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Apartment Handbook.

Section 4

 

IV. MAINTENANCE INFORMATION

  1. Identifying Maintenance Concerns
    1. In Cardinal Court and Shelbourne apartments, identifying maintenance requests is the responsibility of the whole community including Community Aides, Graduate Assistants, Inspectors, Apartment Living Central Staff, the residents, and Building Mechanics. The major purpose of maintaining an attractive and well-maintained environment is for the benefit of the occupants living in the Complex. It should be the goal of everyone to share the responsibility of taking care of the Complexes’ living environment.
  2. Maintenance Repair Service
    1. All requests for ROUTINE repairs and maintenance are to be written and deposited in the Maintenance Request Box in the laundry building.
    2. To request EMERGENCY service, please do the following:
        Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
      8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Call University Housing Services Facilities at 438-8899 to talk to the dispatcher. If the dispatcher is unavailable, follow the procedure indicated by the answering system.

      Call the C.A. on duty.

      (Check your monthly C.A. on duty calendar)
      4 p.m. to 8 a.m.

      Call the C.A. on duty.

      (Check your monthly C.A. on duty calendar)

      Emergency maintenance requests include but are not limited to: broken pipes, stopped up sinks, overflowing stools and bathtubs, fires, noxious odors, gas or electrical service interruption and all items which threaten the life, health and safety of the apartment residents.
  3. Keys

    Cardinal Court - Each key fits the front door of the apartment, the laundry room door, and the mailbox. The key also unlocks the main entrance door to the Community Center during the hours the Center is open for all adult residents’ use.

    Shelbourne - Each key fits the front door of the apartment (and the back door in the townhouse units), the laundry room door, and the restroom door in the laundry room, and the mailbox. The key also unlocks the main entrance door to the Community Center during the hours the Center is open for all adult residents’ use.

    At any time an individual reports that an assigned apartment key is not in his/her possession, the Apartment Living staff must request a core change. This means that if a resident’s key is temporarily not in the individual's possession, the Apartment Living staff member must assume that the resident is no longer in control of that key and a core change will be requested. A regular core change shall be made unless the resident requests an "emergency" core change to be completed after the end of the normal working day or on weekends. A regular core change ($25.00) will result in a core change during normal working hours by the end of the next working day. "Emergency" core changes will result in a charge of $50.00 to the resident. Once a core change request has been reported to Facilities Management, it will not be cancelled, regardless of whether the resident subsequently locates his/her apartment key. Contact University Housing Services, 438-8611, to request a core change during regular office hours or the Community Aide on duty after office hours and on weekends and holidays.

  4. Insect Extermination
    1. The Pest Control Technician will service A-1 through J-116 Cardinal Court and the Shelbourne Complex on the second Thursday of each month and K-117 through Q-192 Cardinal Court on the second Wednesday of each month.
    2. If roaches/bugs (see C below for ants or spiders) have been seen, please prepare your apartment for treatment, on your regular service date, according to the following guidelines:

      Room Seen Preparation
      Kitchen Remove everything from all cabinets, drawers, pantry, and closets (including items on shelves and floor).
      Living Room Remove everything from the closets.
      Bathroom Remove everything from the medicine cabinet and from under the sink area.
      Bedroom Remove everything from the closets and drawers.
      Hallway Remove everything from the hall closets.

    3. If ants/spiders have been seen, please remove everything from immediate area only. It is not necessary to remove everything from closets, cabinets, drawers, pantries, etc.

    IF YOU WISH TO CLEAN, PLEASE DO SO BEFORE TREATMENT.

    Place a note on the front door for the Pest Control Technician to indicate where the roaches/bugs have been seen.

    Allow three weeks for the treatment to work. If roaches/bugs are seen after three weeks, repeat the above procedures on the regular service date following that month.

    If you have any questions about the above or if you need special spraying between monthly services, please contact University Housing Services Facilities at 438-5967.

  5. Drains

    If a bathtub or sink drain becomes sluggish or clogged, the plunger provided in each apartment should be used. DO NOT USE ANY CHEMICAL DRAIN SOLVENTS. If the plunger does not free the drain, place a note in the Maintenance Request Box in the laundry area. If emergency service is needed, see the Maintenance Repair section of this booklet.

  6. Stainless Steel Sinks

    To assure adequate care is taken of the stainless steel facilities, the following steps should be followed when using and cleaning the stainless steel sinks:

    1. Rinse after each use with clean water, wipe with a damp cloth, and dry.
    2. Do not allow liquid soap to dry on the stainless steel surface.
    3. Scour occasionally with a soft cloth and a mild household LIQUID cleanser. DO NOT USE A POWDER CLEANSER. Always rub with the grain lines.
    4. Rinse away cleanser thoroughly with clean water and wipe dry.
  7. Furniture Coaster Cups (SHELBOURNE RESIDENTS ONLY)
    1. In order to reduce damage from heavy furniture, coaster cups have been provided in each apartment. These are placed under the legs or casters of heavy furniture such as beds, sofas, etc., in an attempt to prevent cracking of floor tile.
    2. The coaster cups remain in the apartment when the unit is vacated. Five sets (20) are charged to one-bedroom units, and eight sets (32) to two-bedroom units. A charge is assessed for each coaster missing when the apartment is vacated.
  8. Alterations, Additions, or Improvements to an Apartment
    1. An alteration to an apartment can be made only after written approval is obtained from the University Housing Services Facilities Supervisor.
    2. If the resident alters the apartment, without prior written approval, it will be considered damage. The resident will bear the cost of returning it to its original condition.
    3. Any material added/attached to the apartment, interior or exterior, without written University approval will be considered an alteration and treated accordingly.
    4. Hanging pictures does not constitute an alteration.
  9. Limitations on Electrical Equipment
    1. Electrical equipment is limited to appliances that require no more than 110 volts and ten (10) amps to operate. When a window air conditioner is in operation, caution should be taken with other electrical equipment such as irons, toasters, hair dryers, stereos, televisions, etc.
    2. Prior to the installation of any electrical or mechanical equipment (including window air conditioners), written approval from the University Housing Services Facilities Supervisor must be obtained.
  10. Paint/Walls

