By Erin Miller

Editor in chief

Students planning to move from Calvin housing - whether it be dorms or apartments - to off-campus housing next year should attend the Housing Expo next week.

According to John Britton, assistant dean for student development, many students move off campus without fully understanding their rights and responsibilities as renters. Two years ago, the Student Development Office put together a housing expo consisting of just a table at Johnny's. This year, the expo is being expanded to two different sessions in addition to the information available in Johnny's.

First, Britton said, there will be an informational meeting on Monday, Feb. 18, at 4 p.m. in the basement of Schultze-Eldersveld for all sophomores. At that meeting, Knollcrest East housing will be discussed, as well as options for living off campus.

Then, on Thursday, Feb. 21, a discussion is planned in FAC 125 for all students moving off campus for the first time. That meeting will begin at 7 p.m. and is expected to run until about 8:30, Britton said.

Two students currently living off campus, a landlord currently renting to Calvin students, a representative of the Grand Rapids Housing Commission and a representative of the Housing and Zoning Administration, will sit on a panel to discuss living in rented houses and apartments.

Student Development has put together a guide for students living off campus, detailing what should and should not be part of a lease agreement, and how to guarantee getting a full security deposit back.

``There are a couple of big issues,'' Britton said. ``One is repairs. There tend to be students renting houses in some state of disrepair. It is your right to have things repaired in a timely manner.''

A second problem, he said, comes with the payment and use of the security deposit.

``Security deposits tend to be another big issue,'' Britton said. ``If a house rents for $1,000 a month, the deposit would be $1,500. We're trying to educate [students] what it can and can't be used for. That's a pretty chronic problem.''

Security deposits can be especially tricky, because of their size and unscrupulous landlords' desires to use the money for everyday repairs instead of only using the deposit for damages.

``A lot of it's based on if students don't fill out a checklist and give it to the landlord before moving in,'' Britton said.

Britton added that, through the expo, some misconceptions about life off campus can be corrected.

``One is cost - most students say that living off campus is cheaper,'' he said. ``It is, but I think that the amount is overrated.''

While Britton does not expect a huge turnout, he does hope that the expo will help at least some of the students planning housing for next year.

``Ideally, that's what this program would be for, so they can make an informed decision,'' he said.