Voting, that is. It seems as if there’s no shortage of political issues to discuss or concerns to be voiced. So why is it, when offered the chance to hire or fire our elected officials, so few people actually vote? There are many answers but few reasons. Voting is the most important requirement of US citizens. You’re going to vote but how do you encourage your residents to do the same?

Inform

Consider providing your residents with information on the How of voting in Champaign County.

• Provide the location and hours of their polling place
• Remind them they can vote absentee
• Send them the link to the County Clerk’s election page <http://www.champaigncountyclerk.com/elections/voters.html>

Encourage

While you never want to suggest what they do once they get into the booth, you can responsibly encourage your residents to vote.

• You might share the You Tube video of Craig Ferguson’s monologue on voting entitled “If You Don’t Vote, You’re a Moron”
• Consider providing some incentive for voting and/or sharing information about local businesses that are providing incentives. Last election, Café Kopi was on the list.
• Fly the American flag at your property on election day

Whatever you decide to do, take a moment to appreciate the fact that you can vote and then go to the polls.

2009, I was asked to attend the Fire Factor Academies at the University of Illinois. Clay Baier, inspector for the city of Urbana, and CIAA board member also attended as one of the organizers and founding members.

Through education and practical applications, the Fire Factory academy is designed to establish a relationship of mutual trust and respect among the University of Illinois, leaders of U of I housing community and the C-U Fire Departments.

Over the many years that I have lived in Champaign I have noticed the towers (sometimes emanating fire from their walls) just east of South Neil Street and North of Windsor Road. I often wondered what was going on in this area of the U of I but never ventured through the back streets off of South First Street to find out.

Upon arrival to the Fire Factor (formally known as the Illinois Fire Service Institute), I was directed to a room full of university students that were watching a video of bar fires that have occurred throughout the United States. The video was real and definitely shocking. The point of showing the student representatives real life video of actual fires was to impress upon them the importance of:

1. Realizing (before you go in) whether a bar or facility is over occupied

2. Looking for all exists once you enter a building

3. Thinking about which exit you will use if a fire breaks out (80% of people will use the same exit they came in – whether it is the closest and least used exit or not).

After an excellent lunch we were all treated to viewing two mocked up dorm rooms set afire. One room had a sprinkler system and the other did not. Can you guess which one faired better? Sprinkler systems not only save lives and property but allow property owners a discount on their insurance premiums.

In addition to watching videos the students participated in an actual search and rescue of a “dummy” located in a building full of smoke, hands on demonstrations of how to properly use a fire extinguisher and hauling a fire hose up three flights of stairs (fully loaded with fire fighter’s clothing and gear).

One of the best benefits of this exercise was witnessing the respect and admiration developed between the students and fire fighters. The students started the day thinking they would be wasting their time and become bored quickly. They ended their day with practical hands on experience that they can use to save their lives AND influence their fellow students.

I ended my day thinking of ways that we can influence our tenants to buy renter’s insurance, keep charged batteries in their smoke and CO detectors, report unsafe conditions to our maintenance personnel, not set off smoke alarms unnecessarily and be constantly aware of building exits and occupancy limits.

Q: After I moved into my apartment, the original landlord sold the property to a new owner. I paid my security deposit to the original landlord, and continued to pay rent to the new owner. My lease is up soon, and the new owner says he never got any deposits from the old landlord, so he can’t refund anything to me. Is there any way I can get my deposit back?

A: There should be, assuming your rent is paid in full and there are no damages. Whether or not the old landlord gave the new landlord any security deposits, the new landlord is responsible to you for your deposit. It’s the law.

That law is the Illinois Security Deposit Return Act, which provides a rare direct solution to your problem. It makes it clear that the new landlord steps into the shoes of the old landlord, and is liable for the deposit.

The law says: “In the event of a sale . . . of residential real property . . . by a lessor [landlord] who has received a security deposit or prepaid rent from a lessee [tenant], the transferee [new landlord] of such property shall be liable to that lessee for any security deposit, including statutory interest, or prepaid rent which the lessee has paid to the transferror [old landlord].

All those words (74 in all, counting those left out) boil down to saying the new landlord owes for the deposit you paid to the old landlord.

Old and new landlords should explicitly deal with security deposits whenever rental property is sold. One way is for the old landlord to actually hand over a pot of money, representing the deposits, to the new landlord as part of the sale. Or, the new owner can get a credit for the deposits the old landlord would pay, and simply reduce the amount paid to the old landlord for the property.

But sometimes, especially with Mom-and-Pop rental properties, neither side thinks about deposits when a house or apartment is sold. That’s where the Act comes in.

So, the new landlord is liable, even if he got nothing from the old landlord for deposits. To protect against the new landlord claiming that you wouldn’t get your deposit back anyway, because of damages or clean up charges, carefully document the condition of your apartment when you move out (e.g., photos, videos, witnesses). If the new landlord then doesn’t voluntarily return your deposit, you can sue in small claims court for a refund. That’s where you can use those photos, videos, and witnesses.

If there are 5 units where you live, your landlord has either 30 days from when you move out to explain in writing any deductions from your deposit, or 45 days to return the deposit without deductions. And if there are 25 or more units, you get interest–but only at a current rate of about 1% a year.

What’s the win-win situation you might ask? In this case it’s protecting yourself while helping someone else protect themselves! Personally, I have a large deductible on my properties. If a tenant causes a loss I don’t want to be stuck with a large deductible to pay if the covered loss was caused by the tenant. By requiring renters insurance I am spreading my risk, and that’s good for me. What are some of the losses that might be covered by tenant’s renter’s insurance? Some examples are a candle fire, a short in an extension cord, a grease fire, or a tenant’s washing machine hose breaking causing water damage. Not to mention, any of these damages to a unit could affect other units as well, and how about if a tenant’s pet bites another person in the building, or a visitor hurts themselves in your tenants unit? The list goes on.

How does the other “win” of the win-win come into play? The tenant will protect their own “stuff” and liabilities. If there is a fire or theft from their unit, how are they going to be made whole again? Many tenants say they don’t have much, but if you add everything up it’s usually more than you think. If there is a fire and everything is damaged the renter has to get back on track…and that probably doesn’t mean shopping for sale prices. They need everything back right then…and they can’t blame you for their loss. Renters insurance can also pay for “additional living expenses”, any additional expenses incurred, could be paid by the renters insurance. The other benefit to the tenant is if they have their auto and renters policy with the same carrier they usually get a discount that lowers their premium even more!

How much is renters insurance for the tenant? Ask your agent but policies can start as low as $8 per month! You should also talk to your insurance agent, or our office, about what your options are to help with getting on a renters insurance program. We have special “renters insurance” programs that help owners and property managers get information and quotes to their tenants. We can also help with tracking who has renters insurance and who doesn’t.

Inform your tenants of your requirements, when it comes to renters insurance. A win-win situation is always a good thing, and makes life a whole lot easier.