    Residents may paint their apartment using University-supplied paint. Residents assume responsibility for meeting established painting standards. An inspection will be made after completion. The paint chart is on the bulletin board in the laundry room. When the temperature is at 10°F or lower, painting will not be permitted.

    In Cardinal Court, adhesive-backed picture hangers should be used; no nail holes are allowed. Shelbourne residents should use nail picture hangers, but all holes must be patched and sanded smooth before vacating. In some instances the patches must have touch up painting. Do not use any objects that penetrate such as screws, tacks, or nails on the wood surfaces (see Cleaning Guidelines).

    Cardinal Court residents should be aware that screws or nails driven into the wooden window frame of the living room window may cause the glass to crack. Contact the Building Mechanic if you have questions.

  11. Garbage Disposal
    1. Operating Instructions
      1. Turn on cold water after removing disposal (drain) cover. A strong flow helps disposal operate best.
      2. Turn on disposal switch.
      3. Feed food waste continuously into disposal opening.
    2. "Do's and Don'ts"
      1. DO replace cover to drain position when unit is not running and leave in this position to prevent foreign material from accidentally dropping into disposal. For water drainage, tip cover slightly.
      2. DO replace disposal cover in drain position for quieter operation.
      3. DO flush disposal for self-cleansing. Allow disposal and cold water to run after grinding or after draining the sink of dishwater. Some detergents are caustic; flushing will pass such material into the drain line without disposal injury.
      4. DO grind food waste only with a strong flow of cold water.
      5. DON’T grind hard materials such as bones, corn cobs, fruit pits, etc.
      6. DON'T turn off motor or water until grinding is completed and only a motor and water sound is heard.
      7. DON'T use hot water when grinding food waste. However, hot water can be drained into disposal between grinding periods.
      8. DON'T feed large quantities of fibrous food waste (cornhusks, pea pods, etc.) into the disposal. Mix this type of waste with other food waste and feed the disposal gradually. When grinding this type of material, allow the disposal and water to run for a full two minutes after grinding. This permits the disposal to flush ground waste through the drain lines to the main sewer and prevents possible clogging of these drain lines.
      9. DON'T stuff large bulky food waste into the disposal opening. Watermelon rinds, citrus fruit skins, etc., should be cut or broken into smaller pieces that can be readily dropped into the disposal opening.
      10. DON'T feed bottle tops, glass crockery, rags, string or paper or allow hairpins, bobby pins, chemicals or solvents to enter into the disposal. These items could result in a clogged drain line or a jammed disposal. Please be careful.
    3. What To Do When Disposal Does Not Operate
      If your disposal stops, it may be due to overloading or a jammed condition. To correct either, use the following steps:
      1. Turn off disposal switch and cold water.
      2. Insert one end of your self-service wrench into center of bottom of disposal and work back and forth until the wrench turns freely in one or more complete revolutions.
      3. Wait three to five minutes to allow disposal motor to cool and then push with thumb on red reset button. Reset button is located on bottom of disposal and is a part of the overload protection switch.
      4. If a foreign object caused stoppage, remove it and resume normal operations by turning on disposal and strong flow of cold water. If after following above instructions, your disposal still does not operate properly, place a note in the Maintenance Request Box.
  12. Light Fixtures
    1. Fluorescent tubes above kitchen sinks and light bulbs in the refrigerators, range hoods, and Shelbourne upstairs hallways are provided. Place a note in the Maintenance Request Box to request replacement. All other bulbs are the responsibility of the resident.
    2. Cardinal Court kitchen wall (bullet) light fixtures require a 50-watt light bulb or a 60-52 watt mizer light bulb. DO NOT use a straight 60-watt light bulb in this fixture.
    3. Shelbourne bathroom lights require 40 watt bulbs.
    4. All other light fixtures in both Cardinal Court and Shelbourne apartments use 60-watt light bulbs.
  13. Halogen Lamps

    The use of halogen lamps is no longer allowed in Apartment Living Complexes. Halogen bulbs get very hot and can ignite material that comes close to or touches the bulb. Another concern is the excessive amount of electricity each bulb uses.

  14. Weather-stripping

    Weather-stripping keeps cold air out and prevents the loss of air-conditioned cool air in the summer. Because of weather-stripping on the bottom of the front door, do not lay carpeting in the area where the door opens.

  15. Proration

    Financial charges relating to the damage or theft of University property in the apartment complex are billed to the specific resident or parent of child that is a resident whenever such individuals can be identified.

    When damage to or theft of University property in public areas of the apartment complex cannot be assigned to specific individuals, the charges for such damages of theft are divided equally (Prorated) amongst the specific building that the damage is present.