RESIDENT GUIDE

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Resident Guide

Resident Guide Welcome

WELCOME NEW RESIDENTS!

It will be a pleasure to have you here! Before you become overwhelmed with your new responsibilities in your studies or work here, please save yourself a lot of misunderstanding by using this moment to read and understand the lease agreement and accompanying building rules. Find your street-mailing address on your lease. Please also read the resident guide!

Communication: Best way is email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or telephone 612 623 4488. You can also find more information in residents area of our website www.ElmwoodProperties.com

Utilities:


Please do not hesitate to call us if you have questions about connections.

Moving: Please do all the moving through the back doors by the alley sides of the buildings; however, residents of 918 17th must use front door.

Move-In package: The first person to pick up their keys will receive the move-in package for the entire apartment, THIS INCLUDES THE RENT PAYMENT COUPONS, one due with each rent payment. Each resident will receive an individual folder with all the information you must know about living here. Please read your lease and building rules. Please read your Resident Guide, also available on our website at www.ElmwoodProperties.com.

Security doors: These are the front and back exterior doors to buildings. Please keep them closed except for your moving time. Visitors can call you on the security phone, assuming we have your phone number to program into the entry phone. Your phone rings, you talk to visitor, YOU push “5” on YOUR phone to unlock building door. YOU MUST GIVE US YOUR TELEPHONE NUMBER FOR THE SECURITY PHONE TO BE CONNECTED TO THE DOOR AND YOUR APARTMENT.

Apartment Condition Acceptance Form: Please complete this form now and return to our business office at 1420 Rollins Ave SE. We want to do all the remaining repairs ASAP and disturb you as little as possible. While we do our very best to have your apartment absolutely perfect on your arrival, we hope you will understand that we may not accomplish every detail. On the Apartment Condition Acceptance Form, please include anything you think we should fix.

Parking: Any vehicle without a parking permit in the paved lots will be towed away. Any vehicle parked in the middle of the lots or any signed no parking area will be towed. Handicapped spaces for vehicles with approved permits only, and state law is firm: $200 fine if police see you. We have no control over this.Elmwood

Grills: For safety reasons, grills are not permitted on balconies. You can use them any where on the ground outside.

Windows: We provide mini blinds for every window. If you want any additional window decoration, please call us first. Please do not attempt to remove the screens. They are not designed for easy removal, and you will have to pay for a new replacement.

Repairs: For any repairs, please email or call us right away. We want your place to be in perfect shape. Especially, we want to know about leaking toilets or faucets.
Keys: Your keys are provided on a single ring. Please DO NOT separates the keys. The large square shaped ring operates your building lobby door. The triangular key is for your apartment door. The smallest key is for the mail box. Lost keys cost as follows: building key $30, apartment key $2, mailbox key $2.

Complaints about other people: If you have any complaint about your neighbors, please do not call the police or 911. Please call our office at 612 623 4488 or any of the other numbers listed on the answering machine. We will handle the problem.

Happy residents: We want you to be satisfied and happy living here, and we promise to do everything possible to make your stay enjoyable and comfortable.

Thanks for choosing to stay at Elmwood!

Resident Guide Security

SECURITY

Bad things happen to good people, and bad things can happen anywhere. The only way to reduce the number of times you have this kind of problem is to be prepared --- and to be alert!

Except for periods when more people are moving in and out, during a few days in May and August, the building doors should always be closed and locked. There are times during the day when the maintenance manager may prop open or unlock a door so that our employees can get in and out, because we do not give them keys.

All apartment entry doors and balcony doors have Minneapolis-code approved deadbolts AND non-key barrel-bolts. No one is going to enter your apartment IF YOU LOCK AND BOLT YOUR DOORS AND WINDOWS.

At 1701 and 1725 Elm St SE, the building hallways, the front and rear entries, the parking lots and laundries have video cameras recording continuously, whether someone in the camera view or not. At 1701 and 1725 Elm St SE, 1100 Como and 1313 Como, uniformed policemen walk the halls and property every Friday and Saturday night and at random times during the week.

Living in the city, around the U of M, you MUST pay attention to security. You must coordinate with your roommates to close and lock the windows and doors when the last person leaves the apartment. CLOSE AND LOCK ALL THE DOORS AND WINDOWS, PLEASE AND KEEP THEM CLOSED.

We do everything we can to help you reduce the probability of a security problem while living here. However, ONLY YOU can do the most important things to be secure. KEEP YOUR DOORS AND WINDOWS LOCKED.

CARS

Please do not leave valuables clearly visible on the seats, and always lock your doors and close your windows. It is amazing how many people leave wallets or purses or electronic equipment in plain sight, for anyone to take. If you leave it there, you are just asking for someone to steal it.

