Tag: landlords

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COLLEGE STUDENTS SHOULD CLEAN STOVES

As the owner of small student rental property, it’s that time of year again.  College students moving in and out, signing a lease with the promise to leave the property as clean as when they  moved in.    I’ve had great tenants through the years, because I screen them carefully.  And they usually do a good job of cleaning the place when they leave.  But one thing that none of them seem to understand is how to clean a stove.  This isn’t rocket science,  but even engineering grads don’t get it.  When will they ever learn?  Soon, I hope.  Because a dirty stove means hours of intensive labor for the landlord, which takes a big chunk out of the tenant’s  return deposit.   College students should learn  to clean stoves.  Here’s how:

Students should learn to clean stoves. It's not rocket science, but a dirty stove means lower return deposit.
COLLEGE STUDENTS SHOULD CLEAN STOVES.  An educated person ought to know how to remove a burner and clean it.

Don’t leave food spills in the oven.  Some students cook a lot more than others, but most everyone heats  frozen pizza.  Many brands tell you to bake it right on the oven rack.  Sounds easy, but there’s usually some drippy cheese that end up on the oven floor.  Scrape it up as soon as the oven cools.  If you leave layers of cheesy tomato sauce from numerous pizzas throughout the course of a year, it’s going to leave a hard, black crust on the oven floor.  Which means someone will have to invest in oven cleaner, and spend hours scraping up the disgusting residue.

Sometimes, I find the oven pretty clean.  Which means the student has eaten a lot of meals at their girlfriend’s place, or they eat out a lot.  Maybe they work in a restaurant.  Who knows? But most everyone uses the stovetop to heat up pans of soup, chili, spaghetti sauce—whatever.  Inevitably, they have numerous spill overs that fall through the burners and onto the drip trays.  Why do they ignore the greasy gunky mess? .  Most stoves are now electric, which means the heating units and drip trays should  be taken out and cleaned, but most students don’t seemed to understand how to do that.   Wikihow explains how to do this pretty well.

“Remove the burners from your gas or electric stove top. Be sure that the stove is off and that the elements are completely cooled down before taking off the burner grates or coils. Place them aside on a counter top to be cleaned.”  

With the burners removed, it’s easy to lift out the drip pans. When a spill happens, remove the drip pan and any separate decorative rings as soon as possible.  Fill your sink with hot water and add a few drops of dishwashing detergent.  Place the drip pans and any other removable components in soapy water.  Allow them to soak before cleaning with brillo or whatever it takes.  It’s no different than cleaning a dirty pot or pan.

.Many instruction manuals recommend you clean the burners and trays after each use.  I’m not expecting tenants to go that far.  If you’re boiling a pot of water, it’s not going to make a mess.  But if you know a pot has boiled over, it makes sense to take out the burner and drip tray, and clean them before any other food residue gets baked on.

One of these days,  students  are going to graduate from college, get jobs, and move into their own place.   Eventually, they’ll have to learn how to clean a stove.  So why not start now?

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WARNING! FACEBOOK CAN MAKE OR BREAK STUDENTS

It’s hard to believe, but I’m now renting apartments to students who were born the year I retired! This means they’ve grown up on Facebook , Snap Chat, Instagram and other social media.  90% have at least one public account,   Sadly, many  young people  don’t realize that after they turn 16,  they’re in the real world.  And may not be aware  that Facebook can make  or break students.

Be careful how you appear on facebook.
STUDENTS SHOULD BE AWARE THAT LANDLORDS AND EMPLOYERS WILL LOOK THEM UP ON FACEBOOK

Employers and landlords may look like ignorant old fuddy duddies, but they aren’t as dumb as you think. The first thing they do after receiving an application is look you up on Facebook.  Why not?  It’s cheap and  easy.  The first thing they will notice is what you are wearing.  Girls flaunting bikini bodies might appeal to a certain type of landlord or employer, but perhaps not for good reasons.  Casual clothes are expected, but a person can go too far.  Most of us don’t want to hire or rent property to exhibitionists.

Nowadays, many people don’t post much information about their education and work experience.  Actually, they should.  Someone who graduated from a good high school, or attends college should be proud to share that information.  It may  help with something as simple as landing a summer job.  Leaving that part blank raises questions.

On the other hand, most youngsters  aren’t shy about posting pictures of their friends.  Why? Because they see a large number of friends as a status symbol.  Some kids have over 1,000 so called friends. So this is the good thing for those sneaky folks who want to know more about you. There’s an old saying that you’re known by the company you keep.  Although you come across as fairly bland in your cover photo, you may have some really icky friends.– like people with a vocabulary consisting mostly of four letter words. Or  who brag about  their sex life, drinking habits, etc.   You get the picture.

Politics is another topic best left unsaid at this point in your life.  Many adults go on and on about their political beliefs on Facebook. .  But as a young person just starting out, it’s probably not a good idea to advertise your leanings  unless you’re involved in a political campaign.  A die hard conservative isn’t going to hire a flaming liberal, and vice versa.  So, unless you don’t want to work for or rent from a person whose political beliefs don’t align with yours,  you might not bring up the topic.

We’re in a pretty liberal society, and it’s no longer taboo to have babies with people you aren’t married to.  But if you’ve tried to pose as a single occupancy tenant, and your Facebook shows you holding your baby, it looks like you’re not being  truthful.  Another red flag.

Just remember, kids.  Facebook is just that:  the face you are presenting to the world. And if you aren’t comfortable with that idea, you might make it private, or delete it altogether.