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New Renter Activation ListBefore You Move InConnect Utilities is a service that assists customers by consolidating the utility, home service and subscription scheduling processinto a single website that allows you to shop, request and schedule your electricity, gas, phone, cable, satellite, Internet, newspapersubscriptions and more. It takes just minutes to submit a service request online. For additional questions, call (866) 298-1514, or visitconnectutilities.com/wf.You have found it—your very own apartment. But now what? Use the following information tonavigate through the move-in process.GasPhone/Internet/CableCity StickerPeople’s Gas is the main supplier ofnatural gas in Chicago. To start service asa new customer, there is an online form atpeoplesgasdelivery.com.Comcastcomcast.com(800) COMCAST or (800) lAT&Tatt.com(800) 288-2020chicityclerk.com/residential parking/index.htmlHeating costs can be high in winter, but bygetting a plan in which you pay a standardaverage fee instead of each month’s actualcost, you can avoid getting a 200 bill inJanuary and a 35 bill in June. Averagecosts should be around 60 to 80 a month.Call People’s Gas at (312) 240-7000.ElectricityComEd is Chicago’s primary electricprovider. Electric prices can be estimatedat px.Delivery charges are often more then theamount for the electric itself. For example,850 kWh costs 60.80 with the deliverycharge at 29.75 making the estimated costof electric in March 90.55. For customerservice inquiries call (800) Edison-1 or(800) 334-7661.Verizonverizon.com(800) 922-0204RCNrcn.com/chicago(800) 746-4726Change of addressYou may go to your local United States PostOffice to pick up a form or complete theform online at moversguide.usps.com.UtilitiesThough you may believe that your personalbelongings are insured under your landlord’spolicy and that any injuries sustained inthe residence are covered by the landlord,you are incorrect. The apartment you livein is insured for structural damage (saythe building were to catch on fire), butdoes not include personal property such asfurnishings, clothing, automobile, etc.Most apartments will require that youpay part of or all utility bills and set-up.Your lease should identify what you andthe landlord are responsible for. Onceyou know your move-in date, you shouldcontact the various utilities for set-up andinstallation as it may take more than a weekto schedule a technician. For Chicago areautilities, go to chicagoneighborhoods.cc/chicago-utilities.html.To obtain renter’s insurance, you willneed an estimate of the value of all of thebelongings you would like to cover. It isimportant to make receipt copies of anybig purchases. If you have another typeof insurance, you may be eligible for adiscount. If you are a dependent student,your parent or guardian may have coveragewith their homeowner’s insurance. Renter’sinsurance policies and quotes will varyby company. It is important you get thecoverage you need by comparing similartypes of coverage. For more informationon renter’s insurance, contact the InsuranceInformation Institute at (800) 331-9146.Move-In Condition InventoryDriver’s License/State ID/Vehicle RegistrationWithin 48 hours of the time you move intoyour apartment, you must complete aninventory form which lists the conditionof the property. Be as specific as possiblewhen describing the apartment. This wouldinclude the number of ice cube trays, markson the walls, condition of floors, ceilings,fixtures, furniture, appliances, etc.cyberdriveillinois.comCondition Inventory Checklist:Register to votechicagoelections.com/page.php?id 170WaterFor water service in Chicago, theDepartment of Water and SewerManagement is responsible for water andsewer utilities and are responsible for anyemergencies. They offer flexible paymentplans and a variety of ways to pay. Forwater in the street or basement, call(312) 744-7038 or for questions aboutyour water bill (312) 747-9090.Residential ParkingRenter’s Insurance 0Check for any sign of insects or pests. Check security items such as locks,windows and smoke alarms. Check that everything is workingproperly such as toilets, light fixtures,fans, dishwasher, etc. If your lease states that management isresponsible for pest control, make surethe place has been exterminated recently. Have your manager sign and date theinventory form and keep a signedoriginal copy for your files. Documentin detail everything you may be chargedfor during move out.8Common TermsNot all leases are the same. You should readover each and every one carefully. If you donot understand any of the stipulations of thelease, ask questions. If you are still not sure,ask to consider the lease overnight, but beaware that the landlord does have the rightto lease the apartment to another renterduring that time. Below are some clauses tohelp you get