BIKES

The bike racks are not guaranteed security, no matter what kind of lock you have. If you have a valuable bike, please bring it inside your apartment. If the winter, we provide you with a floor protector.

Parties and Noise

PARTIES AND NOISE

Please read the lease agreement and the building rules you signed. These two forms constitute a legally binding contract, enforceable by the courts. Please read and understand it.

NO PARTIES - NO KEGS Read your building rules for more detail! A

LCOHOLIC CONSUMPTION ANYWHERE ON OUTSIDE GROUNDS PROHIBITED BY LAW AND ENFORCED BY OFF-DUTY MINNEAPOLIS POLICE GUARDS.

CITY OF MINNEAPOLIS ORDINANCES:

385.100. UNNECESSARY NOISE OR ODORS GENERALLY. No person in any public or private place, shall make, or assist in making, by any manner or means, any loud, unpleasant, or raucous noise or odor that unreasonably disturbs the peace, quiet, or repose of a person or persons of ordinary sensibility, unless the same be reasonably necessary to the preservation of life, health, safety, or property. (Enforced 24 hours a day.)

385.110. NOISY ASSEMBLY

Subj. 1. Definition. Whenever used in this section, the term "noisy assembly" shall mean a gathering of more than one person in a residential area or building between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. that produces noise that unreasonably disturbs the peace, quiet, or repose of a person or persons of ordinary sensibility.

Subj. 2. Prohibition.

(a) No person shall participate in, visit, or remain at a gathering knowing or having reason to know that the gathering is a noisy assembly, except persons who have come to the gathering for the sole purpose of abating the disturbance.

(b) No person shall knowingly permit real estate under such person's care or control to be used for a noisy assembly.

389.100. OFFENSIVE USE OF SOUND-AMPLIFYING EQUIPMENT. No person shall use or maintain any sound-amplifying equipment when the use or maintenance of such equipment creates noise so loud and unnatural in their time, place, use, or maintenance as to annoy, injure, or endanger the safety, health, comfort, or repose of any persons. (Enforced 24 hours a day.)

THE MAXIMUM PENALTY FOR CONVICTION OF THIS VIOLATION IS $700 OR 90 DAYS IN JAIL, OR BOTH.

EVICTION

By signing your lease, you have given management authority to evict you if you violate these Minneapolis ordinances. This means you have to move out, but you still have to pay the rent until the end of your lease term. In addition, you receive a bad credit report and an unfavorable rental reference.

EMERGENCY / COMPLAINT PLEASE CALL 612-623-4488

ONLY CALL 911 IF IT IS LIFE THREATENING EMERGENCY

IF YOU WISH TO REPORT A PARTY OR HAVE ANY COMPLAINT ABOUT YOUR NEIGHBORS, Call APARTMENT MANAGEMENT AT (612) 623-4488

This is OUR job. If it is necessary to call the police, WE will call them. Call us ANYTIME with a complaint at: (612) 623-4488 or (651) 783-9165 or (651) 645-4117. If you get an answering machine, your message will be delivered to our pager automatically.

Refrigerator Guide

REFRIGERATORS

Most of the refrigerators are frost free and do not need defrosting. However, it your refrigerator forms ice, this is what to do:

NEVER use anything metal to chip ice from the freezer compartment. This will likely puncture the coils, rendering the refrigerator totally worthless, and you will have to buy a new refrigerator.

To defrost freezer compartment:

Defrost freezer compartment when frost becomes l/4-inch to l/2-inch thick in any area of the freezer. It may be necessary to defrost the freezer compartment frequently if the freezer is used often and/or there is high humidity. Remove contents from freezer compartment and turn temperature control to "O' position. Temperature control must remain at "O" position and freezer compartment door must stay open. To reduce the amount of thawing of frozen food while defrosting the Freezer compartment, store the food in a picnic cooler or other insulated container. Sponge up defrosted water as it collects in bottom of freezer compartment. Place a large folded bath towel at the front of the freezer compartment to soak up water and prevent it from running down the front of the refrigerator.

In addition to the visible frost in the freezer compartment, frost also forms on the hidden side of the freezer compartment surfaces. This frost will melt during defrosting and the defrost water will drain through the opening in the top of the fresh food compartment. To catch this water, place a quart-size container in the center of the top shelf under the opening. Leave the freezer compartment door open for at least two hours to defrost an average accumulation of frost.

After defrosting is completed, turn temperature control to desired setting and return food to freezer compartment. To reduce the moisture forming in your refrigerator, look for the energy saver switch on the back wall of the lower compartment inside your refrigerator. Move it to the right.

