Off-Campus Housing Resources

Need help locating off-campus housing? Looking for a roommate with similar lifestyle habits? We are here to support you in your off-campus transitions. RSS provides a housing listing service and roommate finder at no charge for the UMBC campus community. If you have transportation needs, many local apartments and housing complexes have been matched with UMBC Transit’s shuttle lines for your convenience. Let us help you with information about signing leases, creating productive landlord/tenant relationships, and other technical topics such as local housing policies.

View off-campus housing listings or to list your own!

Questions to ask yourself before you rent:

What kind of rental unit do you want? Furnished or unfurnished?

  • Apartment:
    • 1, 2, or three bedrooms?
    • Garden apartment or townhouse complex?
  • Converted apartment in a private home?
  • Efficiency or studio apartment?
  • Rooms in a student house?
  • Rooms in a private house?
  • House?

What are your transportation needs?

  • Within walking distance?
  • On an MTA bus/metro route?
  • UMBC Transit shuttle availability?
  • Carpool availability?
  • Do you need to be near shopping facilities or your job site?
  • Close to your trusty car mechanic?

What are your privacy needs?

  • Do you want a private bedroom?
  • Can you share a bedroom with someone?
  • Can you share a house with other students?
  • Can you share a bathroom?

What can you afford? (Include utility costs!)

  • One-bedroom apartments tend to be the most costly option but offer total privacy.
  • Rooms in student houses or private homes tend to be the least expensive.
  • The closer you are to campus, the higher the rent is likely to be.

How much legal security do you want?

  • Written leases offer maximum legal protection, but often require a 12-month commitment
  • Without an agreement regarding the term of your stay, you can legally be asked to leave anytime.

All parties posting/advertising properties through UMBC’s off-campus housing portal have certified that the properties advertised are available to students in conformity with all pertinent federal and state laws and regulations on non-discrimination regarding race, color, national origin, ancestry, ethnic background, genetics, disability, age, sex, gender identity and expression, marital status, sexual orientation, religion, creed, and/or veteran status. Parties posting/advertising properties have also certified that the property is in compliance with the applicable fire safety codes. UMBC employees do not inspect these properties. It is also understood that UMBC does not provide off-campus housing and neither the properties posted nor the rental parties are screened. All parties entering into a lease agreement should exercise due care and provide for their own personal safety and comfort. Landlord/tenant agreements are for housing only, and do not ensure personal safety or collegiality. As such, UMBC cannot vouch for landlords or tenants. UMBC reserves the right to refuse or delete any posting at any time.

Find Housing

If you are looking for off-campus housing, go to our Off-Campus Housing website.

Find a Roommate

If you are looking for a roommate to share an apartment with, there are a few options for you at UMBC.

  1. Go to our Off-Campus Housing website and click on Search for a Roommate.
  2. Go to the “Classifieds” group on myUMBC. Students routinely look for roommates, furniture, and other items in this group.

Posting Housing and Roommate Profiles

Do you have an apartment or house that you want to list for rent? Are you a UMBC student looking to post your profile so you can have other people contact you to become roommates? Then this is the place for you.

If you wish to list your property for rent to UMBC students, you will use our partner website Off-Campus Housing 101; view the FAQ for instructions and help.

All users of the UMBC Off-Campus Housing service can use the website for free for the first month. For those who are UMBC students, staff members, or faculty members, you must call this 800 number (1-800-862-9874) after the first month and give them your UMBC ID number in order to continue using the free service.

If you have questions about Off-Campus Housing or posting a Roommate Profile, contact Retriever Support Services at UMBC at 410-455-2770 or our partner website Off-Campus Housing 101 at 1-844-853-5980.

Advantages of a Written Lease

Sometimes when renting a property, especially from a private homeowner, a written lease is not always used. However, a written lease has its advantages and serves as a means to protect yourself as well as the proprietor.

What is a Lease?