through the basics.Landlord: The individual or company fromwhich you will rent the apartment.Parties: Include the names of all roommateson your lease. Your roommates will not belegally responsible for the unit if their namesand signatures do not appear on the lease.Lease Term: At the end of the initiallease term, the lease will be automaticallyrenewed on a month to month basis unlessa written notice of termination is given bythe manager or the resident (this is usuallyrequired at least 30 days before the end ofthe lease).Security Deposit: Always get a receipt whenyou give an apartment complex or landlorda deposit.Rent and Charges: The amount, how it is tobe paid, the date it is due and penalties forlate payments.Insurance: Property owners urge you toprotect your property from theft, fire,smoke and water damage by purchasinginsurance. Know that the property ownersare not responsible for the safety ofyour belongings.9

Security Devices: Your residence musthave the following: a window latch oneach window, a keyless dead bolt on eachexterior door, a door viewer on eachexterior door, and a pin lock, door handlelatch or security bar on each sliding glassdoor.Community Policies or Rules: Ask yourmanager to give you a copy of any otherrules and regulations that apply specificallyto the apartment complex in whichyou live.Release of Resident: Unless there is aclause in the special provisions or you fallunder the military clause, you will not bereleased from your lease.Conditions of the Premises andAlterations: If the apartment is not in thecondition you expected, DO NOTMOVE IN!Repair Requests: If you need any type ofrepair, written notice must be given toyour management (except in emergenciesinvolving immediate danger to personor property).When Property Representatives MayEnter: The apartment manager or repairpersonnel may enter your apartment atreasonable hours. Entry may be during atime when residents are in the apartmentor entering party may leave notice toresidents about their entry.Multiple Residents or Occupants: Requestor notices given to/from any residentconstitutes notice to/from all residents. Allresidents on the lease are equally liable touphold the lease.Move-Out Notice: You must giveapartment representatives at least 30 dayswritten notice. Even if your lease statesyour move-out date, you must give notice.Move-out notice given on the first day ofthe month is sufficient for move out on thelast day of the month. Verbal notice is notsufficient and does not constitute notice.Emergencies, Repairs andMaintenanceYour lease should contain a clause thatdiscusses repairs, maintenance and theresponsibilities of the owner. Be aware thatnot all leases require a property owner tomake ordinary repairs.To request a repair or maintenance:a. Give the property owner written notice.Make two copies of the notice (keep onefor yourself) and have the manager signboth copies. If the manager will not signthe copies, send the notice by certifiedmail. This will give you proof that themanager received the notification.b. Wait a reasonable amount of time. Onaverage, this can be interpreted as five toseven working days, depending on thenature of the repair. Emergency repairsare those necessary for your health andsafety and must be taken care of withina reasonable amount of time, usuallyfive days. Such repairs include: gasleaks, broken locks, exposed electricalwiring, etc.c. Submit a second written notice if therepairs have not been made withina reasonable amount of time. Againhave the manager sign both copies.Depending on the type of repair, youmay indicate in your second notice thatyou may consider terminating yourlease if the repairs are not made in acertain amount of time. However, donot assume that you can make repairsyourself and be reimbursed for them.d. Please note: Under almost allcircumstances, you cannot legallywithhold rent because repairs havenot been made. You may be able tonegotiate a reduction in your rent, butbe sure to get this in writing as well.Be a Good NeighborWhether you live in an apartment complex,condominium or private housing, allDePaul students are part of the DePaulcommunity and need to work togetherto keep their neighborhood clean andinviting. Below are tips on how to be agood neighbor.Know Your Neighbors: You do not havebe best friends with your neighbors, butit is a good idea to know their names andhave their contact information in case ofan emergency.Noise: How much is too much? Useyour best judgment. If the noise can beheard outside of your property, then it isprobably too loud. Make sure to monitorthe volume on your television and stereoearly in the morning and late at night sothat you do not disrupt your neighbors.You also should avoid leaving barkingdogs alone for a long period of time.Property Appearance: Take pride in yourproperty and your neighbors will as well.To be a good neighbor, you