If you have any questions about your refrigerator, please call us at (612) 623-4488 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Air Conditioning Guide

AIR CONDITIONING

Be cool. Use your air conditioner correctly. Follow these suggestions for maximum comfort at minimum cost:

KEEP THE VENT KNOB "CLOSED" AT ALL TIMES. If the vent knob is set to "open", your air conditioner is constantly cooling hot outside air. It will not be able to cool your apartment and will seem to be not working. Keep the vent "closed" so the air conditioner is re-cooling inside apartment air. It will also cost less than half.

GET RID OF EXCESS HUMIDITY IN YOUR APARTMENT. Ice forms on your air conditioner coils when the relative humidity inside your apartment is greater than the relative humidity outside. The extra water vapor in the air condenses on the air conditioner coils and then turns to ice. The air conditioner will not work at all. If this happens, turn the air conditioner off and wait until the next day for all the ice to melt. To prevent this from happening again, equalize the humidity by opening the windows and/or patio door for an hour or so before you turn the air conditioner back on again.

DON'T TRY TO "CHILL DOWN" YOUR APARTMENT EVERY DAY. Your electrical cost for the air conditioner will be much lower if you set your air conditioner to run continuously at a constant, comfortable temperature.

KEEP THE WINDOWS COVERED. If you have uncovered windows, your air conditioning is totally and quickly destroyed. Your apartment becomes a greenhouse. Keep the sunlight out and keep the incandescent lighting Iow. Each light bulb adds significant heat to your apartment (not so much the kitchen ceiling light, which is fluorescent).

KEEP THE DOORS AND WINDOWS CLOSED. RUN THE BATHROOM FAN DURING EVERY SHOWER AND FOR 30 MINUTES AFTER. RUN THE BATHROOM FAN WHILE YOU ARE COOKING. Your apartment will feel cooler if it is also DRY.

DO NOT REMOVE THE AIR CONDITIONER COVER FOR ANY REASON. If you break it, you buy it

. CALL US IF THE AIR CONDITIONER IS NOT WORKING. We want you to be comfortable. In case of any problem, please call 612 623 4488 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Now, after all this, don't be afraid to use your air conditioner. DO use it. It doesn't cost that much. Just use it correctly, and you will be more comfortable at less cost.

Heat and Air Conditioning Guides

Heat and AC: 1701 & 1725 Elm St SE and 1100 Como Ave SE

Control knob: You control the temperature. There is a knob on the radiator in the living room. The knob shows numbers 1 through 6. One is the lowest temperature and 6 are highest. You probably will never need more than 2 or 3. To adjust the temperature, push the red button and turn the knob. It is best to turn the heat all the way to 1, until it stops. You will have adequate heat. Please be careful of the knob. Keep your furniture a safe distance away so the knob is not damaged.

Radiators: Your radiators must be adjusted properly or they will not work. There is an adjustable fin in the middle. This must be set at the largest possible open angle. Otherwise, no air flows across the radiator, and no heat enters your room. Your radiators must be clear and exposed at least 6 inches in front. If you have a bed or furniture touching or close to the radiator, air cannot circulate around the heat element, and your room will be cold.

Heat and AC: 918 – 17th Ave SE and 1410 Rollins Ave SE

Control for heat and air conditioning 1410 Rollins Ave SE & 918 17th Ave SE Humidity control for 1410 – Keep at 40%

Heat control 1313 Como. Left side controls temperature, right knob fan speed.

Heat and AC: 1313 Como Avenue SE

The system is gas hot-water and is called "fan-coil". There is one radiator coil in each apartment. A fan blows over this coil and you control the fan speed with the knob adjacent to the thermostat. The resulting hot air is ducted by this same fan into each of the rooms, giving the effect of a forced air system. While the thermostat controls the temperature of the water in the radiator and maintains the temperature you set for the entire apartment, the fan also distributes the air. You can have more or less air movement, depending upon the air velocity you prefer. In any case, when the apartment air temperature you set on the thermostat is reached, the fan will shut off too. It will come back on automatically when the thermostat calls to re-adjust the air temperature again.

Windows

Please do not open your windows to “cool down” your apartment. Just turn down the heat. Adjust the control knob to its lowest setting. If your apartment is still too warm, please call us.

Walls and Decorations Guide

WALLS AND DECORATIONS

RESIDENTS ARE PERMITTED TO HANG OBJECTS ON WALLBOARD (SHEETROCK) WALLS WITH SMALL NAILS ONLY.

No other devices to hang objects are permitted!

