interest in the issue.

In the e-mail, McDermott cited concerns about issues such as inadequate parking spaces, lack of heating and the shoddily built infrastructure. McDermott received responses from numerous students who had similar grievances.

"I have been living in Flint going on two years now, and I think some changes really need to be made," McDermott stated in her e-mail. "I know you must be questioning if I had all of these issues why I stayed in Flint, but it is all about convenience. It is right across the street from campus which is why I think that something should be done for the people who need to live here."

McDermott said she hopes to organize a petition against the yearly rent increases.

"We want to do a better job," Krakowiak said. "When something is not working, we want to know, but students have to try the system first."