can shovelsnow off of the sidewalk (and possibly helpan elderly neighbor with their own), keepindoor furniture indoors and not on yourporch or lawn, and keep the dumpsterfrom overflowing.Parking: Living in Chicago, there islimited space for parking. Fortunately,public transportation is convenient inmany neighborhoods and by our DePaulcampuses. If public transportation is not anoption for you, you can take other steps tohelp solve parking congestion by followingposted parking regulations and by notparking in a space or driveway that doesnot belong to you.Moving OutWhen you are ready to move out of your apartment, check the lease for the defined move outnotice period. This will typically be 30, 60 or 90 days. Make sure to notify your manager inwriting of your intentions and get the manager’s acknowledgement of the notification.Make an appointment with the manager when you are ready to move out to jointly inspect theconditions of your unit. Have your move-in inventory form handy to compare the conditions ofthe unit from when you moved in to now.Security DepositIf you have fulfilled all of the conditions forthe return of your deposit (as outlined inyour lease), then your manager is requiredto refund your security deposit and/orprovide you with a written, itemized list ofany deductions within 30 days after youvacate or 30 days after they receive yourforwarding address. If you do not agreewith the property owner’s deductions, makesure to discuss the issue with them.Options for Early Move OutSometimes there are situations in whichyou must leave before your lease is up.Moving out before your lease expires is abreach of contract, and no matter how validyou believe your reasoning, the propertyowner may be entitled to damages. Youmay be liable for the rent you owe for theremainder of the months in your lease andnot paying this rent could lead to a lawsuit.All is not lost, however. You still haveoptions for moving out early.a. Negotiate: It may be possible to negotiatewith the property owner to allow youto terminate your lease. If you and theproperty owner reach an agreement, getit in writing and have it signed byboth parties.b. Sublease: This is an agreement in whichyou rent your apartment to anotherperson with the property owner’spermission. In this case, you are stillresponsible for the apartment, includingrent and damages. A basic subleasecontract is usually available from theproperty manager. Consult with yourproperty manager first.c. Reletting: Much like a sublease, but theactual lease contract is changed to addthe new tenant and delete the old tenant.The original tenant is still responsible forpaying rent until a new tenant is foundand then is typically charged a relettingfee. Once an agreement is made, allparties should sign and keep anoriginal copy.Local Government: Who is youralderman? Are you registered to vote? Goto “Your Government” at cityofchicago.org.Change of AddressWhen you are ready to move in, be sure tocomplete a change of address card at yourlocal post office or online atmoversguide.usps.com. Also, changeyour address in Campus Connection.1011

CommutingEating, Discounts and Demon ExpressWhether you live on or off campus, your time at DePaul will most likely involve traveling around the city. To do so, you will need to know theins and outs of commuting on the famous “L” system or by bus. It also is important to know the advantages of the Metra. Use the followinginformation as a guide to getting around the city; you are in for a great ride.Demon Express is a debit account offered to current students, faculty and staff of DePaulUniversity with a valid DePaul ID. Money deposited on the account will carry over fromquarter to quarter for as long as you are a student or employee of the university.U-PASSTo get to Demon Express, go to campusconnect.depaul.edu and click on the section“Demon Express Online.”The CTA U-Pass is a transit pass thatprovides unlimited rides to eligiblestudents on CTA bus/rail systems duringan academic term. The U-Pass is valid onCTA-operated bus and rail lines 24 hoursper day, seven days per week. The pass isnot valid during winter break, but is validover spring break. U-Passes will workthrough the date printed on the U-Pass, aslong as students remain eligible.The U-Pass program provides greatlyreduced rides for students and requiresthat all eligible students participate inthe program. All students meeting therequirements are automatically enrolled.Eligibility is determined based on youracademic program, credit hours and courselocations as it appears on your registration.If your eligibility changes before the lastday to drop courses, your U-PASS willbe adjusted accordingly. View eligibilitydetails at upass.depaul.edu.MetraMetra is the suburban train line for theChicago area. It has five hub stations inthe downtown Loop area with severallines leading in from the