No adhesive-backed hooks. No gum-like adhesives. NOTHING BUT SMALL NAILS!

Absolutely nothing is to be hung from or be attached to any woodwork or cabinets. No nails, no adhesive - nothing in the woodwork!

Absolutely nothing attached to the ceilings!

Absolutely no adhesive or tape or other devices is to be used to hang items from the refrigerator or stove surfaces!

Penalty for Filthy Living Conditions

PENALTY FOR FILTHY LIVING CONDITIONS

Our experience is that many residents are very neat and clean and organized, while a few are absolutely filthy. Filthy living conditions also affect other residents because ants, cockroaches, mice and other vermin are attracted.

Minneapolis and St. Paul are becoming much stricter about this, and we have no choice but to penalize residents who do not clean their apartments regularly.

Consequently, if, at any time we find your apartment in unsanitary condition, we will include a notation in the rental history records of said tenants for rental references on future apartments the tenants may desire. This entry will adversely affect one’s ability to find another decent apartment.

In addition, our leases have been modified to include monetary penalties for residents who do not maintain their apartments in a satisfactorily clean condition.

Also, if we find any apartment where the residents are living in unsanitary conditions, or in violation of Minneapolis or St. Paul housing codes, we can evict the residents.

Please remember: You must clean your kitchen and bathroom at least once a week. Accumulated grease and decaying food on your stove, on your counters, in your refrigerator, or anywhere, are a violation of the Minneapolis Housing Code. Similarly, your bathroom sinks; tub, toilet and floor must be cleaned at least once a week.

Parking Guide

PARKING

ALL CARS IN THE APARTMENT LOTS WITHOUT PARKING PERMITS WILL BE AUTOMATICALLY TOWED AWAY BY GOPHER TOWING (612) 782-8872, 1321 NE TYLER ST., MINNEAPOLIS

A. RESIDENT PARKING

  • 1701/1725/918: Absolutely NO PARKING in the middle aisle of the parking lots. In the entrances to the parking lots or opposite the 1701 north (back) door at any time. YOUR VEHICLE WILL BE TOWED! Also, there is usually extra parking on 18th Ave. anytime or you can park on other residential streets.
  • 918 Parking spaces for 918 residents only and are assigned 1 per apartment.
  • 1313/1100: Parking in the lots behind the apartment buildings is allowed only with a permit. Otherwise your vehicle will be towed.

B. VISITOR PARKING - NO VISITOR CARS IN LOTS - RESIDENTS ONLY

  • 1701/1725/918: Visitors can park along 18th Avenue SE, on the east side of the 1725 building, at the parking meters in the U of M Daycare center across the street from 1701, or on any neighborhood street. 
  • 1313 and 1100: There is ample parking on the street for visitors.

C. HANDICAPPED SPACES. State law requires that one parking space per building be designated as handicapped. It is a $200 fine if you are caught parking in this space. Also, cars parked on Elm Street will receive tickets if the police drive by.

Transfer Balance of Lease Term Guide

TRANSFER THE BALANCE OF LEASE TERM

Ultimately, as it is your decision to move before the end of your lease term, it is your responsibility to locate someone new to take over your apartment. Once we have received your signed notice of intent to transfer your lease, we can offer your apartment to people who call our office. In practice, when residents want to do this, about 50% of the new substitute residents result from calls to our office, and 50% result from the present residents finding them.

Please consider that people looking for an apartment are customers. They have to be shown the apartment when THEY want to see it. Also, almost every person, even a messy one, wants to move into a really clean place. If your place looks great, they will like it better and take it sooner.

Some suggestions:

  • Make up a notice or brochure and distribute it throughout the dormitories. This is your best source. Some dorms close for the summer, and these are a definite group of people wanting a place for the summer. Dorms have bulletin boards, but most effective is to distribute the brochure yourself to the rooms inside the dorm.
  • List an ad in the U of M housing office behind Comstock. You can also place an ad on the bulletin board there.
  • Pass the word around to anyone you meet during the day.
  • You can place an ad in the Minnesota Daily, though this is not free.
  • Be flexible. Once someone comes to look at your place, be flexible about their move-in date and creative to negotiate the terms. Try to make a deal.
  • Don't wait. Most people are looking at least a month in advance. Now is the time to get started.

Until someone signs for your apartment, it is normal to feel anxiety. After all, there are only two possibilities: Either someone takes it, or they don't. Just work on it, and start now. Remember that about half of the applicants call our office, and half come from contacts made by the residents, and that, in the past, all residents wanting to transfer have done it, and at the time they wanted.

If you have any questions, please call 612-623-4488 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.