Students living in off-campus apartments might find the new “renter’s packet” as important to a successful school year as their study time.

Tim Goebel, director of the Student Association Tenant Union, said the union and the Students’ Legal Assistance Office are providing the packet to assist apartment tenants in establishing “a positive, professional relationship with (the) landlords, and in the process safegaurd important legal rights established to protect (tenants.)”

The packet includes a detailed checklist that, ideally, should be completed prior to taking possession of the apartment and reminds the tenants how to conduct a safe, legal party.

A tenant-landlord handbook is available to all NIU students at the union and the legal assistance offices, respecitvely located on the second floor and basement of the Holmes Student Center.

The publication is free to all NIU students, Goebel said.

He said the renters’ packet idea was discussed at the end of the spring semester following problems some tenants had with their landlords concerning the return, in full or in part, of their security deposits.

The packet is primarily made up of a room condition report which can be used as a checklist when the renters first move in. Goebel said the packet is most effective when it is filled out during the first week of the lease.

“The earlier the report is filled out, the more validity the document will have in court,” he said.

Donald Henderson, legal assistance director, said the room condition report is designed to benefit both the landlord and the renter.

“The purpose of the room condition report is to create a document which establishes the condition of the premises at the time the lease begins,” he said.

Goebel and Henderson suggested pictures be taken, for future reference and documentation, of damages that have already occurred to the apartment.

Goebel said the union has not received a significant response concerning the packet from either the landlords or the tenants. An attempt was made, however, to contact the owners of the apartments prior to the mailings explaining the purpose of the packet, he said.

Goebel said the 1,000 copies of the scaled down packet were sent to apartments at random Aug. 25 due to “a limitation of space and postage fees.

“We are not trying to pick on anybody, we are just trying to protect the students and make their chances better of getting back their security deposits,” he said.

Goebel said apartment owners were informed of the packet prior to its mailing, and were asked for suggestions and comments.

Lin Dargis, assistant manager at Amber Manor Apartments, said he saw the packet when it was first delivered to the complexes, but that a completed form has yet to be turned in.

Dargis said he was unfamiliar with the contents of the packet, but did recall seeing a copy of the informational letter.

Kay Berkshire, College Square Apartments office manager, said, “a couple” of completed forms have been returned to her.