suburbs toChicago. The two largest Metra stationsin the city are Union Station on Canalbetween Adams and Jackson and OglivieTransportation Center, also on Canal. Thetrains run seven days a week, with morefrequent scheduling during the rush hours.Schedules and ticket information can befound on Metra’s website at metrarail.com.PACEPace is a suburban transit provider thatserves tens of thousands of daily riderswith fixed bus routes, vanpools anddial-a-ride programs. Covering 3,500square miles, Pace is the one of the largestbus services in North America. Moreinformation can be found at pacebus.com.12Active TransportationAllianceActive Transportation Alliance’s (ATA)goal is to make bicycling, walking andpublic transit safe, convenient and fun toencourage active travel. ATA advocatesfor transportation that encourages andpromotes safety, physical activity, health,recreation, social interaction, equity,environmental stewardship andresource conservation. Find out more atactivetrans.org.CTA Rail SystemVisit transitchicago.com for informationabout CTA bus and train service in andaround Chicago. Find maps, schedules,service alerts, plan a trip, jobs, newsand more.Bike Rentals/CorralsCampus Recreation offers quality bicyclerentals at a low price right in Lincoln Park.Bike to all your favorite places in Chicago.Campus Recreation is conveniently locatedjust blocks from the 18-mile lakefront trail.You’ll have immediate access to safe bikelanes, leading you to over 150 miles ofroad to safely explore the city.Unfortunately, every year bicycles arestolen from the Lincoln Park Campus. Giveyourself the added protection of parkingyour bike in a fenced bike corral accessibleonly to those who have registered for theservice. The bicycle corral is located underthe north portico of McCabe Hall. Youcan register by completing the form atparkingservices.depaul.edu/bike corraland sending the completed form to ParkingServices. Students also are encouragedto register their bicycle with the ChicagoPolice Department.Locker RentalDePaul lockers are available for students torent annually. Please go to Student Centeroffices at our Loop and Lincoln Parkcampuses to be assigned a locker. Loop Campus, DePaul Center, Floor 11 Lincoln Park Campus, Student CenterInformation DeskParkingLincoln Park Campusparkingservices.depaul.eduAll vehicles using the Lincoln Park Campusparking facilities must display a validDePaul parking permit. Vehicles that donot display a permit will be towed at theowner’s expense. The Sheffield Garageis located at 2331 N. Sheffield Ave. TheClifton Parking Garage is located at 2330N. Clifton Ave. Parking permits may bepurchased at the Payment Center located inSchmitt Academic Center (SAC), 2320 N.Kenmore Ave.Please be advised that many of the streetssurrounding the Lincoln Park Campusare designated for permit parking for arearesidents. Any vehicles parked during theposted times are subject to tow by the Cityof Chicago.Loop Campus Parking Discountsdiscounts.depaul.eduDePaul has no parking facilities in theLoop area. However, several privatefacilities offer discounts for the DePaulcommunity. Discounted parking also isavailable with a validated ticket fromthe security desks in the lobby of theDePaul or Lewis centers or the Daleyor CDM buildings.DiningDemon DiscountsClass and work may have you hungry, butDePaul has a great variety of eats to handleeven the most famished student. You canenjoy the great dining choices available toresidential students. In addition to usingDemon Express, you have the option to adda dollar value onto your DePaul ID card,which will allow you to dine at any campuslocation that accepts dining plans. (Makesure you use this dining plan money up bythe last day of spring quarter.) Visit CampusConnection (campusconnect.depaul.edu),click on “Meal Plan Online” and follow thedirections.Being a Blue Demon does have its perks.Below are discounts that are available to theDePaul community: AutomotiveEntertainmentFinancial productsMoving servicesPCs and electronicsRestaurantsRetail storesTravelTo get more information about thesediscounts visit discounts.depaul.edu.Cafeteria locations:Lincoln Park CampusBrownstone’s Internet CaféMcGowan CaféThe Bean CaffeStudent Center second floor Kitchen Garden Simmer Savor Seasons Deli Etc Sizzle Scramble MeltLoop CampusDePaul Market, DePaul Center, Floor 11Printing and Demon ExpressYour Demon Express account is good formore than just eatery discounts. DemonExpress is also where you can load moneyfor use at various campus printing stations.How to l

features map-based searching, neighborhood descriptions and practical search filters. For DePaul students, domu.com provides custom online campus maps of apartment listings near DePaul's Lincoln Park and Loop campuses. The listings are current, accurate and vetted by the site's listing editors. If you are a first-time apartment