  • A lease is a contractual arrangement calling for the lessee (user) to pay the lessor (owner) for use of a rental property.

The Lease

  • A lease must be in written form to be legally binding
  • Ask questions regarding provisions
  • Scrutinize the Lease
  • Negotiate for more favorable provisions in the lease to protect yourself later
  • Once it has been signed, you will be strictly held accountable to it
  • Changes made to any lease should be signed by both tenant and landlord.

Advantages include:

  • Legally binding
  • Documents & sets forth the rights and duties of both parties in writing
  • Assures your right to live in the premises for a specific period of time
  • Assures that rent will remain at the stated amount during that period of time

Points to consider before signing a lease:

  • Examine the Property
  • Make Note of Needed Repairs
  • Get Verbal Promises in Writing
  • Get Receipts
  • Discuss the Amount of Security Deposit
  • Know your Status
  • Discuss Tenant Responsibilities
  • Know the Law on Discrimination in Housing

View a sample Lease

Co-Signing a Lease

Recognizing the Implications of co-signing a lease:

There may be times when a tenant does not have the income required to rent an apartment. (The total yearly rent for an apartment should not exceed more than 30 percent of an individual’s income.) Therefore, some landlords will require a co-signer.

The landlord may require that the renter provide a co-signer, as a precaution to ensure payment of the rent. A co-signer, to be acceptable, usually needs to meet all the qualifications that a tenant needs to meet good credit, employment record and sufficient income.

Some apartments say “No co-signer permitted,” although exceptions are sometimes made. It is often helpful if the co-signer (e.g. a parent or guardian) makes the initial contact with the apartment, or accompanies the renter on the tour of the apartment.

Cosigning a lease is a serious responsibility that should not be taken lightly. If a tenant cannot afford the apartment or cannot budget his/her money properly and defaults on the lease, the landlord can seek payment from the co-signer, even if the landlord must take the co-signer to court.

A co-signer is responsible for the full year of the lease and for any renewals thereafter. If the tenant has been paying his rent on time during the first year, and should his income improve enough to have the apartment on his own, then before his current lease renews, he should seek to have a non-co-signed lease for the future.

If the tenant is unwilling to do this, and the co-signer wants to be relieved of future potential liability, then the co-signer should send a written notice to the landlord, before the lease renews, that at the end of the current lease he will no longer be a co-signer.

Eviction/Lease Term

The most common reasons for eviction are non-payment of rent, breach of lease, or remaining on the premises after the termination of the lease period. As previously mentioned, once the lease is signed, the tenants are obligated to fulfill the terms of the contract. Consequently, failure to pay the rent on time or a lease violation such as excessive noise or ignoring per prohibitions- will often set into motion the eviction process.

To evict a tenant, the landlord must first send a termination notice, usually in the form of a letter. The next step is to file suit in the district court where the rental unit is located. After the documents are filed with the court, a summons will be sent notifying the tenant of the hearing date. If the tenant fails to appear at the hearing, he or she will be held liable for any court and repossession costs which the landlord might incur including attorney’s fees. If the court finds in favor of the landlord; it will order the tenant’s possessions from the apartment. Also, an evicted tenant may have to bear the cost of rent due should the landlord be unable to re-rent the premises.

Smalls Claims Court

Any lawsuit claiming $5, 000 or less is considered a small claims action. Landlord-tenant claims typically involve security deposits, rent, refunds, or damage to the property.

If you have a controversy with your landlord and have exhausted all other avenues, you may decide to file a small claims action. If you file such a suit, you will be the plaintiff and the landlord will be the defendant. You do not need an attorney.

To initiate a small claim, go to your local district court to obtain the one-page form. Complete it, and return it to the court. Court costs (approximately $20) can be added to the claim. Once the claim is filed with the court, papers will be served on the defendant requesting his or her presence in court. The hearing is usually within 6 to 8 weeks after the suit is filed.

