Tenant Union

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Tenant Union
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Road Map
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History
Established September 20, 1971 and has been
located in the Illini Union since opening in 1972
Complaint Records Started in 1972
Not Recommended List in 1972
Landlord of the year contest 72-78
Mission Focused
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Target Population/s

• Freshman
• First Time Student Renters
• International Students

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Services

• Assistance in locating suitable housing
• Landlord Complaint Records
• Lease reviews
• Educational Interactive Programs
• Empowerment Advocacy

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Locating Securing Suitable Housing
http//www.tenantunion.illinois.edu/downloads/quic
kguide.pdf
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• Complaint Records

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Complaint Records Exist to

• Expedite maintenance request/s of student renters
• Hold Landlord/Management Company Accountable to
  legal and/or contractual obligations
• Inform prospective student tenants on their peers
  experiences with a particular management or
  company
• NOTE Address of complaint is not included in
  official complaint summary unless it was a city
  code violation

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Accessing Complaint Records

• The number of complaints filed on the landlord
  each year for the past five years
• The nature of each complaint filed
• The landlords written response to the
  complaint if given
• The ultimate resolution of the dispute, if known.
• NOTE While it is not required, Tenant Union
  staff does encourage tenants to attempt
  resolution of a dispute on their own prior to
  filing a complaint

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Procedures

• When a written complaint is filed, a copy of the
  complaint and a Reply To Complaint Form, along
  with any additional documents provided such as
  pictures, will be sent to the landlord via
  email. 
• A response within seven days is
  requested. Landlords are encouraged to respond in
  writing if they wish to have their side of the
  story reflected in the complaint file.

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Complaints Filed Versus Lodged
Filed 15 Lodged 184 Dropped 2
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Withdrawing a Complaint

• A written complaint will NOT be placed in the
  file if
• Tenant Union finds that the nature of the
  complaint is not related to the contractual or
  legal obligations of the landlord
• 2) the complaint has no factual basis

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A complaint cannot be withdrawn or removed from
the record unless

• All issues of the complaint are resolved to the
  tenants satisfaction within 48 hours after the
  complaint was sent to the landlord and the tenant
  appears in person at the Tenant Union office to
  verify that
• all matters were resolved within 48hrs.
• 2) the tenants request is made of his or her own
  
• free will, without coercion or threats from
  the
• landlord
• 3) the landlord did not require withdrawal of the
  
• complaint as a condition for resolution of
  the
• complaint.

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A complaint cannot be withdrawn or removed from
the record unless

• The tenant who filed the complaint contacts the
  Tenant Union after the lease has ended and
• the deposit has been refunded
• all other matters between the landlord and tenant
  have been resolved
• verifies that the request to withdraw the
  complaint is made of his or her own free will
  without coercion or threats from the landlord
• the landlord did not require agreement to
  withdraw the complaint as a condition for
  resolution of the complaint.

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• Lease Review

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Empowerment Advocacy

• Tenant Union may call a landlord to
• Expedite a maintenance request that is a city
  code violation and/or poses an imminent threat to
  the tenant
• With international students for clarity,
  understanding and interpretation

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Recent Trends
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International Students
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Fires
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Programs

• The Nuts Bolts of Renting
• Speed Rommate-ing
• Experienced Renter Panel
• Lease Lasso

http//tenantunion.illinois.edu/engagement.asp
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• UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-
• CHAMPAIGN
• TENANT UNION SERVICES LANDLORD
• RESOURCE CONFERENCE
• SAVE THE DATE!
• MAY 29, 2015
• Call for Proposals Keynote Speaker Nominations