Students seeking to rent an apartment in DeKalb have many alternatives to consider, including rent, tenant life and relations with management.

Peter Renick, manager of Bob’s Friendly Apartments, 810 Kimberly Drive, said he gets along well with student tenants. “We have a good rapport with students,” he said. “We allow just about everything.”

Renick said his complex is geared toward students, he rents to about 100 students out of a total of 104 tenants. The complex has about a 40 percent retention rate of student tenants, he said.

A month’s rent at Bob’s is $430, which includes gas, heat and water.

Another student-oriented apartment complex is Lincolnshire West, 1307 W. Lincoln Hwy., which houses about 80 percent students. Co-manager Joyce Williams said some students stay at Lincolnshire for four years.

She said she has a good association with student tenants, and students and DeKalb citizens are treated equally. “Everything’s the same,” she said. “Parking spaces, noise levels, no pets—the usual.” Rents at Lincolnshire West are between $486 and $516 a month, including utilities.

College Square Apartments, 808 Ridge Drive, house between 250 and 300 students in its 160 units. Property manager Kay Berkshire said the complex houses 99 percent students.

Berkshire said relationships with student tenants are “pretty good, but there’s always a few that give me a hard time.” She said about 30 to 40 percent of the tenants usually renew their rooms for another year.

A room at College Square costs $460 a month, including heat and water.

Scott Clausen, resident manager of DeKalb Plaza, said the complex’s 30 student tenants make up about 25 percent of its population.

Clausen said his relationship with students is “real good,” and most students who rent rooms there stay until graduation.

He said the complex has no problems with students now. “Originally, we had some problems, but we got rid of them,” he said, adding many student tenants are graduate students.

Students are less demanding than non-student tenants, he said. “If there’s a problem, students will take care of it themselves or just bear with it,” he said. “Students are a lot less bothersome.”

Rent at the DeKalb Plaza ranges from $287 to $356 a month, depending on the student’s income. Rent is based on a 30 percent figure of income.

An open-door policy to the manager’s office and on-site management make for a “wonderful relationship” between students and management, said Connie Franzen, resident manager of High Meadows Apartments, 1400 W. Lincoln Hwy.

Franzen said students constitute between 50 and 60 percent of the population of the 192-unit complex. Students have about a 35 percent retention rate.

“We have a very low, low, low amount of damages,” she said. “Some students are spotless, others are pigs.” What damage there is comes from students, she said.

Franzen said few complaints are lodged by students because they know what is expected of them and a screening process is involved. A room at High Meadows is $360 a month, including heat, water, draperies, appliances, air conditioning, a heated pool and storage lockers.

Housing with a twist is offered by Bromley Companies, 830 Edgebrook Drive, which is a non-university dormitory system. Manager Susan Cassens says the rooms are larger than NIU residence hall rooms, but offer similar features.

Bromley offers a food service as well as a 24-hour front desk that loans out many of the same items as residence halls. Resident assistants are another Bromley feature.

“It’s new and different,” Cassens said. “Students can build friendships to take to other apartments.”

About 119 students live in DeKalb’s Bromley dormitories. Rent is $350 a month for one bedroom with utilities.

Friday: One tenant’s view of apartment life in DeKalb.