Nothing can replace careful preparation for your hearing. Attend a session of small courts so you will know what to expect. Draft and polish your written claim, and practice your verbal statement several times. Be sure to have all correspondence, receipts, witnesses, and other documentation ready. Your preparation will pay off in the increased likelihood of a successful conclusion to your case.

Lease Termination

Leases do not simply end after a year. A formal, written notice to vacate must be given to the landlord at a specific time or the lease may renew for an additional period. Verbal notice is not enough. Check your lease to see how far in advance you must notify the landlord before leaving the apartment. Failure to give notice before vacating can result in forfeiture of your security deposit. You should provide the landlord with your forwarding address and you may request the return of your security deposit in the same letter.

Sample Letter to send at Move-Out

This letter must be sent at least 30 days prior to lease termination unless additional time is required by the lease. In addition, this letter can also satisfy the notice requirement of the tenant’s desire to be present when the landlord inspects for damage. Such a notice must be sent by certified mail 15 days prior to the date of moving. Inspection must be no later than five days after the move.

Date

Landlord Name
Landlord Address

RE: Apartment 101
333 Good Valley Road
Owings Mills, MD 21117

Dear Landlord,
This is to advise you that I will be ending my tenancy at the above mentioned apartment on May 13, 2012. I would request the right to be present during inspection of my apartment for damages. I will be moving to 911 Crest Point Rd, Randallstown, MD upon vacating. All future letters or notices should be sent to me at that address.

Respectfully,
Tenant Name

Security Deposits

A security deposit is any money given to the landlord by the renter to protect the landlord against non-payment or damages to the leased premises. The total amount of the security deposit may not be more than two month’s rent. The landlord must place the security deposit in an interest-bearing account at a bank. The interest is returned to the renter with the deposit at the termination of the lease.

You have a legal right to receive a receipt for the security deposit. The receipt could be either a written clause in the lease or a separate document. You also have the right to request a written list of damages existing in the apartment at the time you take possession. You can exercise this right only by making a written request to the landlord within days of occupancy as specified in each individual lease. You may also make your own inspection, although this should not replace your written request to the landlord. Be sure that the landlord’s list includes all damages you have noted during your own inspection. At the end of your tenancy, you have the right to be present when the premises are inspected for damages. This right, however, must be requested by certified mail within lease specified time prior to the date of moving. Include your intention to move, the date of your move, your new address, and your desire to be present for the inspection.

There is no guarantee that your security deposit will be returned to you. The landlord may withhold all or part of the deposit for nonpayment of rent, damages to the premises beyond normal wear and tear, and utility or other bills the tenant may have neglected to pay. The landlord can withhold or deduct money only for actual damages. To minimize the possibility that your deposit will be unreasonable withheld:

  • Keep a copy of your lease and all correspondence;
  • Make sure you obtain a receipt for your deposit;
  • Keep all receipts/ canceled checks for rent payments; and
  • Send correspondence to your landlord by certified mail or take a copy to the landlord and obtain a written receipt.

Good communication is the key to any successful relationship. Therefore, take the time to get to know your landlord. For your personal benefit, make an effort to know all rights and responsibilities.

Navigating Issues with Your Landlord

If a problem with your landlord arises, you have several options. Initially, attempt to remedy the problem by notifying the landlord with a written description of the issue you’re facing, preferably by certified mail with a return receipt requested. This lessens the likelihood of later misunderstandings and further serves to maintain a record of your attempts to have the problem solved. After being notified of a serious defect, the landlord has a “reasonable time” to rectify the complaint. The legal definition of a reasonable time depends on the circumstances of each individual case. If notification elicits no response from the landlord, there are several agencies that can help you with landlord information and problems. Don’t duplicate efforts – contact one agency. If the agency accepts your case, be sure to give them enough time to get results before contacting another agency. The agencies are as follows:

Repairs and Reimbursements

  • All tenants should strongly consider buying renters’ insurance. The landlord’s homeowner’s insurance will not cover the loss of your possessions. This includes loss due to theft or damage to the property such as fire or water damage.
  • Never make repairs to the landlord’s property without first getting written permission. This includes a signed and dated statement about reimbursement to you.
  • If the landlord neglects to repair the property and those repairs are health and safety violations, the tenant should call the housing code inspector for their respective county.

Communication Tips

In any relationship, communication is of the utmost importance. Make it a point to communicate with your landlord in writing for any of the circumstances listed below. Send the letter by certified mail (return receipt requested) or take two copies of the letter to your landlord and have the landlord acknowledge receipt in writing on your copy.

When to Contact a Landlord via Certified Mail

  • When damage has occurred between your pre-lease inspection and move-in
  • Gas leaks, electrical problems
  • Roaches or rodents
  • Any other serious problems
  • When you intend to terminate your lease (30 days notice is typically the standard)
  • When you intend to sublet the apartment
  • After move-out and after an inspection has been completed by your landlord to request a list of damages charged against your security deposit

Information from the Maryland Attorney General on landlord and tenant issues can be found online.

The state and local governments have laws and codes that protect the neighborhood and the tenants from unsafe conditions. All rental units should be licensed with the county as rental units.

Here is a more information from Baltimore County on landlord and tenant issues [PDF].

Use this quick inspection sheet for a single-family dwelling [PDF] that is intended as a rental unit in Baltimore County.

Maryland State Law

List of important Laws to know:

  • 8-208: Security Deposits and Surety Bonds
  • 8-203.1: Security deposit receipt
  • 8-204: Right of tenant to possession at beginning of lease
  • 8-205: Requirement
  • 8-208:Automatic Renewal provisions
  • 8-208.1: Retaliatory evictions
  • 8-208.2 Retaliatory actions for informing landlord of lead poisoning hazards
  • 8-211-212: Repair of dangerous defects; rent escrow
  • 8-212.1: Liability of military personnel receiving certain orders
  • 8-213: Applications for leases; deposits
  • 8-401-403: Eviction

Look up Maryland laws on their site.

No one can tell you if you and your roommate are going to be best friends, but there are some things that you can do to try to ensure that you have a positive relationship with your roommate.

Roommate Bill of Rights:

  • Respect each other’s personal space and private property
  • Share the bathroom in consideration of theirs needs
  • Sleep without interference from loud roommate disturbances
  • Maintain a clean living environment
  • Consistently follow payment schedule and procedures
  • Welcome guests as long as they respect the rights of others
  • Establish an environment free of physical and emotional harm
  • Read and study undisturbed in a pre-defined quiet area of the apartment
  • Never perform illegal actions in the shared premise
  • Take into consideration roommates wants or needs before making a group decision

The first and most important step is to immediately contact the local police at 911. Baltimore County authorities should be the first point of contact for all behavioral concerns in the surrounding community around UMBC. For example, do not wait until the next day to call the police or any other official if there is an immediate issue at an off-campus residence. In order to address the issue, the authorities need to know when the behavior is occurring.

Once these officials are contacted, if they confirm that a UMBC student has been involved in an off-campus incident, they will contact UMBC administration. If the situation is deemed to violate the Student Code of Conduct, Student Conduct and Community Standards will begin the judicial process with the off-campus UMBC student.

If the complaint does not meet the threshold for formal action by Student Conduct and Community Standards, or if local residents are looking for helpful strategies in communicating with their neighbors, officials from RSS, Retriever Support Services may be contacted. In these types of cases, they may reach out to the off-campus student regarding the following:

  1. Explain the complaint to the off-campus student;
  2. Hear the student’s side of the story;
  3. Describe the consequences of continued disruptive behavior; and
  4. Suggest strategies to avoid future complaints.

Please note that the Student Judicial Process should not be the only avenue for addressing off-campus misconduct. Since students are citizens of the county, laws and county ordinances should also be enforced by police and county authorities.